Invoice small print

[paulears]

They're stalling - or just being damn awkward.

 

You do not need your UTR, or NI number on the invoice, and as long as you do not show any VAT being collected for the Government, then they should just pay your invoice at the full total shown.

 

I put 30 days on my invoices, and most firms ignore it - I just got a cheque for £8K today - invoiced in June, and the interest on the purchase has wiped out a big chunk of the profit - I need to work for these people again - so there was no way I was threatening them with any wording like this, despite wanting to!

[rumplefeik]

Thanks for the reply.

 

Hopefully I won't have to wait too long.

 

I do want to keep things friendly and avoid putting people off by adding some threatening phrasing at the end of an invoice, especially being a freelancer - I think you can get away with more as a limited company (less personal almost) - but I also don't want to be taken for a mug. I guess it is a fine line, keeping good relations so the work keeps coming but also treating myself and thinking like a business and not putting up with any crap. Especially when still relatively new in the industry things can be a little tentative.

 

They're being really nice about it, but then I'm dealing with coordinators and not the accounts department directly.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Thanks

[Jram]

I'm about to look into this issue regarding a company who have taken fifteen weeks to not pay me (so far) - twice the timesheets I initially didn't need but which "were filled out on my behalf" went 'missing.' Hmmm. So, they say they'll pay me the full amount next week as per my contract, but I plan to invoice for the interest accrued in this period - does anyone happen to know if you charge interest on the interest (on the new total), either on a daily or weekly basis?

 

I wouldn't mind so much, but if you own a TV set then three of you will have paid this company more than what they owe me. Grr.

[Pete McCrea]

I think with regard to the Swedish company, it might be more what they are used to seeing on the invoices. If you don't have a VAT number you can't put that on there, but they might want theirs on there for reasons known to them.

 

I do know that 'Intra Community Supplies' don't attract VAT. Or at least the times we bought kit from Europe we don't get charged the VAT.

[zonino]

I'm about to look into this issue regarding a company who have taken fifteen weeks to not pay me (so far) - twice the timesheets I initially didn't need but which "were filled out on my behalf" went 'missing.' Hmmm. So, they say they'll pay me the full amount next week as per my contract, but I plan to invoice for the interest accrued in this period - does anyone happen to know if you charge interest on the interest (on the new total), either on a daily or weekly basis?

 

I wouldn't mind so much, but if you own a TV set then three of you will have paid this company more than what they owe me. Grr.

 

you can't claim interest on the interest, so its just the rate (upto the legal maximum) time apportioned

[rumplefeik]

I think with regard to the Swedish company, it might be more what they are used to seeing on the invoices. If you don't have a VAT number you can't put that on there, but they might want theirs on there for reasons known to them.

 

I do know that 'Intra Community Supplies' don't attract VAT. Or at least the times we bought kit from Europe we don't get charged the VAT.

 

This is what has happened today. They have asked I send the invoice again with their VAT number on it.

 

Not a problem to do, but what annoys me is they didn't say this when I initially sent the invoice, they waited and then when I start chasing them up about money they turn round and say we need VAT numbers.

 

This is not something I've had to do before, worked for German companies for the last wee while, and never been asked to put a VAT number on there.

 

I should also say I'm not exporting goods, just my services on the post-production VFX for a film.

 

Thanks for all the responses.

[paulears]

Intra-community supplies do have VAT. It is exactly the same as dealing with a UK company. The only difference is that the non-UK VAT content goes in a different box on the return, and they send you a form on which you must disclose the details of any supplies outside of the UK, but within the UK. Extra-community supplies may be made VAT free if the buyer satisfies certain conditions, and delivery is made either direct to the purchaser or via a bonded facility in the UK. Services provided outside of the UK are a bit different. If they are outside the UK, but in the EU and the receiver of the services is a business, then if you are sure the services were supplied outside of the UK you can zero rate the invoice. If they are outside the EU, the transaction doesn't even have to be on your VAT return. Complicated?

 

This is made even worse because the VAT people have a rule called "The basic rule and the place of belonging". So if you work from the UK, it's quite likely they could decide that even supplying services abroad is actually done from the UK. So this could well be a contradiction and mess it all up! Hence why an accountant is an invaluable expense.

[Jram]

you can't claim interest on the interest, so its just the rate (upto the legal maximum) time apportioned

Thanks, I'll have to have a wee read through the Act and try and get my head round it.

[zonino]

This is made even worse because the VAT people have a rule called "The basic rule and the place of belonging". So if you work from the UK, it's quite likely they could decide that even supplying services abroad is actually done from the UK. So this could well be a contradiction and mess it all up! Hence why an accountant is an invaluable expense.

 

Yes we are

[LJ]

*deep breath* *remain calm*

 

 

Thank you for this notice of remittance.

 

Please note that our agreed credit terms as stated on our invoices are for payment within 30 days from the invoice date.

 

This payment arrived 98 days after the invoice date. I hope you can understand why this concerns me - we are a small company and the sums involved are not large for a company such as xxx xxx.

 

We have a further outstanding invoice (copy attached) that was issued on 30th July 2008 and is therefore already 26 days overdue. I hope to see that payment settled more quickly.

 

I greatly value the relationship that we have with xxx xxx but respectfully ask that the terms be better adhered to in future dealings, or we will exercise our right to apply compensation and interest under Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 as amended by the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Legislation 2002.

 

Kind regards,

 

 

 

 

*and relax*

[Jram]

This payment arrived 98 days after the invoice date.

 

In my case (see above), the company have finally arranged payment for tomorrow - a full 103 days after I completed the job. The 73 days of interest I have invoiced them for amounts to just over £600, so you must really value your relationship with this company to let them away with it twice...

[oli]

Sorry to resurrect this topic.

 

I have created an invoice template on excel but there are a few flaws with it, namely that I have to re format the cell size for each company I work for, does anyone have a template that they could let me see/cannibalize?

 

Failing that does anyone know of a small business accounting software for mac that generates invoices etc?

 

If you do I will PM you my email address.

 

Many thanks

 

Oli

[Chris Beesley]

Try a search on Microsoft's main site - there are loads of free templates you can download.