Self billing

[Old Greg]

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

The advantages as I see them are:

1. Timesheet is authorised electronically by the client every Friday. Agency releases the funds the following Wednesday, Funds are in my business account on Friday.

2. No need to send invoices to the agency, although I keep a paper copy for my records.

3. The agency can't lose any invoices therefore no fannying around trying to re-submit lost ones.

I can't think of any disadvantages as my experience of self billing has been very good.

But when I started out, the agency was not paying the VAT element of my invoices and subsequently insisted that they needed to see my VAT certificate. To get them to pay, I had to issue a credit note and re-invoice. I would not have wanted to leave this to them - I was owed money and wanted control. But if you're happy, you're happy. Horses for courses etc.

[dmini]

Thats a nonsence arguement...I'm surprised you haven't suggested that paper-boys don't produce an invoice. These examples are not B2B

Agreed - not B2B.
Unless of course you include UK PLC trading as HMRC - who just take the money we send them. . Now that is definitely borderline!
But the comment was made that no business could operate without producing invoices. I just said that some did

[marcosscriven]

Seems pretty straightforward to me.

The advantages as I see them are:

1. Timesheet is authorised electronically by the client every Friday. Agency releases the funds the following Wednesday, Funds are in my business account on Friday.

2. No need to send invoices to the agency, although I keep a paper copy for my records.

3. The agency can't lose any invoices therefore no fannying around trying to re-submit lost ones.

I can't think of any disadvantages as my experience of self billing has been very good.

My experience too - when I submit my online timesheet every Friday, there is an option to generate an invoice. Money is in my account by Thursday the following week!

There is also the option for a 'Printer friendly' copy of the invoice, and it has my company name and address at the top. So I just save and electronic copy of that.

Marcos

[thunderlizard]

Self billing is the work of the devil.

It works like this.

(1) Supplier sends itemised invoice, including something that's nontrivial e.g. VAT on expenses, partial discounts
(2) Client picks a random number out of thin air, puts it on an self-invoice, and pays the amount
(3) Supplier phones up and says "Oi! You haven't paid what I charged. If you have a problem by all means query the invoice but don't just make it up!"
(4) Client: "But we do self-billing!"
(5) Supplier: "That's as maybe. You still owe us what we charged you, no more no less."
(6) Client: "But we do self-billing!" The machines do not lie!
etc.

[s2budd]

Self Billing

"I can't think of any disadvantages as my experience of self billing has been very good."

Wait until it goes wrong!
I had a problem with Hays, or was it Haze?
Fine for first week. Second to third week there was no VAT added to the invoice. Fourth week, I might have been speaking to Basil Brush for all of the good that it did me. Fifth week.. I left.

Solution. Just don't do it. Find a proper contract with a proper agency.

[Sockpuppet]

First gig was self billing, not a great idea to be fair.

Second gig was tiemsheets with invoice.

I will never do self billing again as its more hassle than its worth. At least with invoices they are more "business" like so lawyers know where you stand when it goes tits up.