Letter heads and official delivery of invoices

[BolshieBastard]

Absolutely right. I don't think it hurts to put a reminder in the invoice because the clerk must deal with loads of invoices and can't be leafing through a 30 page contract to check each one. A gentle reminder doesn't hurt

Very true. I just think some people think putting 'payment terms are x,y,z' on an invoice consider this takes precedence over what's stated in the contract schedule.

[Wanderer]

[*]"Contractor Name" - i.e. my name, as that's what client records usually refer to rather than the company name

I'm a little bit careful on that one. As far as I'm concerned, the agency is dealing with my company, not necessarily me. I do put my contract number on the invoice so they can find it if they've feeling a bit thick. The only mention of me personally would sometimes be in the description of the services being "Consultancy services supplied by Mr Wanderer from 1 Jan till 31 Jan as detailed in timesheet xxx" or something similar.

payment terms on an invoice mean squat, it's what is in the contract schedule that counts. The invoice could contain a reminder what these are of course but in reality, the agency have already dictated the payment terms in the contract schedule.

Absolutely right. I don't think it hurts to put a reminder in the invoice because the clerk must deal with loads of invoices and can't be leafing through a 30 page contract to check each one. A gentle reminder doesn't hurt

[BolshieBastard]

My invoice layout, from the top, which I've used for many years now with no challenges:

• Company name and the word "INVOICE"
• Invoice number
• Date
• "Contractor Name" - i.e. my name, as that's what client records usually refer to rather than the company name
• Client's company name and address
• "Fees" - details of services supplied, period covered, number of days and daily rate
• Amount before VAT
• VAT @ current rate
• Total including VAT
• "Payment Terms" - Immediate payment by money transfer ONLY to the account below
• Account Name
• Bank Address
• Sort Code
• Account Number
• [Company name] Registered in England & Wales
• Registered Office
• Company Number
• VAT Registration Number
• Telephone Number
• Email Address

Think that pretty much covers everything.

You do get weird clients though sometimes, and I'm willing to do the post thing to humour him, at least for the time being.

Apart from a 3 month contract with another client, my last 4 years have been covered by self billing but otherwise, invoices I raised are pretty much in line with the above.

However, payment terms on an invoice mean squat, it's what is in the contract schedule that counts. The invoice could contain a reminder what these are of course but in reality, the agency have already dictated the payment terms in the contract schedule.

[dang65]

Strictly speaking, you must have the following:

• Unique identifier for the invoice (eg, an invoice number)
• Description of the goods;
• Value of the supply;
• Time of supply;
• VAT amount charged, VAT rate and VAT number if registered
• Supplier’s name and address
• Customer’s name and address.

Of course, some clients will ask you to stand on your head and sign the national anthem too. You've just got to humour them sometimes...

Don't forget your VAT number if you are registered though.

My invoice layout, from the top, which I've used for many years now with no challenges:

• Company name and the word "INVOICE"
• Invoice number
• Date
• "Contractor Name" - i.e. my name, as that's what client records usually refer to rather than the company name
• Client's company name and address
• "Fees" - details of services supplied, period covered, number of days and daily rate
• Amount before VAT
• VAT @ current rate
• Total including VAT
• "Payment Terms" - Immediate payment by money transfer ONLY to the account below
• Account Name
• Bank Address
• Sort Code
• Account Number
• [Company name] Registered in England & Wales
• Registered Office
• Company Number
• VAT Registration Number
• Telephone Number
• Email Address

Think that pretty much covers everything.

You do get weird clients though sometimes, and I'm willing to do the post thing to humour him, at least for the time being.

[escapeUK]

Personally, I have a logo on my business cards, invoices and flash website. They all look the same and fit together like a corporate identity

[BolshieBastard]

Just sounds like delaying tactics regarding paying you, imo. When the payment doesnt hit your co's bank account, expect his reply to be 'it's in the post'!

As has already been pointed out, you dont need a company logo. Just the basic details (again, as have been stated). Dont forget your VAT number if you are registered though.

[Stag Cozier]

God only knows what he would say if the company he worked for had a self billing invoice system. He'd be constantly curtain twitching looking out for Hector!

[Clippy]

Good to know that people agree with the daftness of all this. I will post it, but I'm not changing the letter head. I think the guy's a bit paranoid about the invoice being questioned by whoever ends up paying it. It's a big company, but the team I'm working with is small and in a separate office away from HQ. I guess that they closely monitor these sort of independent operations and may question invoices from strange companies they've never heard of, and that's what the manager wants to avoid. But the letter head thing is too silly.

I can kind of understand where he is coming from as, in a previous role as a permie, we had a scenario where one of the managers in the Operations department totally abused the system.

The company I worked for was a property services company (lets call it Prop Svcs Ltd) and this manager, with his wife, setup his own Ltd (in fact, think he may have setup several) which he then used to provide services to Prop Svcs Ltd. Thing is, apart from the obvious conflict of interest, most of the services his Ltd were meant to be providing never materialised.

For example, Prop Svcs Ltd would have various residential properties on its books which needed maintenance and servicing - regular gardening, cleaning etc.

All of these would be referred to this managers secret Ltd, by the manager himself or unwittingly be members of his team, and because there were no checks, when the invoices would land on his desk, they would get paid.

He had been with the company for years so it never came to light until we were taken over by a competitor and it was highlighted as part of the due dilligence.

Apparently, he made well over a million over the years and there was a rumour they were un-able to prosecute him.

[Wanderer]

Point out your company number and the registered address on the invoice and advise him that is as official as it get.

Strictly speaking, you must have the following:

• Unique identifier for the invoice (eg, an invoice number)
• Description of the goods;
• Value of the supply;
• Time of supply;
• VAT amount charged, VAT rate and VAT number if registered
• Supplier’s name and address
• Customer’s name and address.

Of course, some clients will ask you to stand on your head and sign the national anthem too. You've just got to humour them sometimes...

[dang65]

Good to know that people agree with the daftness of all this. I will post it, but I'm not changing the letter head. I think the guy's a bit paranoid about the invoice being questioned by whoever ends up paying it. It's a big company, but the team I'm working with is small and in a separate office away from HQ. I guess that they closely monitor these sort of independent operations and may question invoices from strange companies they've never heard of, and that's what the manager wants to avoid. But the letter head thing is too silly.

[northernladuk]

Point out your company number and the registered address on the invoice and advise him that is as official as it get. Point out also to him logos exist only for branding to reel in idiots that are so stupid that they by stuff just because company have a nice picture.

How people like this get and keep jobs is beyond me.

[Clippy]

Is it a large or small co?

If large, just stick it in the post in their mail room!

Also, don't bother faffing around with the font etc as he won't notice any changes anyway.

If he does, just tell him you enlarged the font from 10 to 15 or some gumf like that.

Fooking jobsworth middle manager!

[SueEllen]

Guy is being an idiot.

Regardless of whether you hand the invoice to him in person, email, fax or post it it's still has been delivered and he still has to pay you.

In future I would be tempted to email the invoice to him and post adding a line that you have sent it by post and email. That way he can't claim it's been lost in the post.

[dang65]

Just handed my first invoice to my current client, only for him to ask me to post it. To him. Because it's more official that way and otherwise he could be making up the invoice himself. I did point out that he could just as well post it to himself if he was really wily and wanted to fool everyone. Yes, but just post it anyway, he said.

Next thing he mentioned was that my invoice doesn't have a "letter head", or company logo I suppose he means, so again he reckons it doesn't look very official.

I've been invoicing for years with just my company name on the top of the invoice and the word "INVOICE" in caps. No one's ever complained. I'm not flipping Coca-Cola or Nike. This guy actually asked me to put a letter head on. I said, Well, I can change the font and make it a different colour or something, if that helps (thinking he'd just say, Yeah, you're right, it's stupid isn't it, forget it). And he said, Sure, that's a good idea.

Seriously, there should be some law where you can point out the complete pointlessness of an action (or two actions in this case) and the law would state that you don't have to do it and the person suggesting you do has to pay a fine for being silly.