Reply to: Invoice numbering

[northernladuk]

Hi Folks,

Do the invoice numbers only have to be in sequence for the year or following on from the previous year.

Up to now I have done a small bit of casual freelance over a couple of years. I prefix my invoice number with the year and then the actual number, padded with zeroes.

Example.
20140001
20150001

Would this satisfy HRMC?

What did your accountant say when you asked him?

Saying that... does this thread not answer your question???

[Sausage Surprise]

This what I do and attach the self-billed invoice to my invoice (which I don't send out). Both are then reconciled.

and also what I do too when self billing is in play

[password]

Hi Folks,

Do the invoice numbers only have to be in sequence for the year or following on from the previous year.

Up to now I have done a small bit of casual freelance over a couple of years. I prefix my invoice number with the year and then the actual number, padded with zeroes.

Example.
20140001
20150001

Would this satisfy HRMC?

[TheCyclingProgrammer]

Strictly speaking the supplier (you) raises invoices and what you get from the purchaser is a purchase order,

Not the case under self-billing - the document the client raises IS the invoice and is the document that matters from a tax point of view (particularly VAT). It is not a PO. Any duplicate invoice you create for your own records is just that.

[Snarf]

I number my invoices with a GUID

[oliverson]

When you're on the bench like I am, invoice numbering is the least of your concerns!

[cojak]

Take off your tin foil cap and stop resurrecting zombie threads.

I'll be keeping an eye on ColinT...

[sal]

For a smaller concern, you absolutely don't want clients knowing you're issuing only a few invoices,
~snip~
DO NOT renumber them, but you could start a new sequence to continue as you mean to go on. Any query can be easily calmed with a simple explanation of the problem you anticipated and how your new system will avoid it. (This MUST be a RARE occurrence - more than once or twice ever is likely to cause further investigation!)

Take off your tin foil cap and stop resurrecting zombie threads.

[VectraMan]

Never yet had a satisfactory answer to this one. Personally I treat the agency invoice as a remittance advice - which it is, functionally - and raise my own correctly numbered invoice in parallel. The self-billing rules (which weren't written for continual supply of services, only widgets, but hey...) say you don't submit invoices, it doesn't say you can't use your own tracking mechanism.

Strictly speaking the supplier (you) raises invoices and what you get from the purchaser is a purchase order, and it makes sense to put the PO number on your invoice. It doesn't matter that the agency doesn't require you to submit the invoices month to month, but you could submit the invoices in the event of a dispute. Never done self billing, but if I did that's how I'd treat it.

I just started from 1 and counted up.

[Danglekt]

Start with 000001 and go to 000002 and so on.

On the file name I put the initials of the client, but not on the actual invoice number, but then I just use an excel spreadsheet invoice format, so I can keep things simple.

[ColinT]

I have to wonder if any of you guys have ever worked for a proper company or used a computer based financial system. I have never experienced anyone having suffixes or prefixes to denote client.

Your first invoice is 00001, then comes 00002. Its really easy.

Look at your phone bill: BT uses AA 9999 9999 A999 - the first 10 are your account number, the next letter is the type of bill (Q for Quarterly, M for Monthly, etc) and then the last 3 are sequential from your previous bill, starting with I001 (I for Initial). Vodafone uses your account number followed by .000001 continuing sequentially. These are but two examples.

For a smaller concern, you absolutely don't want clients knowing you're issuing only a few invoices, for a large concern, it's the same issue but for the opposite reason!

My accountant says not.

They recomended keeping all issued invoices as is, but then for each client switch to a sequential number for the next invoice.

Apparantly (accoring to my accountant) this rule exists so that if you get investigated, they can tell at a glance if any invoices have gone missing...

DO NOT renumber them, but you could start a new sequence to continue as you mean to go on. Any query can be easily calmed with a simple explanation of the problem you anticipated and how your new system will avoid it. (This MUST be a RARE occurrence - more than once or twice ever is likely to cause further investigation!)

[Andy O]

I started at 1 and now I'm at 50. I'm not confused.

[TheFaQQer]

This what I do and attach the self-billed invoice to my invoice (which I don't send out). Both are then reconciled.

I use a unique sequence for each client that I bill, and just enter the invoice number from self-billing if I use that. It may be an issue if another self-billing system clashes with one I've already used, but I'll deal with that if it ever happens.

[cojak]

Never yet had a satisfactory answer to this one. Personally I treat the agency invoice as a remittance advice - which it is, functionally - and raise my own correctly numbered invoice in parallel. The self-billing rules (which weren't written for continual supply of services, only widgets, but hey...) say you don't submit invoices, it doesn't say you can't use your own tracking mechanism.

This what I do and attach the self-billed invoice to my invoice (which I don't send out). Both are then reconciled.

[malvolio]

This is an interesting question as my main contract is self-billed and the agent creates an invoice number, however when I work direct I have my own invoice sequence, is this an issue?

Never yet had a satisfactory answer to this one. Personally I treat the agency invoice as a remittance advice - which it is, functionally - and raise my own correctly numbered invoice in parallel. The self-billing rules (which weren't written for continual supply of services, only widgets, but hey...) say you don't submit invoices, it doesn't say you can't use your own tracking mechanism.