How to Create Invoices
Create an invoice by working through seven sections: your business header, the client, a sequential invoice number with issue and due dates, the line items with quantities and prices, tax, your payment details, and a short notes block. Fill each one, download the PDF, and file a copy so your invoice numbers stay in order.
Skip ahead — generate your invoice nowCreating invoices is a repeatable routine: the same seven sections, filled in the same order, each time you bill someone. Get the numbering and a copy right and the rest is fast. The steps below cover that routine from the header to the saved PDF, with the record-keeping habits that stop invoices going missing.
Step 1 — Set up your business header
The header identifies you as the sender, so enter your business or personal name, address, email, phone and logo. Save these once and the tool reuses them on the next invoice, which keeps every document you create looking consistent. A steady header also makes your invoices easy to recognise and file when a client looks back through what you have sent.
Step 2 — Enter the client's details
Add the bill-to party: the client's name or company, billing address and a contact email. Use the exact name they want on the bill, especially for a company, so it lines up with their own records. Keeping accurate client details on each invoice also makes your record-keeping cleaner, because you can match every payment back to the right customer later.
Step 3 — Assign a sequential invoice number and dates
This is the section that keeps your records straight. Assign the next number in an unbroken sequence — INV-0042 after INV-0041 — so no number is skipped or reused. Add the issue date and a due date set by your terms: Net 7, Net 14 or Net 30 count that many days from issue. A clean, gapless run of numbers and dates is what lets you see at a glance which invoices are outstanding.
Step 4 — Enter the line items
List what you are charging for, one row each, with a description, quantity and unit price. Line total is quantity times unit price, and the rows add up to the subtotal. For goods, "Ceramic mug — 50 units at $4" means quantity 50 and unit price 4 for a $200 line. Itemising clearly now means fewer questions from the client and a record you can actually read months later.
Step 5 — Add tax, discount or shipping
Add sales tax, VAT or GST as a separate line showing the rate and amount, and include your tax ID if you are registered to charge it. You can apply one rate to the whole subtotal, set different rates per line, or quote tax-inclusive prices, depending on how you sell. Apply any discount and add shipping in this section so the final total reflects exactly what the client owes.
Step 6 — Enter your payment details
Give the client a clear way to pay. Enter bank details — account name, account number and sort code or IBAN/SWIFT — and add a payment link if you take cards or online payments. Recording the payment method on the invoice itself, not just in an email, means the client always has it to hand and your records show how each invoice was meant to be settled.
Step 7 — Add notes, download and keep a copy
Finish with a notes or terms line — payment terms, a late fee, or a reference. Check the total and the invoice number, download the PDF and email it to the client. Save your copy and log the number so your sequence stays intact for the next one. Creating invoices here is free with no signup and no watermark, and because it runs in your browser, your client and pricing data never leave your device.
What to include on an invoice
Run down this table whenever you create an invoice to confirm nothing is missing. The required column is a general guide — the tax fields only become necessary once you are registered or a client specifically asks for them.
| Field | What it is | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Your business details | Name, address and contact info of the sender | Yes |
| Client details | Who is being billed and their billing address | Yes |
| Invoice number | A unique reference for this one invoice | Yes |
| Issue and due dates | When it was sent and when payment is due | Yes |
| Line items | Description, quantity and unit price per row | Yes |
| Tax / VAT | Tax rate and amount, plus your tax ID if registered | If registered |
| Total amount due | Subtotal, tax and the final amount to pay | Yes |
| Payment details | Bank details or a payment link and accepted methods | Yes |
| Notes / terms | Payment terms, late fees or a short message | Optional |
Frequently asked questions
How do I create an invoice step by step?
Work through it in order: add your business header, add the client, assign the next sequential invoice number with an issue and due date, list each item with a quantity and price, add tax if you charge it, enter your payment details, then write a short note and download the PDF. Filling the sections top to bottom means you cannot miss one. This tool lays the form out in exactly that order and totals the figures for you, so a complete invoice takes a couple of minutes.
How do I number invoices so I do not lose track?
Keep one running sequence that only ever goes up and never repeats — INV-0001, INV-0002, and so on. You can prefix the year (2026-014) or a client code, but stay consistent and leave no gaps. The point of unbroken numbering is record-keeping: it tells you instantly whether an invoice is missing, lets you find any single bill, and gives you a clean, auditable list at tax time. Log each number as you send it so the next one is obvious.
How long should I keep copies of my invoices?
Keep a copy of every invoice you create, since it is a record of income you will likely need for tax. Many tax authorities expect you to retain business records for several years — commonly around three to seven, depending on the country — so save the PDF somewhere durable and back it up. The exact retention period varies by location, so check your local rules. Either way, a complete numbered set of past invoices makes filing and any future query far easier.
Can I create invoices without a registered company?
Yes. You do not need a registered company to invoice. A freelancer or sole proprietor can create invoices under their own legal name and address instead of a business name, including all the same parts — your details, the client, a number, dates, line items and how to pay. Add a tax ID only if you have one and are required to show it. Creating clean, numbered invoices from the start makes registering a business later much smoother.
Do I have to add tax to the invoices I create?
Not always — it depends on your location, what you sell and whether you are registered. US sales tax differs by state and product type, VAT or GST applies once you are registered in the UK, EU and many other countries, and many small or unregistered sellers charge no tax at all. Confirm the rules where you operate before you start invoicing, and when it is genuinely unclear, ask an accountant rather than guessing on the invoice.