How to make a perfect invoice

You regularly send your clients invoices but you are perhaps wondering if you have made them out correctly? Then this article is made for you! In fact, an invoice is a very important document for your company, and it is, in some ways, a genuine calling card for your company. That’s why it is necessary to make certain that they are flawlessly worded. A perfect invoice will also encourage payment within the required time limits. So, discover the best practices and the key elements to include in your future invoices.

Obligatory (*) and optional information

(*) This information is governed by Directive 2001/115/CE, which became effective on 6 February 2002 and was transposed into Belgian law by the Law of 28 January 2004 amending the Value-Added Tax Code, and by Royal Decree No. 1 of 29 December 1992 on measures designed to guarantee payment of value-added tax.

For an invoice to be considered valid and therefore receivable, you must systematically include certain items of information. We also add the usual data to obtain the following list:

• The legal form of your company (Co. Ltd., plc, … )
• The official address of your head office
• Your bank account number
• Your VAT number
• Your registration number with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises
• The word “Facture”. If your head office is in the Flemish Region, the word “Factuur”. You could for example write “Factuur – Facture – Invoice”
• The invoice number
• The place of invoicing if you have several places of business
• The date of invoicing
• The due date of the invoice
• The subject of your invoice: the service or product sold (see below)
• The total amount excluding VAT
• The total amount including VAT
• The rate of VAT
• The General Conditions (or that part thereof concerning unpaid invoices)

A precise description of the service provided or product delivered.

The purpose of your invoice must be clear and detailed. If the document concerns a product you must mention elements such as unit price, quantity delivered, size, material, colour, …

If the invoice concerns a service, give as much information as possible about that service (e.g.: service xxx from [date] to [date]). This will help you to avoid certain disputes.

Clear, attractive presentation

You will have seen that, finally, an invoice presents and proposes numerous items of information, figures and specific terms. However, it is important that your invoice should be easy to read and decipher. The appearance of your invoice will therefore be just as important as its content.

By way of example, bear in mind that your client will be looking first and foremost for, and at, the price. The total amount of your invoice must therefore be visible at first glance! The aesthetic look of the document will also have an impact, but don’t forget it’s still an invoice. A clear, simple page layout sporting your company logo should do the job nicely.

To sum up, the perfect invoice must:

• Give all obligatory information
• Give a precise description of the product or the service sold
• Be clear and easily legible

Discover our article about invoice time.

How to make a perfect invoice

You regularly send your clients invoices but you are perhaps wondering if you have made them out correctly? Then this article is made for you! In fact, an invoice is a very important document for your company, and it is, in some ways, a genuine calling card for your company. That’s why it is necessary to make certain that they are flawlessly worded. A perfect invoice will also encourage payment within the required time limits. So, discover the best practices and the key elements to include in your future invoices.

Obligatory (*) and optional information

(*) This information is governed by Directive 2001/115/CE, which became effective on 6 February 2002 and was transposed into Belgian law by the Law of 28 January 2004 amending the Value-Added Tax Code, and by Royal Decree No. 1 of 29 December 1992 on measures designed to guarantee payment of value-added tax.

For an invoice to be considered valid and therefore receivable, you must systematically include certain items of information. We also add the usual data to obtain the following list:

• The legal form of your company (Co. Ltd., plc, … )
• The official address of your head office
• Your bank account number
• Your VAT number
• Your registration number with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises
• The word “Facture”. If your head office is in the Flemish Region, the word “Factuur”. You could for example write “Factuur – Facture – Invoice”
• The invoice number
• The place of invoicing if you have several places of business
• The date of invoicing
• The due date of the invoice
• The subject of your invoice: the service or product sold (see below)
• The total amount excluding VAT
• The total amount including VAT
• The rate of VAT
• The General Conditions (or that part thereof concerning unpaid invoices)

A precise description of the service provided or product delivered.

The purpose of your invoice must be clear and detailed. If the document concerns a product you must mention elements such as unit price, quantity delivered, size, material, colour, …

If the invoice concerns a service, give as much information as possible about that service (e.g.: service xxx from [date] to [date]). This will help you to avoid certain disputes.

Clear, attractive presentation

You will have seen that, finally, an invoice presents and proposes numerous items of information, figures and specific terms. However, it is important that your invoice should be easy to read and decipher. The appearance of your invoice will therefore be just as important as its content.

By way of example, bear in mind that your client will be looking first and foremost for, and at, the price. The total amount of your invoice must therefore be visible at first glance! The aesthetic look of the document will also have an impact, but don’t forget it’s still an invoice. A clear, simple page layout sporting your company logo should do the job nicely.

To sum up, the perfect invoice must:

• Give all obligatory information
• Give a precise description of the product or the service sold
• Be clear and easily legible

Discover our article about invoice time.