VAT Invoice Template UK
Produce a VAT invoice that shows every detail HMRC requires — your VAT number, the rate, and the net, VAT and gross amounts — with a live preview and a clean PDF download. Free, no sign-up.
- Net, VAT and gross totals
- Your VAT number and rate
- Sequential, unrepeatable numbers
- One-click PDF download
1Your business
2Invoice details
3Client & payment
4Line items
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Add line items to see them here | |||
What is a VAT invoice?
A VAT invoice is a normal invoice that also contains the extra detail HMRC requires from a VAT-registered business. It matters because it is the document your VAT-registered customers need in order to reclaim the VAT you have charged them. Get a field wrong and their accountant cannot recover the input tax — which usually means the invoice comes straight back to you.
Only VAT-registered businesses may issue one. If you are not registered, do not put “VAT” on your invoice at all: leave the VAT box unticked and the VAT lines stay out of sight.
What a VAT invoice must show
HMRC requires all of the following. This tool is built around the list, so every field is in the right place:
- Your name, address and VAT registration number — without the VAT number it is not a valid VAT invoice.
- A unique sequential invoice number based on one or more series. Never reuse or skip a number.
- The time of supply — normally the date the goods were delivered or the service completed.
- The date the invoice was issued, where that differs from the time of supply.
- The customer's name and address.
- A description sufficient to identify the goods or services, with the quantity or extent for each.
- The rate of VAT and the amount payable excluding VAT for each line.
- The total VAT chargeable, and the gross total including VAT.
- The unit price (and any cash discount offered, if there is one).
Choosing the right VAT rate
The standard rate is 20%. A reduced rate of 5% applies to a limited set of supplies such as domestic fuel and children's car seats, and some goods and services are zero-rated or exempt. Use the VAT rate field to set the rate that actually applies — HMRC expects each line to carry its correct rate, so mixed supplies need their rates shown separately.
If you sell to overseas business customers the place-of-supply rules can mean no UK VAT is charged and the customer accounts for it under the reverse charge. That is a specific case; check HMRC's guidance for your supply before relying on it.
Full vs simplified VAT invoices
A full VAT invoice is what this tool produces, and it is what your VAT-registered customers need. HMRC allows a shorter “simplified” VAT invoice for supplies totalling £250 or less including VAT, showing less detail — but a customer can still ask for a full one, so issuing the full format every time avoids the problem entirely.
Records and Making Tax Digital
A VAT-registered business must keep a copy of every VAT invoice it issues, and of VAT invoices from suppliers, for at least six years. VAT returns are filed through Making Tax Digital, which requires digital records, so saving each PDF somewhere you can find it again is worth the ten seconds it takes.
How this invoice tool works
Fill in your business details
Your legal name and business address, plus your VAT registration number — all required on a VAT invoice.
Add the goods or services
Itemise each supply with a quantity, unit price and VAT rate. The preview shows net, VAT and gross separately.
Download the PDF
Save a clean invoice in one click — no watermark — then email it to your client and keep a copy for your records.
Already sent it and still waiting?
Four ready-made follow-up emails, from a friendly nudge to a final notice.
More free invoice tools
Frequently asked questions
What must a VAT invoice include?
Your name, address and VAT registration number, a unique sequential invoice number, the time of supply, the invoice date, the customer's name and address, a description of the goods or services, the quantity, the rate of VAT and the amount excluding VAT, the total VAT chargeable, the gross total and the unit price.
Can I issue a VAT invoice if I am not VAT-registered?
No. Only VAT-registered businesses may issue a VAT invoice. If you are not registered, do not charge VAT and do not show a VAT number.
What is the difference between a VAT invoice and a normal invoice?
A VAT invoice contains extra detail HMRC requires — the supplier's VAT number, the rate of VAT, and the net, VAT and gross amounts — so a VAT-registered customer can reclaim the VAT.
How long must I keep VAT invoices?
At least six years from the end of the accounting period they relate to. Keep copies of invoices you issue and invoices you receive.
What VAT rate should I charge?
The standard rate is 20%. Reduced-rate (5%), zero-rated and exempt supplies exist for specific goods and services, so check which rate applies to what you sell.
General guidance only — this is not legal, tax or accounting advice. Last reviewed 22 September 2026.