Of the two hemispheres of the human brain, the logical and the creative, accounting certainly falls into the logical half. And invoicing? Also more on the logical due to the legal requirements and tedious details.
But what about invoicing for those individuals whose creative side reigns? A graphic designer, a photographer, an illustrator, or a musician for example. Invoice templates can be a welcome solution to the practical side of business, with the added bonus of easy customisation to meet design requirements.
While Word and Excel invoice templates can be a quick answer for creative professionals, there are a few key requirements that might be missing, which should be kept in mind when invoicing your customers.
VAT and your invoices
If you’re a creative, it’s not uncommon that you are much more focused on your art than you are on the tedious tasks surrounding invoicing and accounting. Because of this, you might be missing some important aspects of invoicing as a self-employed individual. Even if your creative business is a side project, there are still key requirements to consider.
If you’re VAT registered, this means you can claim back VAT charged to you by suppliers, and it means that you must include VAT on your invoices as well. In the UK, the standard VAT is 20%. However, there are some goods and services that are exempt or fall under a 5% category. Gov.uk provides a full list.
For example, if you create a compilation of your work for a publication, such as a book, this would be 0% VAT. The same goes for printed or copied music. So take a moment to do some research into the correct VAT rate for your particular creative specialisation.
Designing your invoice
When starting out as a creative professional, Word and Excel invoice templates can be a good temporary solution if you’re minding your budget. If you have already made the Word and Excel investment, then this seemingly free option can be appealing. After all, it’s simple, it’s there, and you’ve already paid basically.
But as addressed in previous articles, Word and Excel invoice templates can also prove a bigger hassle than they’re worth. Aside from not including country-specific requirements and not being updated regularly according the most recent legal guidelines for invoicing, they also only provide a limited range of frustration-free customisation.
Small mistakes and inconsistencies in your invoices can cause you to come across as unprofessional. While Word might give you spell check, there are other important things that could end up being overlooked due to the very basic invoice templates.
Invoicing with Debitoor
With invoicing software like Debitoor, you never need worry about whether your invoices meet the current requirements, as our invoice templates are updated constantly according to the local regulations.
Our invoice designer also provides creatives with the flexibility to create invoices that are not only professional-looking, but also promote your unique brand. The invoice designer makes it easy to customise your invoices and give them a personal touch, making it faster for you to issue invoices and get paid.
