How to invoice when you're not VAT registered

If your business isn’t registered for VAT, your invoices are actually simpler — you just need to make sure you’re not implying you charge VAT when you don’t.

Who this applies to

Most UK sole traders and small businesses under the £90,000 VAT registration threshold aren’t VAT registered, and that’s completely normal. If that’s you, you charge your clients your prices with no VAT added.

What a non-VAT invoice should include

• Your business name and address
• Your client’s name and address
• A unique invoice number and the date
• A clear description of what you supplied, with quantities and prices
• The total amount due
• How to pay you (bank details / payment terms)

That’s it — a clean, professional invoice with no VAT section.

What to leave off

• No VAT line and no VAT rate. Don’t add 20% (or any rate) to your totals.
• No VAT number. You only have one if you’re registered, and showing one when you’re not is misleading.
• Don’t write “VAT included” or “VAT exempt”. Your prices simply don’t involve VAT at all.

A common mistake

Some people add “VAT @ 0%” out of habit. Leave VAT off entirely — a 0% line still implies you’re in the VAT system, which you’re not. The non-VAT invoice generator produces a clean invoice with the VAT fields removed.

When things change

Keep an eye on your rolling 12-month turnover. Once you cross £90,000 you must register and start charging VAT — see Do I need to charge VAT? and, once registered, what a VAT invoice must include.