VanBill guides
Invoicing, VAT and getting paid — for UK trades
Straight-talking guides on quotes, invoices, VAT, CIS and the admin between finishing a job and getting the money in. No jargon, no fluff.
One Tap: Turn Quotes into VAT Ready Invoices for UK Tradespeople
A quote is an offer given before work starts; an invoice is a formal payment request issued after work is completed. Getting this right matters because…
14 min readMonthly progress invoicing for trades: avoid VAT traps
Progress invoicing is the practice of billing a client in stages as work is completed, rather than waiting until a project finishes. It exists mainly to…
8 min readTradespeople: Use a proforma, but give a VAT invoice within 30 days
A proforma invoice is a preliminary estimate or confirmation of proposed terms; it is not a VAT invoice. A final VAT or commercial invoice is the…
12 min readFrom Job to Paid in 2 Minutes: Invoice vs Receipt for Tradespeople
An invoice is a request for payment you send before or at the point of completing work, while a receipt is proof that payment has already landed in your…
8 min readStop Parked Invoices: 7 PO on Invoice Checks for Suppliers
Include the purchase order number on the invoice to link the buyer's authorisation to the supplier's bill so it can be matched and paid. The purchase…
12 min readOne Tap Branded Invoices for UK Tradespeople: VAT Compliant
The quickest way to produce a professional invoice with your logo is to drop a high-resolution PNG into an editable template or a mobile invoicing tool,…
13 min readTwo Minute Job Site Workflow: Invoice on the Go for Tradespeople
You can issue a compliant, professional invoice from your phone in minutes. Use a mobile invoicing tool or a document template as a fallback, then send a…
9 min readInvoice numbering: how to number invoices correctly (UK)
Every invoice you send needs a unique, sequential number. It is not just good housekeeping — for a VAT-registered business it is a legal requirement, and…
7 min readUK invoice layout: what to put where (with a template)
A good invoice layout isn't about looking fancy — it's about putting the few required details where the customer and HMRC expect them, so the bill is…
6 min readPlumber invoicing: how to invoice as a plumber in the UK
Invoicing is the part of plumbing nobody trained you for, but it's the part that decides whether you actually get paid for the work you've done. This…
5 min readElectrician invoicing: how to invoice as an electrician in the UK
From a quick socket swap to a full rewire or an EICR, getting the invoice right is what turns finished work into money in your account. This covers what…
4 min read
Free invoice generator
Build a clean, VAT-ready invoice and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the free tool →Free CIS deduction calculator
Work out the CIS deduction on labour and what lands in your account.
Open the free tool →