Free Invoice Generator: Make a Professional PDF Invoice in Minutes

How to write an invoice that gets paid on time

An invoice is a request for payment and a record for both of you. A clear one gets paid faster and makes your bookkeeping and tax prep easier. Here’s what to include and a few habits that cut down on late payments.

What every invoice should include

• Your business name and contact details, matching the name your client has on file (your LLC name if you have one).
• The client’s name and, for businesses, the billing contact or PO number they gave you.
• A unique invoice number. Use a simple sequence (1001, 1002, …) and never reuse one. It makes it easy to match payments.
• The invoice date and due date, or payment terms such as Net 30.
• Line items with a short description, quantity or hours, rate and amount.
• Sales tax, if it applies, shown as its own line.
• How to pay: ACH details, a payment link, or where to mail a check.

Sales tax in Connecticut

Connecticut’s general sales and use tax rate is 6.35%, and there are no local add-on rates. It applies to most goods and to a specific list of services. Many professional services aren’t on that list, but some common small-business services are, such as landscaping, janitorial work, and website design or hosting (a computer and data processing service, taxed at 1%). If you sell anything taxable, you must register with the CT Department of Revenue Services before you collect tax. If you’re not sure, ask before you add tax to an invoice.

Habits that get you paid faster

• Send the invoice the day the work is done, not at the end of the month.
• Agree on terms up front, in writing. For new clients or big projects, ask for a deposit and record it in the “Amount already paid” box.
• Make paying easy. A card or ACH link usually gets paid sooner than a request for a check.
• Follow up politely a few days before the due date and again the day after.
• Keep a copy of every invoice. Your invoices and deposits are the backbone of your income records at tax time.

When to move to invoicing software

A free generator is perfect for a few invoices a month. Once you’re sending many, billing the same clients every month, or chasing late payers, accounting software like QuickBooks Online can send recurring invoices, take online payments, send automatic reminders and post everything to your books. We set this up for clients as part of getting their bookkeeping organized.