Quick answer: A complete invoice shows who is billing whom, a unique invoice number, the invoice date and a specific due date, an itemized list of what is being charged, the subtotal, any discount, tax or deposit, the amount due, and how to pay. The annotated example below labels each of those parts. The seven examples after it show how the same parts change for hourly work, labor and materials, a package with a deposit, recurring service, a retainer, a wholesale order and an overdue balance.
If you want a blank file to fill in rather than an example, start from one of our invoice templates or the free invoice generator.
All businesses, people, addresses and amounts in these examples are fictional.
The parts of an invoice (annotated example)
| Invoice no. | 1048 |
| Invoice date | Nov 3, 2026 |
| Due | Dec 3, 2026 (net 30) |
| Client PO | 2231 |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website homepage redesign | 1 | $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 |
| Additional page designs | 3 | $350.00 | $1,050.00 |
| Copy editing (hours) | 2 | $75.00 | $150.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,000.00 |
| Sales tax | $0.00 |
| Amount due | $3,000.00 |
The notes below follow the invoice from top to bottom.
- Header: your business name, address and email, so the client knows who sent the invoice and who to pay. A logo is optional.
- Invoice number: a unique number for every invoice. Sequential numbers such as 1047, 1048, 1049 are the easiest to track. See what is an invoice number for other formats.
- Dates: the invoice date and a specific due date. "Net 30" on its own leaves the client to work out the date.
- Bill to: the client's company name and, at larger companies, the accounts payable contact. If the client gave you a purchase order (PO) number, add it so their team can match the invoice to the order.
- Line items: one line per product or service, with the quantity, the rate and the amount.
- Totals: the subtotal, then any discount and tax, any payments already received, then the amount due. Brightwave and its client are both in Oregon, which has no general sales tax, so the tax line is $0.00.
- How to pay: each payment method you accept, with the details the client needs to use it. The bank details here are placeholders.
- Payment terms: when payment is due and any late fee your agreement allows. This invoice gives the due date as a date, asks for the invoice number with the payment, and states the one-time 1.5% late fee from the contract; example 7 shows that fee applied. More options are in invoice payment terms explained.
The examples below focus on the charges and terms that vary by job. Add the full business, customer, and payment details shown in the annotated invoice before using one yourself. The examples show a sales tax line only where tax is part of the example. Whether services such as writing, cleaning or consulting are taxable depends on the state, so check with your state's tax agency before you copy a tax line.
1. Freelance invoice example (hourly)
| Invoice no. | 1103 |
| Invoice date | Nov 3, 2026 |
| Due | Nov 17, 2026 (net 14) |
| Description | Hours | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 6: blog post "5 sleep myths", research and draft | 3.5 | $70.00 | $245.00 |
| Oct 14: email newsletter copy | 2.0 | $70.00 | $140.00 |
| Oct 21: revisions from feedback | 1.0 | $70.00 | $70.00 |
| Amount due (6.5 hours) | $455.00 |
What it gets right: each line has the date and the hours, so the client can check the 6.5 hours against their own records. The net-14 terms are written as a date. See how to invoice as a freelancer or start from the freelancer invoice template.
2. Contractor invoice example (labor and materials)
| Invoice no. | 2217 |
| Invoice date | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Due | On receipt |
| Job site | 18 Oak Ct |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Labor: replace 12 deck boards, re-secure railing | 6 hrs | $85.00 | $510.00 |
| Composite deck boards, 12 ft | 12 | $38.00 | $456.00 |
| Stainless screws and hardware | 1 | $42.00 | $42.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,008.00 |
| Sales tax, 8.25% of materials ($498.00) | $41.09 |
| Amount due | $1,049.09 |
What it gets right: labor and materials are on separate lines, so tax can apply to the materials ($498.00) and not to the labor. The 8.25% rate is hypothetical, and this treatment is not the rule everywhere. In California, for example, construction contractors are generally the consumers of the materials they furnish and install, so they pay tax when they buy the materials. Under certain types of contracts, a contractor is treated as the retailer of the materials instead (CDTFA Publication 9). Check your state's rules before you copy the tax line. Start from the contractor invoice template.
3. Photography invoice example (package, add-ons and deposit)
| Invoice no. | 1088 |
| Invoice date | Apr 13, 2027 |
| Due | May 13, 2027 |
| Wedding | Jun 12, 2027, Lakeview Estate |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collection B: 8 hours wedding-day coverage, online gallery ($3,200.00, less $1,000.00 booking fee paid on invoice 1012) | 1 | $2,200.00 | $2,200.00 |
| Second photographer | 8 hrs | $75.00 | $600.00 |
| Engagement session (1 hour) | 1 | $400.00 | $400.00 |
| Heirloom album, 10x10, 30 pages | 1 | $650.00 | $650.00 |
| Travel: 120 miles round trip | 120 mi | $0.70 | $84.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,934.00 |
| Sales tax | $0.00 |
| Amount due | $3,934.00 |
What it gets right: the invoice charges only what's left. The booking fee the couple paid earlier is taken off the Collection B line with the invoice it was paid on (1012), and a note gives the $4,934.00 package total, so they can see how the $3,934.00 amount due was reached. The fee's payment stays recorded on invoice 1012 only. Coverage, the second photographer, the engagement session, the album and travel are separate lines, so the couple can see what each costs. The album is a physical product, which matters in states that tax prints and albums differently from services. The due date is tied to the wedding date, and the tax line explains why it is $0.00. The same invoice is walked through line by line in our guide to writing a photography invoice. Start from the photographer invoice template.
4. Cleaning invoice example (recurring)
| Invoice no. | 1311 |
| Invoice date | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Service period | Oct 1–31, 2026 |
| Due | Nov 10, 2026 |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly office cleaning (Oct 2, 9, 16, 23, 30) | 5 visits | $140.00 | $700.00 |
| Carpet deep clean, waiting room (Oct 16) | 1 | $180.00 | $180.00 |
| Amount due | $880.00 |
What it gets right: the visit dates let the office manager check the bill against the schedule. The carpet cleaning is separate from the weekly service. At $140 per visit, the monthly cleaning total changes with the number of visits, so check the quantity before sending a recurring invoice.
5. Consulting invoice example (monthly retainer)
| Invoice no. | 1402 |
| Invoice date | Oct 25, 2026 |
| Period | November 2026, billed in advance |
| Due | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketing strategy retainer, November 2026 (up to 10 hours) | 1 | $2,500.00 | $2,500.00 |
| Additional hours in October beyond the retainer | 3 hrs | $200.00 | $600.00 |
| Amount due | $3,100.00 |
What it gets right: the fixed retainer for November and the extra hours from October are on separate lines, and each line names the period it covers. Start from the consultant invoice template.
6. Product sales invoice example (wholesale)
| Invoice no. | 1207 |
| Invoice date | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Delivered | Oct 29, 2026 |
| Due | Nov 30, 2026 (net 30) |
| Customer PO | 3318 |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural linen tote bag | 50 | $9.50 | $475.00 |
| Indigo cotton scarf | 30 | $14.00 | $420.00 |
| Beeswax candle, 8 oz | 40 | $7.25 | $290.00 |
| Subtotal | $1,185.00 |
| Wholesale discount (5% of merchandise subtotal) | −$59.25 |
| Shipping | $38.00 |
| Sales tax | $0.00 |
| Amount due | $1,163.75 |
What it gets right: it carries the customer's PO number, prices each product per unit, shows how the discount was worked out, and explains why no sales tax was charged. Our guide to the sales invoice uses this same invoice to explain the resale exemption and how both businesses record it. Start from the wholesaler invoice template.
7. Overdue invoice example (with late fee)
| Invoice no. | 1048 |
| Invoice date | Nov 3, 2026 |
| Due | Dec 3, 2026 (net 30) |
| Status | Past due |
| Client PO | 2231 |
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website homepage redesign | 1 | $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 |
| Additional page designs | 3 | $350.00 | $1,050.00 |
| Copy editing (hours) | 2 | $75.00 | $150.00 |
| Subtotal | $3,000.00 |
| Sales tax | $0.00 |
| Late fee (one-time, 1.5% of the unpaid balance, added Dec 4, 2026) | $45.00 |
| Amount due now | $3,045.00 |
What it gets right: this is the annotated invoice from the top of the page after its due date. The original lines and invoice number stay the same. The late fee is the one-time 1.5% of the unpaid balance stated in the terms ($45.00 on $3,000.00), added on its own line with the date, and the invoice shows one amount to pay. For the follow-up messages, see our past due invoice guide.
Turning an example into your own invoice
To reuse one of these layouts, start from an invoice template for your industry, or fill in the free invoice generator and download a PDF.
If you invoice regularly, InvoiceQuick handles several of the parts shown above. It fills in the next invoice number and won't accept a number you've already used. If you connect your own Stripe account, clients can pay by card on the online invoice. Scheduled reminders can follow up before and after the due date. A late fee rule can add an agreed fee once an invoice is overdue.
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Other questions
Can I copy an invoice example?
Yes. Copy the layout and wording, then replace every detail with your own: your business and the client's, the next number in your own sequence, the dates, the lines, the totals and your payment details.
Is an invoice a receipt or a bill?
An invoice is a bill. The seller sends it to ask for payment, and the buyer usually calls it a bill. A receipt confirms that a payment was made. An invoice works as a receipt only once it is marked paid with the payment date and method.
Do I need an LLC to send an invoice?
No. You can invoice under your own name as a sole proprietor, the IRS term for someone who owns an unincorporated business by themselves. Put your name, or your registered business name, and contact details in the header. Some clients will ask you for a Form W-9 so they have your taxpayer identification number before they pay you. More in how to invoice as a freelancer.
Sources and further reading
- Oregon Department of Revenue: Sales tax: Oregon has no general sales or use tax (annotated example and example 7).
- CDTFA Publication 9, Construction and Building Contractors: when California contractors are consumers or retailers of materials (example 2).
- NCDOR: Form E-595E, Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption: North Carolina's certificate for purchases for resale (example 6).
- IRS: State government websites: links to each state's tax agency.
- IRS: Sole proprietorships and About Form W-9.
