What is a Fillable Invoice?
A fillable invoice is an official business document used to bill a customer for goods and services on a recurring basis. When you use a fillable or blank invoice form, you can bill clients faster with less stress. A standard fillable invoice template gives you the flexibility to modify and include any elements that suit your branding style and business practices.
Note: You can start billing your clients right away when you sign up for Bonsai and download our free fillable invoice template PDF.
What to Include in the Fillable Invoice Template
You should always personalize your blank invoice form to meet your business requirements. In fact, it’s ultimately up to you to decide which relevant information you should include.
For example, a construction invoice template would look very different from someone who paints live wedding portraits. The product descriptions, payment methods, and pricing could all vary.
With that being said, there are a few basic elements that you should include in any professional invoice.
A Professional Header
If you want your free basic invoice template to look more professional, you should always take the time to customize your header. This is the perfect place to include any of your freelance business’ branding elements.
At a minimum, your invoice template header should include the following information:
- Business Name/Freelancers Full Name
- Business Logo
- Business and Customer Contact Details
- Invoice Number
- Invoicing Date
- Product/Service Details
Itemized List of Products or Services
All invoice templates should reflect the specific products or services rendered by your business. It’s crucial that you include a brief description of each product or service for clarity and easier reporting.
This section is also where you would detail the number of goods purchased or hours you worked. You may have to adjust free invoice templates so that the categories accurately reflect your business.
Total Amount Due and Due Date
When your customer looks at their invoice, they should clearly see the grand total amount due. It’s important that you set it apart from any other subtotals, tax information, or rates of service.
In addition, you should highlight the payment due date. While it’s entirely up to you to decide your preferred timeframe, 30-45 days is standard for professional invoices.
In some cases, you may prefer to get paid fast. Therefore, you could say that payment is simply due upon receipt of the PDF invoice.
Payment Terms and Conditions
Finally, you need to ensure that your invoice template PDF details your payment terms and conditions. Since every business handles payment differently, it helps your customers see exactly how to pay you.
This section of your invoice form should detail your preferred payment method as well as any late fees. We suggest that you also include any discount offers for future sales invoices.
If your small business provides products, we also recommend adding any applicable return policies. Doing so can prevent any conflicts down the line.
How to Write a Fillable Invoice
Whether you are going to print or save the document in PDF format, we know that creating your own invoice template can be overwhelming. Despite looking so simple, there are a lot of considerations that go into writing a fillable invoice. We encourage you to follow the steps below to create professional PDF invoices.
Choose an Invoice Type
Before choosing which details to include in your invoice template, you need to know what type of invoice form you’re dealing with. The most common invoices include:
- Proforma or Bids as a Preliminary Appraisal
- Interim Invoice for Long-Term Projects with Periodic Payments
- Recurring Invoices for Repeat Customers with An Account
- Past Due Invoices for Late Payments with Interest
- Final Invoice for Complete Project
Record Your Products and Services
If you are invoicing a client for products, it’s much easier to record the inventory sold. You can then fill out the PDF invoice template to reflect the number of units.
Freelancers who are charging for services need to create an accurate record of the number of hours worked. You also have the option of invoicing based on a flat rate. In any case, you need to record all the work you do so that you can fill out the free template properly.
Decide How You Want to Get Paid
Prior to sending fillable invoice templates out to customers, you need to have a clear idea of how you would like them to pay you. You could choose to allow online payments with credit cards or ask them to mail a check to you. Only you know which option is going to work best for your business.
Note: Bonsai invoicing allows you to automate everything: from creating your invoice using a fillable template, to, sending and reminding. Even automatic late fees.
Customize a PDF Invoice Template
Most small businesses start with an invoice template. You can create a blank invoice from scratch, but the process is a bit more time-consuming.
We recommend choosing an invoice template PDF that allows you to edit the description, hours worked, unit price, and more. You can then save the file format to reuse over and over.
Creating a fillable invoice is simple with Bonsai Invoice Templates
While you can certainly use Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or Excel to create a PDF invoice from scratch, Bonsai’s templates do all the legwork for you. When you download our fillable invoice templates, you can immediately see the benefits.
Integrated Payments
Not only do we allow you to customize your payment due date, but we also make sure that you get paid fast. How? We offer integrated online payments with all of our invoices so that you get your receivables as soon as you send invoices.
Automated Reminders
You can schedule and send professional reminders to your clients with our invoices. We can remind them to check their email for an invoice if they haven’t opened it yet, and we can even remind them to make their payment by the due date.
Customized Branding
Our free printable invoice templates make customization simple. You can effortlessly personalize the document colors and header to fit your company branding.
Flexible Formats
We make it easy to create invoices that fit each case individually. From the line items to the cost of your services, you can simply fill out the template and generate an invoice for any client.
Fillable invoice FAQs
Do you still find yourself having questions about creating an invoice template? If so, you’re not alone. We encourage you to read on to get answers to some commonly asked questions about free invoicing templates.
Do I Need to Add Taxes to My Invoice Form?
This is a complicated question to answer, but most product-based businesses will need to include tax calculations in their PDF form. Additional documents may also be required to collect sales tax in the first place.
Most freelancers won’t need to collect sales tax if they provide services. However, there are many exceptions to the rule based on the type of service you provide and your state.
We recommend that you speak with a local tax accountant to learn more about which taxes you need to include on your form. They can provide you with a more accurate answer and let you know if you need to fill out anything else.
Do I Need to Include Harmonized System Codes in My PDF Invoices?
Again, the answer will depend on the specific circumstances of your business. In most cases, however, you will need to include the HS number if you are doing business in other countries. This practice will typically help with your customs declaration so that your products go through smoothly.
Note: The HS code you use in the export country could be different than what your customer’s import country would use. This discrepancy could cause a delay.
If you are not sending invoices internationally, you generally won’t need to include an HS number on your PDF invoice template. To be certain, we recommend speaking with an expert at the International Trade Administration.
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