Invoice Generator Skill Overview I help freelancers and small businesses create professional invoices quickly. Just tell me the details, and I'll generate a complete, properly formatted invoice. What I can do: Create professional invoices in multiple formats Calculate taxes (VAT, GST, sales tax) Handle multiple currencies Support various payment terms Generate in English or Chinese What I cannot do: File taxes for you Guarantee compliance with all local regulations Process actual payments How to Use Me Step 1: Provide Basic Info Tell me: Your business details (name, address, tax ID if needed) Client details (name, address) Items/services (description, quantity, rate) Invoice number (or I'll suggest one) Payment terms (due date, accepted methods) Step 2: I'll Generate I'll create a complete invoice with: Professional layout Proper calculations Payment instructions Terms and conditions Step 3: Export Copy the output to your preferred tool: Paste into Word/Google Docs Use the markdown version Request HTML for web display Invoice Components Required Elements Element Description Example Invoice Number Unique identifier INV-2026-0001 Date Issue date January 29, 2026 Due Date Payment deadline February 28, 2026 From Your business info Company name, address Bill To Client info Client name, address Line Items Services/products Description, qty, rate, amount Total Sum due Amount with currency Optional Elements Element When to Include Tax ID Required in many countries for B2B PO Number If client provided purchase order Tax Breakdown When charging VAT/GST/Sales Tax Late Fee Terms If you charge for late payment Bank Details For wire transfers Payment Link For online payment Tax Guidance by Region United States No federal invoice requirements , but good practices: Include your EIN if B2B State sales tax if applicable (varies by state) 1099 reporting if paying contractors $600+ Sales Tax Rates (examples): State Rate Notes California 7.25% base Up to 10.75% with local Texas 6.25% base Up to 8.25% with local New York 4% state Up to 8.875% with local Oregon 0% No sales tax European Union VAT Invoice Requirements: Must include VAT number if registered Reverse charge for B2B cross-border Sequential invoice numbering required Standard VAT Rates: Country Rate Germany 19% France 20% UK (post-Brexit) 20% Netherlands 21% Ireland 23% Reverse Charge: For B2B services in EU, buyer may handle VAT. Include "Reverse Charge - VAT to be paid by recipient." China Invoice Requirements: Regular invoice vs. VAT special invoice (fapiao) Tax registration number required Official invoices must be issued through tax authority system VAT Rates: Type Rate General Goods 13% Services 6% Small-scale Taxpayer 3% Australia GST Requirements: 10% GST on most goods/services Must include ABN if registered GST-free for exports Payment Terms Reference Common Terms Term Meaning Due on Receipt Pay immediately Net 15 Due within 15 days Net 30 Due within 30 days (most common) Net 60 Due within 60 days 2/10 Net 30 2% discount if paid in 10 days, otherwise due in 30 Late Payment Policies Example language: "Invoices not paid within [X] days will incur a late fee of [1.5%] per month on the outstanding balance." Legal maximums vary: US: Generally up to 18-24% annually UK: 8% + Bank of England base rate EU: ECB rate + 8% Output Format Markdown Invoice
INVOICE
Invoice Number: INV-2026-0042 Date: January 29, 2026 Due Date: February 28, 2026
From
[Your Business Name] [Your Address] [Your Email] [Tax ID: XXX-XX-XXXX]
Bill To
[Client Name] [Client Address] [Client Email]
Items
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| [Service 1] | 10 hrs | $100/hr | $1,000.00 |
| [Service 2] | 1 | $500 | $500.00 |
| --- | |||
| --- | --- | ||
| Subtotal | $1,500.00 | ||
| Tax (10%) | $150.00 | ||
| Total Due | $1,650.00 | ||
| --- | |||
| ## Payment Details | |||
| Bank Transfer: | |||
| Bank: [Bank Name] | |||
| Account: [Account Number] | |||
| Routing: [Routing Number] | |||
| Or pay online: [Payment Link] | |||
| --- | |||
| Payment Terms: Net 30 | |||
| Late Fee: 1.5% per month on overdue balance | |||
| Thank you for your business! | |||
| Examples | |||
| Example 1: Simple Freelance Invoice | |||
| User | |||
| : Create an invoice for 20 hours of web development at $75/hour for Acme Corp. I'm John Smith, based in Austin, TX. | |||
| Me | |||
| : | |||
| INVOICE | |||
| Invoice Number: | |||
| INV-2026-0001 | |||
| Date: | |||
| January 29, 2026 | |||
| Due Date: | |||
| February 28, 2026 | |||
| From | |||
| John Smith | |||
| Austin, TX 78701 | |||
| john@example.com | |||
| Bill To | |||
| Acme Corp | |||
| [Client Address] | |||
| Items | |||
| Description | |||
| Qty | |||
| Rate | |||
| Amount | |||
| Web Development Services | |||
| 20 hrs | |||
| $75.00/hr | |||
| $1,500.00 | |||
| Total Due | |||
| $1,500.00 USD | |||
| Payment Terms: | |||
| Net 30 | |||
| Example 2: With VAT (UK) | |||
| User | |||
| : Invoice for consulting services to a UK client, £2000, need to add VAT | |||
| Me | |||
| : | |||
| Subtotal | |||
| £2,000.00 | |||
| VAT (20%) | |||
| £400.00 | |||
| Total Due | |||
| £2,400.00 GBP | |||
| VAT Registration: GB123456789 | |||
| Example 3: Multiple Line Items | |||
| User | |||
| : Invoice for: Logo design $500, Brand guidelines $1200, Business card design $300. Client is StartupXYZ. | |||
| Me | |||
| : | |||
| Description | |||
| Qty | |||
| Rate | |||
| Amount | |||
| Logo Design | |||
| 1 | |||
| $500.00 | |||
| $500.00 | |||
| Brand Guidelines Document | |||
| 1 | |||
| $1,200.00 | |||
| $1,200.00 | |||
| Business Card Design | |||
| 1 | |||
| $300.00 | |||
| $300.00 | |||
| Total Due | |||
| $2,000.00 USD | |||
| Invoice Numbering Best Practices | |||
| Format Options | |||
| Format | |||
| Example | |||
| Best For | |||
| Sequential | |||
| 001, 002, 003 | |||
| Simple, low volume | |||
| Year-Seq | |||
| 2026-001 | |||
| Easy to track by year | |||
| Client-Seq | |||
| ACME-001 | |||
| Multiple clients | |||
| Date-Seq | |||
| 20260129-01 | |||
| Date-based tracking | |||
| Tips | |||
| Never reuse invoice numbers | |||
| Keep numbers sequential (gaps may raise audit questions) | |||
| Include prefix for different services if needed | |||
| Tips for Better Results | |||
| Provide complete info | |||
| - The more details, the better the invoice | |||
| Specify currency | |||
| - USD, EUR, GBP, CNY, etc. | |||
| Include tax requirements | |||
| - Tell me if you need VAT/GST | |||
| Mention payment methods | |||
| - Bank, PayPal, Stripe, etc. | |||
| Request specific format | |||
| - Markdown, HTML, or plain text | |||
| Common Mistakes to Avoid | |||
| Missing due date | |||
| - Always specify when payment is expected | |||
| Vague descriptions | |||
| - "Consulting" is worse than "Marketing strategy consulting - Q1 campaign planning" | |||
| Wrong calculations | |||
| - I'll double-check, but verify final numbers | |||
| Missing tax info | |||
| - Required for B2B in many countries | |||
| No payment instructions | |||
| - Make it easy to pay you! | |||
| Limitations | |||
| I generate text invoices, not PDFs directly | |||
| Tax calculations are estimates - verify with accountant | |||
| Can't integrate with accounting software | |||
| Don't know your specific local requirements | |||
| Languages | |||
| Works with multiple languages including English and Chinese. | |||
| Just specify your preferred language when requesting an invoice. | |||
| Built by the Claude Office Skills community. Get paid faster! |