What a UK VAT invoice shows
The fields on a UK VAT invoice, the 20%, 5%, and 0% rates, and when a domestic reverse charge stays out of the amount due.
This describes how the Tallybolt invoice is filled in. It is general information, checked on 14 November 2026, and it is not tax advice. Rates and treatments change. Check the official guidance, or an accountant, before you rely on an invoice.
Fields on the invoice
A UK VAT invoice is the bill you give the customer. This site does not send it to HMRC, and it is not a VAT return. The form is built for these fields:
- A sequential invoice number.
- The date of issue and the tax point, which is the date of supply.
- Your name, address, and VAT number.
- The customer’s name and address.
- A description of the goods or services.
- The rate and the net amount on each line, the VAT, and the total in pounds.
20%, 5%, and 0%
Each line can be 20%, 5%, or 0%. Those are the rates the form offers. Which supplies qualify for the reduced rate or the zero rate is set by HMRC. The form applies the percent you pick. It does not decide that the supply qualifies.
Domestic reverse charge
On the supplies HMRC lists for the domestic reverse charge, you do not collect the VAT from the customer. The invoice says the customer must account for that VAT to HMRC, and the VAT is left out of the amount due. Use that choice only for a supply on HMRC’s list. An ordinary sale stays on the normal 20%, 5%, or 0% treatment, with VAT added to the total.
Northern Ireland
Goods that move under the Northern Ireland arrangements use an XI VAT number. A GB number is the one for the rest of the UK. Put the number you are registered under in the VAT number field.
Bank details have their own fields. Any other label you add is printed and is left out of the VAT total.