A tidy invoice does two things: it gets you paid faster, and it makes you look like a proper business rather than a bloke with a van. It doesn't need to be complicated. Here's what goes on one.

The essentials

• Your details — business or trading name, and a phone number or email.
• The customer's name — who the invoice is for.
• An invoice number and date — anything sequential works (INV-001, INV-002). It matters for your records and your tax return.
• What you did — a plain line or two describing the job.
• A line for each charge — man and van hours, mileage, any extras like stairs or a second person, listed separately so it's clear.
• The total — the number they actually pay.
• How to pay — bank details, or a note that it's cash on completion.

That's genuinely it. A clear one-page invoice beats a fancy one every time.

Do you need to add VAT?

Only if you're VAT registered, which you have to be once your turnover goes over the UK threshold. Most sole-trader drivers are under it and simply invoice the flat price with no VAT line. If you're not registered, don't put VAT on there.

Make it in seconds

You don't need accounting software for this. Our free man and van invoice generator lets you fill in the job, download or print, and send it — no sign-up, nothing stored. It's built for exactly this.

Better still: skip the chase

An invoice still leaves you waiting for the money to land. The faster route is to send the price and take payment up front — card, a deposit, or cash on the day — so you're paid before you've even unloaded. That's the bit that actually protects your cash flow, and it's what a free Vanzy page handles for you.