What Information Should an Invoice Include?

This guide describes what invoices commonly include. It is not tax or legal advice, and invoicing and VAT requirements vary by country, business type and transaction. If you are VAT-registered in the UAE, confirm current requirements with the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) or a registered tax agent before you rely on it.

• The word "Invoice" (or the correct document type — see below) clearly at the top.
• A unique invoice number. No two invoices you issue should share one.
• Invoice date — when the invoice was issued.
• Your business name and contact details — at minimum a name and one way to reach you.
• Your client's name and details.
• A description of goods or services, itemized where there's more than one.
• Quantity and rate for each item, and the line total.
• Subtotal and total amount due, in a clearly stated currency.

• Your tax/VAT registration number.
• The tax/VAT rate applied (per line item, if rates differ across items).
• The tax/VAT amount, shown separately from the subtotal.
• The client's tax/VAT number, if they're a VAT-registered business.

Here is what those fields look like together on a UAE tax invoice. Every required item from the lists above appears once: document title, unique number, date, both parties, itemized lines, VAT rate and amount shown separately, and the total in a stated currency.

For the UAE rules on tax invoices, see the Federal Tax Authority's tax invoices explainer and our UAE VAT Invoice Guide.

• Due date — reduces ambiguity about when payment is expected.
• Payment terms (e.g. "Net 30", "50% upfront").
• Bank details or payment instructions, so the client doesn't have to ask.
• Purchase order (PO) number, if your client issued one — many companies won't process payment without it.
• Amount in words — spells out the total (e.g. "One Thousand Dollars Only"), common on invoices in some regions and industries as an extra safeguard against alteration.
• A logo — improves how professional and legitimate the invoice looks.
• Notes or terms & conditions — late payment terms, warranty notes, or a thank you message.
• Signatory details — a name, title, and signature line, sometimes required for formal or government-facing invoices.

If you need to deduct a deposit already paid, apply a discount, or issue a credit for previous overbilling, list it as its own negative line item rather than silently adjusting the total — it keeps a clear, auditable record of exactly what changed and why.

Not every billing document is a plain "Invoice." A Tax Invoice is used where a formal VAT/tax breakdown is required. A Pro Forma Invoice is a preliminary quote, not a demand for payment. A Credit Note reverses or reduces a previous charge. A Receipt confirms payment already received. Using the correct title avoids confusing your client about what the document actually is and whether payment is due.

The invoice generator includes fields for everything above — tax/VAT breakdowns, PO numbers, amount in words, signatories, bank details, and multiple document title presets — so you can include exactly what your invoice needs without building a template from scratch.