What is a VAT invoice?
A VAT invoice is the bill a VAT-registered business must give another VAT-registered business for goods or services. It shows a unique invoice number, both businesses' names and addresses, what was supplied and when, the invoice date, the amount charged, the VAT, and the total. The customer needs it to reclaim the VAT.
What to know
- An invoice is not a receipt: a receipt acknowledges payment, an invoice asks for it.
- Unless a date is agreed, the customer must pay within 30 days of receiving the invoice or the goods or service.
- A sole trader's invoice must also show the trader's name and an address for legal documents; a limited company's must show its full registered name.
- A supplier paid late can charge statutory interest and a fixed recovery charge.
Sources: GOV.UK, "Invoicing and taking payment from customers". Checked 1 October 2026.
VAT invoice and RewardsPilot
Supplier invoices paid through RewardsPilot earn 4 RewardsPilot points per £1 of net spend. RewardsPilot issues its own VAT invoice for its service, separate from the supplier's.
Related
All terms
PAYE · VAT · National Insurance · UTR number · Corporation Tax · Business rates · VAT registration number · VAT return · Avios
Official facts are quoted from GOV.UK and can change. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Programme facts come from the published RewardsPilot rate and the Rewards Programme Rules.