How to Invoice as a Virtual Assistant: A Complete Guide

Getting paid should be the simplest part of running your VA business, but for many VAs, invoicing is a source of stress, confusion, and wasted time. Some spend their evenings formatting invoices in Word documents. Others forget to send them on time and then feel awkward chasing payment. A few don't even know what a proper invoice should include.

This guide covers everything you need to know about invoicing as a UK-based virtual assistant - from what to include on your invoices to how to handle VAT, late payments, and the tools that can make the whole process painless.

What to include on your VA invoice

A proper invoice needs to contain specific information. If you're a sole trader in the UK, HMRC requires the following as a minimum: your name and business name (if different), your contact details, the client's name and address, a unique invoice number, the date the invoice was issued, a description of the services provided, the amount charged, the total due, and your payment details (bank account or payment link).

If you're VAT registered, you also need to include your VAT number, the VAT rate applied, and the VAT amount broken down separately from the net total. Most VAs are not VAT registered (you only need to register once your turnover exceeds the VAT threshold, which is currently around £90,000), but it's worth being aware of the requirements for when you get there.

Beyond the legal requirements, a good VA invoice should also include a clear payment due date (not just "payment terms: 30 days" - give them an actual date), a detailed breakdown of the work you've done (ideally linked to your time entries), and a professional layout that reflects your personal brand. Your invoice is a piece of communication. It should look as polished as everything else you send to your client.

Setting payment terms

The most common payment terms for VAs are "due on receipt" (meaning pay immediately), net 7 (pay within 7 days), net 14, or net 30. My recommendation is to use net 7 for hourly clients and payment in advance for retainer clients.

For retainer arrangements, invoice at the start of each month for the coming month's hours. The client pays upfront for the hours they're about to use, which gives you cash flow certainty and means you're never working unpaid. This is how most VA agencies operate, and there's no reason independent VAs shouldn't do the same.

For ad-hoc or project work, invoice as soon as the work is complete and set a short payment window. The longer you wait to send an invoice, the longer you wait to get paid. And the longer the payment terms, the more likely the client is to forget or deprioritise it.

Dealing with late payments

Late payments are one of the most common frustrations VAs face, and the best way to deal with them is to prevent them in the first place. Make sure your payment terms are crystal clear in your contract and on every invoice. Make it as easy as possible for clients to pay - include a direct payment link on every invoice so they can pay with one click rather than having to do a manual bank transfer.

If a payment is late, send a polite reminder the day after it's due. Something simple: "Hi [name], just a quick note that invoice [number] was due yesterday. Could you let me know when I can expect payment?" Most late payments are just forgetfulness, and a gentle nudge is all that's needed.

If the payment is still outstanding after 7 days, send a firmer follow-up. After 14 days, consider pausing work until the invoice is paid - and make sure your contract gives you the right to do this. It's uncomfortable, but it sets an important boundary: your time has value, and you expect to be paid for it.

Automated payment reminders can take the awkwardness out of this entirely. Set up your invoicing tool to send automatic reminders at 3, 7, and 14 days overdue, so you don't have to write those emails yourself.

VAT and tax basics for VA invoices

If you're a sole trader earning under the VAT threshold (currently around £90,000 per year), you don't need to charge VAT on your invoices. You do still need to track all your income and expenses for your annual Self Assessment tax return, and keeping clean, organised invoicing records makes this dramatically easier come January.

Keep a copy of every invoice you send, ideally in a digital format that your accountant (or your accounting software) can access. Number your invoices sequentially and don't skip numbers - HMRC expects a consistent numbering system.

If you're approaching the VAT threshold, speak to an accountant about whether voluntary registration might be beneficial. In some cases, registering for VAT early can be advantageous because you can reclaim VAT on your business expenses. In others, it adds complexity without much benefit.

Making invoicing effortless

The best invoicing setup is one where you barely have to think about it. If you're tracking your time properly, your invoicing tool should be able to generate an invoice directly from your tracked hours - no copying, no formatting, no fiddling with spreadsheets.

Handld is built around this workflow. You track your time, select the entries you want to invoice, and the app generates a professional invoice with a Stripe payment link. For retainer clients, you can set up prepaid hours on account so the client pays in advance and your time is automatically deducted from their balance. It's the same model agencies like Virtalent use, now available to independent VAs.