Invoice template
থ্রেড পোস্টার: Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
Gregor Trebec
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Local time: 18:07
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Oct 7

Hi,

Today, I received an invoice template from an agency on how an invoice should look like. I compared it to my invoices I used till now and nothing is left out, all information is there! Does it mean the info inside should match the color, the place of their invoice?
It looks like they are inventing warm water.


 
Samuel Murray
Samuel Murray  Identity Verified
নেদারল্যান্ড
Local time: 18:07
2006 থেকে সদস্য
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Use theirs for them and yours for you Oct 7

Gregor Trebec wrote:
Today, I received an invoice template from an agency on how an invoice should look like.

Ask them if they expect you to use their template. If yes, use their template. If you want to keep a copy for your own records using your own template, you can do that too. The agency might want to streamline their own accounting by letting all their translators use the same template, so that their bookkeeper don't spend time looking for information.


 
Rita Faleiro
Rita Faleiro
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Local time: 17:07
2025 থেকে সদস্য
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I think Oct 7

I agree.

It looks like for that agency in particular they want you to use their model, for whatever reason.
I have agencies to whom I send my invoice model, others provide me with the required template.

I don't see anything strage here


 
lingverra
lingverra
নতুন ব্যবহারকারী
Invoice content is a closed list under the VAT Directive Oct 21

Samuel's answer is the practical one. For what it's worth, the legal side backs you up, Gregor: for VAT purposes the content of an invoice is a closed list.

Directive 2006/112/EC, Art. 226: "only the following details are required for VAT purposes on invoices" — date, sequential number, both parties' names and addresses, your VAT ID, the nature and extent of the service, the taxable amount, rate and VAT amount, and so on. Art. 218 adds that Member States "shall accept documents or
... See more
Samuel's answer is the practical one. For what it's worth, the legal side backs you up, Gregor: for VAT purposes the content of an invoice is a closed list.

Directive 2006/112/EC, Art. 226: "only the following details are required for VAT purposes on invoices" — date, sequential number, both parties' names and addresses, your VAT ID, the nature and extent of the service, the taxable amount, rate and VAT amount, and so on. Art. 218 adds that Member States "shall accept documents or messages on paper or in electronic form as invoices if they meet the conditions laid down in this Chapter". Colour and layout are not among them, so their template is a convenience request for their bookkeeping, not a legal requirement — fine to follow if you want the client, as Samuel says.

Two details from that list worth double-checking when you invoice an agency in another EU country, because they are the ones most often missing:
– the customer's VAT ID (Art. 226(4));
– the mention "Reverse charge" where the customer is liable for the VAT (Art. 226(11a)).

And in that cross-border reverse-charge case, invoicing follows the rules of the country where the supplier is established (Art. 219a(2)(a)(i)) — i.e. Slovenian rules for you, whatever template the agency sends.

One more practical point: more and more agencies' accounting systems read structured e-invoices (EN 16931) rather than the PDF layout. A Factur-X invoice carries that data as XML inside the PDF, so the "template" question largely disappears. Disclosure: I work on Lingverra, a tool for translators that turns an accepted quote into exactly such an invoice — Art. 226 details, "Reverse charge" where it applies, Factur-X embedded — in one click.
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Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL
Stanislaw Czech, MCIL CL  Identity Verified
যুক্তরাজ্য
Local time: 17:07
2006 থেকে সদস্য
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SITE LOCALIZER
Re: Invoice template 08:17

I'd go with Samuel's approach: if the agency asks for their template, use it for them and keep your own numbering and records consistent on your side. The one thing worth checking is that their version doesn't drop anything your own tax rules require, such as your tax ID, your invoice number sequence, or a reverse-charge note for cross-border EU B2B services. Some agencies' accounting systems read fields from fixed positions, so a matching layout saves them manual work and can even speed up paym... See more
I'd go with Samuel's approach: if the agency asks for their template, use it for them and keep your own numbering and records consistent on your side. The one thing worth checking is that their version doesn't drop anything your own tax rules require, such as your tax ID, your invoice number sequence, or a reverse-charge note for cross-border EU B2B services. Some agencies' accounting systems read fields from fixed positions, so a matching layout saves them manual work and can even speed up payment. If their template clashes with your numbering, it's worth asking whether you can attach your own invoice as the legal document and use theirs as a cover summary. ▲ Collapse


 
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