Proofreading Invoice Template
Proofreading invoices are small, frequent and often international, which makes the boring fields the important ones. Most late payments in this trade are not disputes, they are invoices that lacked something the client's accounts process needed and sat in a queue nobody was watching.
See the coursesEverything on this page is yours to copy and adapt. The courses cover the decisions behind it: what to charge, what to promise, and what to put in writing.
What yours needs to cover
- ✓ The identifying fields: a sequential number, an issue date and a due date as a real date
- ✓ A description that names the document and the service, so it can be approved without a reply
- ✓ A reference to the purchase order or quote, which is what unblocks business clients
- ✓ Currency stated explicitly, because a bare number is ambiguous across borders
- ✓ Tax handling appropriate to where you and the client are
- ✓ Payment methods that do not cost you a large share of a small invoice
- ✓ A late-payment line, stated once and plainly
How to use it
- Number invoices sequentially from the first one, without gaps.
- Give a due date as a date, never as "30 days", which starts an argument about from when.
- Name the document and the service in the description so approval needs no context.
- Send it on delivery, not at the end of the month, because the goodwill is highest the day the work lands.
What makes a proofreading invoice different
A proofreader may send many small invoices a month, often to people in other countries, and often to organizations where the person who hired you is not the person who pays. Each of those facts makes the plain administrative fields more important. An invoice missing a purchase-order number or a clear currency can sit unpaid for weeks without anyone deciding not to pay it.
The goal is an invoice that someone in an accounts department can approve without writing back to you. Every field on the template exists to remove one reason for a delay.
Filling in each field
Start with an invoice number that follows a simple sequence, such as INV-0001, INV-0002 and so on, with no gaps. Add the date issued and a due date written as an actual date, not "net 30", so there is no question about when payment is expected.
The description should name the document and the service in words the client will recognize: "Proofreading of the spring newsletter, 6,200 words, delivered 14 March" is clear to anyone who reads it. If the client gave you a purchase-order or reference number, put it near the top where it cannot be missed.
State the currency next to every amount. For international clients, agree in advance who pays any transfer fees, and choose a payment method whose fees are reasonable for the size of the invoice. A fixed transfer charge that is minor on a large job can take a real share of a small one.
Tax lines depend on where you are registered and where the client is based, and the rules change. Check the requirements that apply to you before your first invoice. Finally, include one plain sentence about late payment, stated once, without threats.
When to send it and how it connects to your bookkeeping
Send the invoice when you deliver the work. The client is most satisfied at that moment, and waiting until the end of the month only lengthens the time before you are paid. For new clients, a deposit before work begins reduces your risk on a first job.
Keep a copy of every invoice in the same place as your records of payments received. Unit 3 of the course covers bookkeeping that holds up across many small international jobs, and the add-on toolkit includes a ready-made invoice built for them.
A filled-in example
| Invoice number | INV-0047 |
|---|---|
| Issued / due | 14 March / 28 March |
| Client reference | PO 5512, Marketing department |
| Description | Proofreading of the spring newsletter, 6,200 words, delivered 14 March, with style sheet |
| Amount | USD 186.00 |
| Payment methods | Bank transfer (details below) or card payment link |
| Late payment | Invoices unpaid 14 days after the due date may incur a late fee as set out in the agreement |
Mistakes to avoid
- Relative due dates. "Due in 30 days" begs the question of 30 days from when. Write the actual date.
- Vague descriptions. "Proofreading services" means nothing to someone in accounts. Name the document, the length and the delivery date.
- Leaving the currency implied. A number without a currency can be read several ways across borders. Put the currency code on every amount.
- Batching invoices at month end. This delays your cash for no benefit. Invoice on delivery, while the client is pleased with the work.
Proofreading Invoice Template FAQs
When should I invoice?
On delivery for established clients, and with a deposit up front for new ones. Waiting until month end adds weeks to your own cash cycle for no benefit and puts the ask further from the moment the client was pleased with the work.
How do I handle international payments?
State the currency on the invoice, agree who bears the transfer cost before the job, and use a method whose fee is proportionate. On a small invoice a fixed international transfer fee can take a painful share of the total, which is a pricing decision as much as an admin one.
What about tax?
It depends entirely on where you are registered and where the client is, and it changes. Get this right locally before your first invoice rather than after your first tax year, and treat anything you read online, including this, as a prompt to check rather than an answer.
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