Invoice Checklist Before You Send

This invoice checklist exists because most unpaid invoices are not refused. They are parked, because something on them stops a finance department processing it. This is the check that removes those reasons.

The invoice checklist: the document

1. The words Tax Invoice appear, if you are a registered vendor.
2. Your VAT number is on it. Missing this invalidates the document.
3. The invoice number is unique and follows the sequence.
4. The date is the date of issue, not the date of the job.
5. A due date is shown, not just a payment term.

The client

1. The legal entity name is correct, not a trading name or a person's first name.
2. The address is on it, for anything over R5,000 including VAT.
3. Their VAT number is on it, if they are a vendor.
4. The purchase order number is on it, if they use one.
5. It is going to the right person. Accounts, not your day-to-day contact.

The money

1. The total matches the accepted quotation, or the variance has been agreed in writing.
2. Banking details and a payment reference are on the document.

The two that catch most people

The entity name. An invoice made out to Sipho when the client is Ntuli Holdings (Pty) Ltd cannot be processed by that company's finance system, and nobody will tell you why.

The PO number. At corporate and government clients, an invoice with no PO does not get rejected. It sits, unmatched, until someone eventually asks.

Then send it the same day

An invoice issued on the day the work completes gets paid a full billing cycle earlier than one issued at month end. That single habit does more for cash flow than any follow-up sequence.

Common questions

Disclaimer: This content is for general information only and does not constitute legal, tax, accounting or financial advice. Always confirm important requirements with SARS, the relevant authority or a qualified professional.