Word is the most common place UK sole traders write their first invoice, because it is already installed and the document feels like something you control. That is a reasonable place to start, and for a handful of invoices a month it is genuinely fine.
The tradeoff is that Word has no idea what an invoice is. It will not stop you reusing an invoice number, it will not total a column for you, and it will happily let you send a document with last month's client still in the address block. Almost every problem with a Word invoice comes from that: the document is a picture of an invoice rather than a record of one.
Use the structure below, save it as a .dotx template rather than editing the same .docx each time, and keep a separate log of which numbers you have issued.
Literally the word, near the top. A document that does not say what it is gets treated as a quote.
Sequential, never reused. In Word this is manual, so keep the running number in the filename as well as on the page.
Trading name, and your real address. A PO box alone is not enough if you are chasing payment later.
The legal entity being billed, not the individual who briefed you, or you will struggle to enforce it.
The date you issued it and the date the work happened. They are often different and both matter.
One line per item. Word will not add these up, so check the total by hand every time.
A due date rather than "on receipt", plus sort code and account number.
Editing yesterday's file and saving over it destroys your only copy of what you sent. Save as a new file per invoice, or use a .dotx template.
The client can edit it, and fonts shift on their machine. Export to PDF before sending, every time.
Word does not calculate. A single mistyped line item becomes a dispute weeks later when the payment does not match.
Yes. File, New, then search "invoice" gives you several Microsoft-supplied layouts. They are US-oriented, so check that the currency, date format and VAT wording match UK practice before you send one. Most need the sales tax row relabelled or removed.
Always PDF. A Word file can be edited by the recipient, which undermines it as a record, and the layout can move depending on which fonts their machine has. Keep the Word file as your editable master and send the exported PDF.
Manually, which is the weakness of the approach. Pick a simple sequence such as 0001 upward, or a dated prefix like 2026-014, and keep the number in the filename so a folder listing doubles as your log. Never reuse a number, even for a cancelled invoice.
The free generator fills in this structure, totals it and gives you a PDF, with no sign-up. If the same clients come round every month, Suitekore can send them without you opening anything.
Open the generator