A good invoice is boring on purpose: the client's accountant should find everything in five seconds. Here is what to include.
The fields every invoice needs
- Your name or business name, address, email/phone.
- Your tax or registration number, if any.
- The client's name and address (and VAT number for EU businesses).
- A unique, sequential invoice number (e.g. INV-2026-0042).
- Issue date and due date (or payment terms such as "Net 30").
- Line items: description, quantity, unit price, line total.
- Subtotal, tax (if applicable) and total due, with the currency.
- How to pay: bank details, payment link, Mobile Money.
Country-specific lines
- France (micro-entrepreneur): "TVA non applicable, art. 293 B du CGI" if you are under the VAT threshold, plus the late-payment penalty and the €40 fixed recovery fee for business clients.
- EU, cross-border B2B: the client's VAT number and "Reverse charge" (Article 196 of the VAT Directive).
- UK: if you're not VAT-registered, don't show VAT; if you are, show your VAT number and the VAT amount.
- US: no federal VAT; sales tax depends on the state and on what you sell — many services are exempt.
- Canada: GST/HST number and the GST/HST amount if you're registered.
- OHADA countries (Benin, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon…): your IFU/NINEA/NIU and RCCM; VAT at the local rate if you are subject to it. Some countries also require certified invoicing systems (e.g. MECeF in Benin, FNE in Côte d'Ivoire) for VAT-registered businesses.
Numbering
Never reuse or skip numbers. Use a prefix by document type (INV for invoices, QUO for quotes, REC for receipts) and the year.
Bonova fills these lines automatically based on the country you choose — free, unlimited, no account needed.