Who Should Use Hourly Professional Invoice Templates?
Any freelancer, contract employee, or small business owner who charges clients based on an hourly rate can use an hourly rate invoice template format rather than simply using a Google doc. Not only is it more professional, but it minimises mistakes. Send professional invoices using our free template. This will help you and your client track and calculate the total amount of hours spent on a job – ensuring that you will get paid the right amount.
Remember to clearly state the exact tasks you accomplished and how long each task took to complete.
Some examples of those who could benefit from our our free invoice template include:
- Writers
- Graphic designers
- Virtual assistants
- Business Owners
- Contractors
- Photographers
- Moving companies
- Cleaners
- Consultants
What Items are on an Hourly Invoice in Singapore?
A professional invoice will include features that are common among most invoices, as well as some custom features that will only apply in certain situations. Therefore, you can customise your invoice to suit your needs.
Common features:
All invoices for Singapore clients share some common features, including:
- Company name
- Business logo
- Contact details including email address
- An invoice number
- Client name
- Bank details, including IBAN and SWIFT code
- Client’s registered GST number
- The net amount in Singapore Dollar (SGD)
- The applicable GST in percentage
- The tax in SGD
Custom Features:
Your hourly invoice also requires a few custom features. This allows you to create an invoice including:
Type of service rendered
If you’re a virtual assistant, as an example, your invoice should reflect the task you perform (i.e. creating a database of constituents for a political client). If you also performed other tasks, they should be itemised and added to the invoice in the same manner.
Hourly rate
The amount you charge by the hour for that type of task, and how many hours you spend on the task, followed by the total charge for that specific task. Subtotal your charges for each task.
Forms of accepted payment
Payment methods might include checks, bank drafts, debit cards, or credit cards.
Terms of payment
Payment terms outline how, when, and with what method your customers or clients provide payment to your business.
Taxes
According to the Inland Revenue Authority Of Singapore (IRAS), you should issue a tax invoice within 30 days of supplying goods. Your customers will use tax statements as proof of claiming input tax for standard-rated purchases.
if you’re dealing with zero-rated products, deemed supplies, and exempted goods, or with a non-GST registered buyer, you don’t need a tax statement. Also, you can’t charge Goods & Services Tax if you aren’t registered with IRAS, meaning that you’ll send invoices without tax details to your customers.
If you’re not a registered GST vendor, but your customers ask for a tax invoice, only write that the price excludes GST or enter a zero for Goods & Services Tax.
Calculating GST On Invoices In Singapore
You can calculate the total Goods & Services Tax amount on the tax invoice for standard-rated supplies in two ways:
- Add 7% to the cost of each item (excluding GST), and then total GST for all the products/services
- Add 7% to the total amount of all the items (excluding Goods & Services Tax)
You need to choose one method and use it consistently across your products or services.
What Type of Charges Should Be Reflected on Your Invoice Template for Hours Worked?
Your hourly invoice is a little different than the usual “products sold” type of invoice because of how you itemise your charges. Consultants who charge per-project fees are able to modify a generalised invoice – but for certain types of freelancers, this format doesn’t quite work. Here’s why:
- A writer can charge a per-blog fee or a bill per word. If the writer is performing bulk work, sometimes they offer a discount. Therefore, the invoice a writer creates can have multiple lines for different types of work completed. There are freelance writing invoice templates that make this very easy for your freelance writing business.
- A virtual assistant invoice template can incorporate different hourly fees depending on the nature of the requested task.
To price your service correctly, estimate how long it takes you to complete a project, then multiply hours by the average hourly pay for that service, and set a flat fee accordingly. You may or may not have to pay taxes on your earnings come year-end, so adding a small amount for tax into your flat fee should be considered.
How Should You Send Your Invoice for Freelance Work?
Many people who work from home today send invoices digitally – writers and VAs find their clients online, perform the tasks requested, and when it’s time to ask for a payment, create invoices online and email them to their clients. While you may mail or hand-deliver your invoice if clients live nearby, it is perfectly acceptable to send it to your client via email or to use a software program like QuickBooks to prepare and send your invoices. If you need a simpler way to invoice your clients, try QuickBooks invoicing software now.