Consultants bill by the hour, by the day, or on retainer — and clients expect that detail spelled out. This consultant invoice template lets you reference your statement of work, break down time by task, and add expenses as separate line items.
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These are the line items consultant businesses bill most often. Add the ones that apply to your job — the generator totals them automatically.
Retainer clients should be billed in advance at the start of each month; project clients work well on Net 15 tied to milestone sign-off.
Professional consulting services are usually exempt from US sales tax, but reimbursed materials may be taxable — keep them on separate lines.
Break time down by task or workstream rather than a single lump sum. "Strategy session — 4 hrs" and "Market analysis — 6 hrs" are far easier for a client to approve than "Consulting — $2,500".
Yes. Put the SOW or contract number in the invoice number field or notes so the client's accounts payable team can match the invoice to the approved engagement.
Invoice the retainer amount in advance at the start of the period it covers, and note what the retainer includes. Bill overage hours separately on the next invoice.
Net 15 tied to milestone acceptance keeps cash flowing; retainers should be paid upfront. For enterprise clients on Net 60, build the delay into your pricing.