Free Resources

Free UK business resources — VAT, invoicing & accounting.

A growing library of properly free tools and plain-English guides for British shopkeepers, freelancers, sole traders, limited companies and accountants. No sign-ups, no card required, no nonsense.

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Invoices

Invoice Maker Free

Create professional UK invoices in seconds. Add VAT at 20%, 5% or 0%. Download as PDF. Free forever — no sign up.

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Invoices

What a UK invoice must include

Unique invoice number, your business name & address, the customer's details, a description of goods/services, the date supplied — plus VAT number, rate and amount if you're VAT-registered.

Read HMRC guidance ↗

Invoices

Self-employed invoices

Sole traders don't need to charge VAT until turnover crosses £90,000 — but a clean, branded invoice still makes you look like a grown-up business.

Make a free invoice →

Invoices

VAT-registered invoices

Show the net, the VAT rate, the VAT amount and the gross — separately. Our calculator does the maths; the invoice maker prints it properly.

Build a VAT invoice →

VAT

Free UK VAT Calculator

Add or remove 20% VAT in a click. Switch to 5% or 0% for reduced and zero-rated goods. Or punch in your own custom rate.

Open the calculator →

VAT

How UK VAT Works

A plain-English guide to input VAT, output VAT, the registration threshold, and how to file your return with HMRC.

Read the guide →

VAT

UK VAT Rates 2024/25

Standard 20%, reduced 5%, zero 0% — and which goods and services fall under each rate. The full HMRC list, distilled.

See the rates →

VAT

HMRC Official VAT Rates

The source of truth, straight from gov.uk. Check edge cases against the official HMRC guidance before you file.

Visit gov.uk ↗

Accounting

Self-Assessment deadlines

Online tax return: 31 January. Paper return: 31 October. First payment on account: 31 January. Second payment on account: 31 July. Miss them and HMRC's £100 fine starts the second the clock strikes midnight.

Check the dates ↗

Accounting

Making Tax Digital (MTD) for VAT

If you're VAT-registered, you must keep digital records and submit returns through MTD-compatible software. Spreadsheets count, but only with bridging software.

Read MTD rules ↗

Accounting

What to keep, and for how long

Sales invoices, purchase receipts, bank statements, mileage logs, VAT records — keep them for at least 6 years (HMRC's requirement). A folder per tax year is enough; cloud storage is enough.

HMRC record keeping ↗

Accounting

Sole trader vs Limited company

Sole traders pay Income Tax + Class 2/4 NI on profits. Limited companies pay Corporation Tax (19–25%) on profits, and you pay tax on what you take out as salary or dividends.

Compare structures ↗

Accounting

Allowable business expenses

Anything 'wholly and exclusively' for the business: stock, software, travel, a percentage of home utilities if you work from home, accountancy fees. Keep the receipt — HMRC asks, eventually.

Expenses guide ↗

Accounting

When to hire an accountant

When the time you spend on books costs more than the accountant would. For most businesses, that's around the moment you register for VAT, hire your first employee, or start a limited company.

Read more →

Templates

Blank UK invoice template

A clean, ready-to-fill invoice with the right layout for a UK business. No watermarks, no upsells. Edit on the web, download as PDF.

Use the template →

Templates

Sole trader invoice template

Pre-set for self-employed invoicing — your name, your client, the work, the total. No VAT box clutter if you're not registered yet.

Open template →

Templates

VAT invoice template

All HMRC fields included: VAT number, VAT rate, VAT amount and gross — broken out so your client (and HMRC) can see the maths.

Open template →

Templates

Quote / estimate template

Send a tidy quote before the work starts. Convert to an invoice in one click when the job lands.

Open template →

Free tools, no strings.

Bookmark the page. Share it with the freelancer at the next desk. Email it to your accountant. We'll keep adding free, sign-up-free tools for as long as British businesses keep needing them.