invoice numbering system

[oldstone]

Out top client has questioned the small difference in the invoice numbers we raise, for good commercial reasons I don’t want him to believe he is so important to our business that he can start taking advantage, demanding huge discounts etc.

Is there a way we can invoice him, giving the impression that we have issued a 100 other invoices that month and not just 10 or 20 he is seeing at the moment. The other clients we are happy to keep on the same invoice numbering system we’ve always used.

Thanks for your ideas

 

[GraemeL]

Are you VAT registered? If you are you must have sequential invoice numbers.


G

 

[oldstone]

thanks, I thought that might be the case

 

[GraemeL]

Doesnt mean you cant create a lot of dummy ones at zero value to build up your invoice numbers, but you must retain each and all of them for VAT inspection

G

 

[martin_frost]

I use

CLIENT_NAME + YEAR + NUMBER

so eg - WIDGETSLTD-14-001

no one would know from that info.

 

[oldstone]

Now, there's a thought! So we have to create zero value invoices...to whom, enter then into the sage system or just keep paper copies?

 

[oldstone]

I use

CLIENT_NAME + YEAR + NUMBER

so eg - WIDGETSLTD-14-001

no one would know from that info.

that could work, thanks

 

[OvcaX]

If you issue a lot of invoices my best option is department code (let's say Z) Z-YEAR-XXXXX

If you have few clients use YEAR-CLIENTID-XX

 

[GraemeL]

Invoices MUST be sequentially numbered if VAT registered! The previous posts are misleading.

A VAT invoice must show:

• an invoice number which is unique and follows on from the number of the previous invoice - if you spoil or cancel a serially numbered invoice, you must keep it to show to a VAT officer at your next VAT inspection

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/vat/managing/charging/vat-invoices.htm

 

[GraemeL]

Now, there's a thought! So we have to create zero value invoices...to whom, enter then into the sage system or just keep paper copies?

You need to keep copies in the same way as you are required to do so for invoices with a value!

You could just invent a dummy client?

G

 

[StevensOnln1]

The suggestions mentioned above are sequences are perfectly acceptable for VAT. Invoice numbers must be sequential but you can create as many different sequences as you like.

 

[Fred_the_frog]

Out top client has questioned the small difference in the invoice numbers we raise, for good commercial reasons I don’t want him to believe he is so important to our business that he can start taking advantage, demanding huge discounts etc.

Is there a way we can invoice him, giving the impression that we have issued a 100 other invoices that month and not just 10 or 20 he is seeing at the moment. The other clients we are happy to keep on the same invoice numbering system we’ve always used.

Thanks for your ideas

Why do they need to know?

 

[GraemeL]

Why do they need to know?

They dont - which is why the OP wants to pretend that they have lots of customers