Free Consultant Invoice Template

Last updated: October 2026

Last updated: October 2026



Tip: click any field in the preview to edit it before downloading. Your edits stay in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, no signup, no watermark.

Daniel Okafor Consultingdaniel@okaforconsulting.co.uk · +44 20 7946 0143 · London, UK
TAX INVOICEINV-2026-0933
Client
Meridian Retail Group Ltd
finance@meridianretail.co.uk
45 Bishopsgate, London EC2N 3AB
Issued
8 Oct 2026
Due
22 Oct 2026
Reference
Engagement letter EL-2026-041
Period: October 2026
Description Qty Rate Amount
Discovery workshop (day rate) 2 £750.00 £1,500.00
Strategy report & recommendations 1 £1,800.00 £1,800.00
Monthly retainer — OctoberRETAINER 1 £2,000.00 £2,000.00
Advisory calls 4 £150.00 £600.00
Subtotal£5,900.00
Total due£5,900.00
Retainer invoiced monthly in advance per engagement letter EL-2026-041. Payment within 14 days by bank transfer. Late payments may incur statutory interest under UK late payment legislation.

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What is this template for?

This free consultant invoice template is built for independent consultants, advisors and coaches: strategy, operations, marketing, HR and IT consultants. It handles the way consulting is actually billed — day rates, monthly retainers, milestone deliverables and advisory time — with space for an engagement reference on every invoice.

Retainers, day rates and milestones: how consultants bill

Consultants rarely bill by the hour. The three standard models are day rates for workshops and intensive work, fixed-fee milestones for defined deliverables like reports and assessments, and monthly retainers for ongoing advisory access — usually invoiced in advance at the start of each month, as the preview shows. Reference your engagement letter or statement of work on every invoice so the client can match it to the agreement. Expenses (travel, accommodation) go on separate lines at cost, agreed in advance.

Who should use it?

Independent consultants and advisors billing UK business clients. If you are VAT registered, use our VAT invoice template instead. Choosing between pricing models? Read retainer vs hourly vs project pricing.

What is inside the template?

Your consultancy details, client details, an engagement reference, invoice number with issue and due dates, an itemised table for day rates, milestones, retainers and advisory time, subtotal and total due, and a notes area for retainer terms and late-payment wording. Every field is editable: click it, type, then download.

What UK law requires on an invoice

Every invoice you send in the UK must show certain details to be valid. For a standard (non-VAT) invoice: a unique invoice number, the date, your business name and address, your customer’s name and address, a clear description of the work, the amount charged, and your payment terms. If you are VAT-registered, you must also show your VAT number, the VAT rate applied, and the VAT amount per line — see gov.uk guidance on invoices. This template includes fields for all of them, so an invoice built from it meets the legal requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Should retainers be invoiced in advance or in arrears?

In advance is the norm: the client pays at the start of the month for that month’s availability. Invoicing in arrears turns a retainer into ordinary hourly billing and weakens your cash flow — the whole point of a retainer is predictable income.

Day rate or hourly rate for consulting?

Day rates suit workshops, on-site work and anything that consumes most of a day; hourly suits short advisory calls. Never let a “quick call” slip through unbilled — this template has an advisory-calls line for exactly that.

How do I bill expenses as a consultant?

On separate lines at cost, agreed with the client before you spend. Travel, accommodation and subsistence for on-site work are standard pass-throughs; get written agreement for anything unusual.

What is IR35 and does it affect my invoices?

IR35 (the off-payroll working rules) can affect consultants working through a limited company, changing how your income is taxed — but it does not change what goes on the invoice itself. If you work long-term for one client through your own company, speak to an accountant about whether it applies to you.

How do the downloads work?

Edit the preview first, then choose PDF, Word or Excel. PDF uses your browser’s print dialog (choose Save as PDF). Word and Excel download instantly as .doc and .xls files. Everything happens on your device: nothing is uploaded anywhere.

For what happens when clients pay late, see late payment fees on UK invoices.

Want to customise this further? Open it in the free invoice generator — add your logo, save clients and download a polished PDF.

Reviewed by

Arham Arshad, founder of LancerBill, checked this template and its downloads in October 2026.

Reviewed by

Arham Arshad, founder of LancerBill, checked this template and its downloads in October 2026.