Videographer invoice templates that get you paid before the next shoot.
Three free videographer invoice templates for UK video work: a standard invoice, a VAT invoice for when you are registered, and a deposit invoice to lock in the date. Copy one, swap the square brackets for your details, and send it. Below them is exactly what GOV.UK and HMRC say an invoice must include, so nothing bounces back from a client’s accounts team.
Three videographer invoice templates
Each line item says what was filmed or edited and how much of it, because “video services” is how invoices end up in a queue marked “query”.
Standard invoice
INVOICE Invoice number: [INV0042] Invoice date: [1 November 2026] Date of supply: [date you filmed or delivered] From: [Your name or business name] [Your address] [Email] · [Phone] To: [Client name or company] [Client address] Purchase order: [PO number, if the client uses them] Project: [Brand film for Client Ltd] [Pre production and planning, 1 day] ........ £[000] [Filming, 1 day, one camera operator] ........ £[000] [Edit: 1 film up to 2 minutes, 2 rounds of changes] ........ £[000] [Social cuts: 3 x 30 second versions, 9:16] ........ £[000] [Travel] ........ £[000] Total: £[0,000] Less deposit received on [date]: £[000] Balance due: £[0,000] Payment due by: [date, for example 14 days from today] Pay by bank transfer to: [account name], sort code [00 00 00], account [00000000], reference [INV0042] Or pay online: [payment link] Thank you. Final files are released when the balance is paid.
VAT invoice
VAT INVOICE Invoice number: [INV0043] Invoice date: [date] Tax point (date of supply): [date] From: [Your registered name], trading as [trading name if any] [Registered address] VAT registration number: [GB 123 4567 89] To: [Client company name] [Client address] Description / quantity / unit price / VAT rate / amount excl. VAT [Filming day] / [1] / £[000] / 20% / £[000] [Edit, 1 film] / [1] / £[000] / 20% / £[000] [Drone footage, half day] / [1] / £[000] / 20% / £[000] Total excluding VAT: £[0,000] VAT at 20%: £[000] Total including VAT: £[0,000] Payment due by: [date] Bank: [account name], [sort code], [account number], reference [INV0043]
Deposit invoice
DEPOSIT INVOICE Invoice number: [INV0041] Invoice date: [date] From: [Your name or business], [address] To: [Client], [address] Deposit to reserve [event or project] on [date]: £[000] ([X]% of the agreed total of £[0,000], as set out in our contract dated [date]) Due by: [date] Pay by: [bank details or payment link] The balance of £[0,000] will be invoiced on [date or milestone].
These templates are a practical starting point, not legal or tax advice. If a job is large or unusual, have a solicitor or accountant check the wording.
What a UK invoice must include
Under UK rules every invoice needs a unique invoice number, your name or business name and address, your client’s name and address, a clear description of what you are charging for, the date you supplied the work, the invoice date, the amounts, any VAT, and the total owed (GOV.UK: what an invoice must include). Sole traders using a business name add an address where legal documents can reach them. Limited companies use the full name on the certificate of incorporation.
Once you are VAT registered and both you and the client are VAT registered, you must send a VAT invoice. On top of the basics it shows your VAT registration number, the tax point, the VAT rate and the amount excluding VAT for each line, and the total VAT in pounds. For a supply of £250 or less, and only if the client agrees, a simplified VAT invoice is allowed (HMRC VAT Notice 700, section 16). Registration becomes compulsory once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in a rolling 12 months; the UK VAT threshold checker shows where you stand.
Payment terms, deposits and late payers
Video money tends to arrive in pieces: a deposit to hold the date, a stage payment on the shoot day for big jobs, and the balance before final files. Write the schedule into your contract and mirror it on every invoice, so the client is never surprised and you are never chasing.
If your client is a business and you did not agree a payment date, UK law treats the payment as late 30 days after they receive the invoice or the work, whichever is later. You can then claim interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt (GOV.UK: late commercial payments). These rules cover business clients, not couples or families.
One practical habit: release the full resolution files when the balance clears, and say so on the invoice. It is the politest leverage in the business.
Skip the spreadsheet
Veyra builds these invoices for you: numbered invoices, deposits and payment plans, VAT on each line once you switch it on, your studio's currency, and a payment link so clients pay by card, PayPal or bank transfer. The invoice sits on the same project as the contract and the gallery. Start free, and see pricing when you outgrow it.
Running the rest of the job too? See the videographer CRM and the free videographer contract template.
Questions people ask
What should a videographer invoice include?
A unique invoice number, your name and address, the client’s name and address, a clear description of the filming and editing, the date you supplied the work, the invoice date, the amounts, any VAT and the total owed. Those are the GOV.UK basics; add your payment terms and bank details so nobody has to ask.
Should videographers take a deposit?
Most do, because a booked date is a day you cannot sell to anyone else. Agree the amount and what happens if the client cancels in your contract first, then send a deposit invoice so the money and the date are both on record.
Do I add VAT to my video invoices?
Only if you are VAT registered. Registration becomes compulsory once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 in any rolling 12 months. Once registered, you charge VAT and send VAT invoices to VAT registered clients.
How long should I give clients to pay?
Pick a date and put it on the invoice, such as 14 or 30 days. If a business client has not agreed a date, UK law treats payment as late after 30 days and lets you claim interest and a fixed fee.
Work out what to charge first: the videography pricing guide ↗