Accounting and invoicing for branding agencies
Brand strategy, naming, logo, corporate design and style guide: a branding agency bills in phases and delivers rights. Saldiqo splits the project into stage invoices, runs the final invoice and records licences for fonts and photos as expenses.
What comes up for branding agencies
Projects in phases
Analysis, strategy, design, artwork, style guide: each phase is signed off and partly paid.
Rights and licences
The client gets usage rights, the agency buys fonts and photos with its own licences.
Long payment terms
Large brands pay after 30, 60 or 90 days. Until then the invoices have to stay in view.
How Saldiqo helps
- Stage invoices by phaseQuote with phases, stage invoices straight from it, final invoice deducts them.
- Rights as a lineUsage rights with duration and territory as a separate line.
- Record licencesLicence and stock costs as expenses with the project’s cost centre.
- Reminders on long termsKeep open invoices in view and send a payment reminder with one click.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Brand strategy and positioning, phase 1
- Logo and corporate design, phase 2
- Style guide and artwork, phase 3
- Usage rights, unlimited in time and territory
- Font licence re-invoiced as per receipt
- Stage invoice 30 % on commissioning
Tax and invoicing in the UK
What applies to invoices in the UK, in short. As of October 2026.
- VAT
- Standard rate 20 %, reduced rate 5 % and zero rate 0 %. Saldiqo calculates each invoice line with the rate you pick.
- VAT registration
- You must register once your taxable turnover passes £90,000 over any 12 months, or you expect to pass it within the next 30 days. You can deregister below £88,000. Until you are registered, your invoices show no VAT, and Saldiqo adds up your 12-month turnover for you.
- What goes on an invoice
- If you are VAT registered: your VAT number, the tax point, unit prices and the VAT total in pounds. A limited company shows its registered name on every invoice, and its company number, registered office and part of the UK on letters, order forms and the website.
- E-invoicing
- There is no mandate today. From April 2029 e-invoicing is planned for all B2B and B2G sales that carry VAT, through Peppol. The exact date and standard are not yet in law, and the government’s roadmap follows with the Budget on 28 October 2026.
- VAT returns
- VAT returns go to HMRC through Making Tax Digital, usually quarterly, due one month and seven days after the period. Saldiqo shows sales and VAT per rate and exports CSV. It does not submit to HMRC, and for Making Tax Digital you need software recognised by HMRC.
- Record keeping
- Keep VAT records for 6 years.
- Late payment
- Statutory interest on late business payments is the Bank Rate (3.75 % in the second half of 2026) plus 8 points, so 11.75 %. On top comes fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100, depending on the amount owed (under £1,000, from £1,000, from £10,000). Consumers have no statutory interest.
- Getting paid
- Your sort code and account number are on every invoice. Customers pay by Faster Payments or Bacs, and banks check the account name with Confirmation of Payee. There is no QR standard in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
How do I bill a project in phases?
With a quote, stage invoices per phase and a final invoice that deducts the stages.
How do I handle licences?
You record the receipt as an expense with the project’s cost centre and re-invoice it if needed.
Do branding agencies in the UK have to charge VAT?
Only once they are VAT registered. Registration is required when taxable turnover passes £90,000 over any 12 months, or is expected to within the next 30 days. Below that you may register voluntarily. If you are not registered, you must not show VAT on your invoices.
Do branding agencies in the UK need e-invoicing?
Not today. A mandate for B2B and B2G sales with VAT is planned from April 2029, and the details were still open as of October 2026. You can keep sending PDF invoices for now.
How long should branding agencies keep invoices?
Keep VAT records for 6 years. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records stays with you.
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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.