Accounting and invoicing for online course creators
Video courses, memberships, live cohorts and one-to-one coaching: whoever sells knowledge online has income from the course platform, from payment services and from companies. Saldiqo writes invoices for companies and groups, matches payouts and records tools and ads as expenses.
What comes up for online course creators
Several ways to sell
Direct sales through a platform, company bookings by invoice, discount campaigns and partners. Each way has different payments.
Company and group customers
Companies buy seats for teams and want an invoice with an invoice recipient and a payment term.
Ads and tools
Ads, email tool, course platform, payment processing and webinar software are running costs.
How Saldiqo helps
- Invoices for companies and groupsSeats and term as lines, with a payment term and reminders.
- Match platform payoutsUpload the bank statement and separate receipts by source.
- Cost centre per courseAssign income and expenses to a course and see which one pays off.
- Credit note on refundA refund stays linked to the original invoice.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Access to the video course, 12 months, 5 seats
- Live cohort, 6 weeks, one seat
- One-to-one coaching, 3 sessions
- Company licence for the course
- Credit note: refund after withdrawal
- Surcharge for certificate
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
Can I write invoices for companies that book seats?
Yes. You create the company as a contact and write the invoice with seats and term.
How do I handle refunds?
You create a credit note for the invoice. It stays linked to it.
Do online course creators 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 online course creators 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 online course creators keep invoices?
Keep VAT records for 6 years. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records stays with you.
Try Saldiqo for free
Write invoices, match payments, collect receipts and send reminders: free and without a trial period.
Start for freeThis page for other countries
Related niches
More industries
As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.