Accounting and invoicing for hair and beauty salons
At the chair customers pay at the till. But chair renters, bridal styling, trade fairs and buying products from the wholesaler need invoices and receipts. Saldiqo takes over that part and shows what is really left at month end.
What comes up for hair and beauty salons
Chair rent and self-employed in the salon
If you rent out chairs or cabins, you need one invoice per renter every month. The amounts are the same, the deadlines matter.
Jobs outside the salon
Bridal styling, photo shoots, trade fairs, company events: they are agreed in advance, often with a deposit, and billed afterwards by invoice.
Products and consumables
Colours, care products, towels: purchases go through a few wholesalers, but with many receipts.
Small business and growth
Many salons start below the small business limit. If you pass it, you have to show VAT, and that should not be a surprise.
How Saldiqo helps
- Chair rent as a recurring invoiceA recurring invoice creates the rent on a fixed date and reminds when it is missing.
- Quote and depositFor bridal styling or events you write a quote, turn it into a deposit invoice and finish with the final invoice.
- Wholesale receiptsPhotograph the receipt with your phone and capture it as an expense. You keep supplier invoices in view with their due date.
- Small business limit in viewSaldiqo shows how much turnover is left before the limit and adds the note to the invoice.
- Match paymentsUpload the bank statement and Saldiqo recognises paid invoices and suggests the matching one for the rest.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Chair rent for November
- Bridal styling including trial appointment
- Styling for photo shoot, three hours
- Hair care products re-invoiced as per receipt
- Travel to the venue
- Gift voucher worth 50
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
Does Saldiqo replace the salon till?
No. Saldiqo is not a till system. Cash sales at the chair belong in a till that meets the rules of your country. Saldiqo handles invoices to renters and companies, reminders and expenses.
How do I bill chair rent?
With a recurring invoice per renter. It is created on a fixed date, and the payment is matched from the bank statement.
What happens when I pass the small business limit?
Saldiqo shows how much turnover is left. Once you pass the limit, you choose the tax type with VAT on new invoices. How the limit works in your country is listed above.
Do hair and beauty salons 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 hair and beauty salons 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 hair and beauty salons 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.
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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.