What details have to be on a company invoice?
What details have to be on a company invoice?
Author
Discussion

Sir Bagalot

Original Poster:

6,793 posts

197 months

Saturday 28th June
quotequote all
A good friend needs some help.

He has one of these dread "Estate" charges

Many avenues of work are contracted out to a firm and in 2023 invoices total £63,471. He isn't disputing the work wasn't done but the invoices look a tad dodgy shall we say.

Company name is given, but when checked with companies house it was dissolved in 2021

Company address simply doesn't exist. It says Unit 2, then gives a building name, address with postcode. Friend checked it and it's a hotel. No units where a business could operate from or even be registered.

Now something I found strange is that a firm who bills in the region of £63K just to one firm in 1 year for some adhoc work gives no company number or VAT number on their invoices (No VAT is charged), but I would assume that this company would be doing enough work to easily go >£250K pa

Any advice to pass on?

uknick

1,008 posts

200 months

Monday 30th June
quotequote all
This must be on a legitimate UK invoice;

Unique Invoice Number
Supplier's Details including registered office
Customer's Details
Description of Goods or Services
Date of Supply
Date of Invoice
Amounts Charged
Total Amount Owed
VAT Information (If Applicable)
VAT registration number
VAT amount split out separately
VAT rate (e.g., 20%, 5%, 0%)
The total amount of VAT charged
Currency

Sounds like your friends invoice is dodgy.

trickywoo

13,099 posts

246 months

Monday 30th June
quotequote all
Isn t there a contract or previous invoicing.

Quite strange to have neither for that kind of sum.

Is the concern that the payment bank details are fraudulent?

Contrary to the above there aren t legal reasons you need to provide all that information to get an invoice paid but the person paying obviously has to be confident of the provenance.

Edited by trickywoo on Monday 30th June 17:19

Mr Pointy

12,571 posts

175 months

Monday 30th June
quotequote all
OP: you'd probably be better off posting this in Business, not Finance

Simpo Two

89,309 posts

281 months

Monday 30th June
quotequote all
How about 'Dear X, I was about to pay your invoice but see that your company was dissolved in 2021. What would you like me to do?' KR' etc.

IE rather than guess, ask for clarification.

caziques

2,741 posts

184 months

Tuesday 1st July
quotequote all

A dissolved company is not a legal entity. Any money paid to it could end up with the government.

All sounds very odd.

Mr Whippy

31,294 posts

257 months

Tuesday 1st July
quotequote all
Estate charges?

Ie, a residential affair?

Ultimately the friend will pay the management/estate charge, then the management co/entity pay invoices, legitimate or otherwise.

I’d query with the person who runs the estate.