Despite being IT literate, many businesses continue to issue paper invoices in this electronic age. There is no legislation stating invoices must be sent via post, and it is easy to harness new technology to do this easily, more efficiently and cost-effectively.
 
HM Revenue & Customs' website provides detailed and helpful information on electronic VAT compliant invoicing under their Reference Notice 700/63 (June 2007). For an easy link, click here.

E-Invoicing Advantages

Electronic invoicing is beneficial for a variety of reasons:

• No postage or stationery costs, resulting in substantial savings
• Invoice arrives with recipient same day, with no risk of loss or delay
• No requirement for paper storage on premises, saving valuable space
• No requirement for secure filing and shredding in line with DPA regulations
• Less paper usage therefore better for the environment, and less of a fire hazard

E-Invoicing Options

To generate an electronic invoice there are a number of options. You can adopt one of the many popular accounts packages, such as Quickbooks and Sage, for the generation of a PDF invoice. Or, if you prepare your invoices manually, you can simply copy your invoice into a plain text email message.

As regards presentation, if you want your invoice to reflect your corporate branding and follow your letterhead style, my suggestion is to use a print-to-PDF program. This will generate a PDF by just printing a document. My tip for a good, free program is PrimoPDF, and for an easy link clickhttp://www.primopdf.com