Make an invoice for a client abroad: tax, currency and language

An invoice for a client abroad raises three questions: which tax applies, which currency the amount is in and which language your client reads. QuoteBill lets you set each on its own, so a Korean exporter can bill in US dollars and keep Korea’s tax rules without pretending to be in the United States. Nothing here is tax advice. 1. Start from the right document For services, a quotation first and then an invoice made from it keeps the client and the lines in step. For goods that cross a border, a proforma invoice states the price and terms before supply, and a commercial invoice carries the HS codes, the country of origin and the Incoterms. A delivery note, a receipt and a credit note follow from the invoice. "Make next document" copies the client and the line items, so nothing is typed twice. 2. Set the country, then the currency The Country field decides the tax rules the document starts from. The Currency field beside it is separate: choose a currency and every amount prints with its code, for example USD 5,120.00, so a bare dollar sign is never ambiguous. The currency follows the document everywhere: totals and rounding (the yen has no decimals, the Kuwaiti dinar has three), payments and receipts, statements of account, and the Word and Excel files. 3. Choose the language of the document The document language is chosen separately from the language of the QuoteBill page you are using, and there are 33 to choose from. Write the invoice in the language your client reads; the labels and the notes follow. 4. Check the tax yourself QuoteBill publishes a standard rate for each country it covers, with its source and the date it was checked, and the editor starts from it. Whether and how tax applies to a cross-border sale depends on what you sell, where you and your client are, your registration and the rules of both countries. Zero-rating, reverse charge and exemptions are not decided for you. Where a country has no single national rate, as with the United States, QuoteBill does not guess: you enter the rate that applies. Confirm the treatment with your accountant or the tax authority. The VAT and GST calculator shows what adding or removing a rate does to a price, with a page for each of 151 countries that shows its standard rate, its source and the date it was checked. 5. If the client thinks in another currency The currency converter shows your total in another currency at the European Central Bank’s daily reference rate, or at a rate you type. In the invoice editor, the Convert the total panel changes nothing until you press Add a note to the document. The figure is indicative, not what a bank or a payment provider will give you. 6. Before you send Check the client’s name and address, the tax or registration number your country requires, the due date and the payment instructions. Save the invoice, print it or save a PDF, or download Word or Excel. If the client pays in part, record a payment: the receipt can be for the whole amount or for a share. Tools - VAT and GST calculator: https://quotebill.com/en/tools/vat-calculator/ - Currency converter: https://quotebill.com/en/tools/currency-converter/ - Templates: https://quotebill.com/en/templates/