# Free bookkeeping invoice template Bookkeepers live on recurring revenue, so the invoice is a monthly ritual: the retainer, plus whatever extra the month brought. A clean invoice lists the retainer, the one-off work and any pass-through costs like software, and makes it clear what period it covers. The template below bills a small business for March. Edit the example for your clients and save the PDF from this page. No account, and nothing is uploaded. For advisory work around the books, the [consulting template](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/consulting) is a good companion. ## Fill it in and save as PDF The lines are examples for bookkeepers. Change anything, add your details and download the PDF. Nothing you type leaves this browser. - Ledger & Leaf Bookkeeping - Harbor Street Dental - Services for March | Description | Qty | Price | Amount | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Monthly bookkeeping retainer: reconciliations and reports | 1 | $450.00 | $450.00 | | Payroll processing, semi-monthly | 2 | $85.00 | $170.00 | | Catch-up bookkeeping: prior quarter (hours) | 5 | $65.00 | $325.00 | | Sales tax return preparation | 1 | $120.00 | $120.00 | | Accounting software subscription (at cost) | 1 | $42.00 | $42.00 | Month-end reports are in your shared folder. Please upload receipts by the 5th so books close on time. Payment due within 15 days. ## What to put on an invoice for bookkeepers - The period the invoice covers and the client's business name - The monthly retainer and what is included in it - Extra services: payroll, tax returns, catch-up work, cleanup of old books - Hours and rate for any hourly work beyond the retainer - Software and subscription costs passed on at cost - Tax, if your services are taxable where you work - Payment terms and payment details ## How bookkeepers bill The retainer is the backbone: a fixed fee per month for a defined set of tasks, such as reconciling accounts, categorising transactions and producing monthly reports. The fee scales with the volume of transactions and the number of accounts. Anything beyond that scope, such as payroll, tax filings, catch-up work or clean-up of old books, is billed as an extra, either per task or by the hour. Billing in advance for the coming month is common and protects you from clients who delay on documents. Because the retainer is identical every month, [recurring invoices](https://jiffy-invoice.com/features/recurring-invoices) save you the retyping, and a [payment reminder](https://jiffy-invoice.com/features/payment-reminders) catches clients who forget. Pass on software costs at cost, with a clear line, so the client sees you are not profiting from the subscription. ## Tips to get paid faster 1. Bill the retainer at the start of the month. It aligns your pay with the work you are about to do. 2. Write down what the retainer includes and excludes, and repeat it in your engagement letter. 3. Keep catch-up and clean-up work as separate, hourly lines. They are projects, not routine. 4. Link to a payment method that lets the client pay automatically each month, such as a card payment link. See [online payments](https://jiffy-invoice.com/features/online-payments). 5. Stop work if invoices are 30 days late. A late client who delays documents costs more than they pay. ## Common invoice mistakes - Absorbing extra work into the retainer month after month - Raising your rates without a notice period or a new engagement letter - Billing for software without showing it, so the client forgets they are paying for it ## Questions ### What should a bookkeeping invoice include? Your details, the client, the period, the monthly retainer, extra services with hours or fixed fees, pass-through software costs, tax if it applies, the total, due date and payment details. ### How do bookkeepers usually charge? A fixed monthly retainer for regular tasks, plus hourly or per-task fees for extras such as payroll, tax filings and catch-up work. ### Can I invoice the same client every month automatically? In the Jiffy app, yes: recurring invoices repeat on a schedule. This page makes one PDF at a time. ### Is this bookkeeping invoice template free? Yes. Fill it in online and save the PDF. No account is needed. ## Templates for other trades - [consultants](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/consulting) - [translators](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/translation) - [freelance writers](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/freelance-writing) - [tutors](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/tutoring) [Invoice templates by trade](https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template) Source: https://jiffy-invoice.com/invoice-template/bookkeeping