DUE editorial / Practical guide
Finished the work? Check what you can invoice.
A completed job and an invoice-ready job are not always the same thing. Take five minutes to check the agreement, the work and where the invoice needs to go.
The short answer
Work is ready to invoice when the agreed billing trigger has been reached, it has not already been invoiced, the fee, currency and billing details match the agreement, and you know where Finance wants the invoice sent. Check those before issuing it.
The seven checks
Work through these before you create the invoice. Nothing here is legal or tax advice, and none of it replaces the terms you agreed with your client.
Australian invoice and tax-invoice requirements and thresholds can change. Check the current official invoicing guidance for your GST registration status; seek advice for your circumstances.
1. The agreed billing trigger has been reached
Check delivery, go-live, deposit, milestone or approval only if your agreement requires it. Record the date and who confirms it.
2. This work has not already been invoiced
Check issued invoices, drafts and deposits so the balance is not billed twice.
3. Fee, currency and tax treatment are correct
Reconcile approved extras and earlier invoices. For Australian creators, GST-registered businesses use tax invoices; non-GST-registered businesses use ordinary invoices and must not label them tax invoices or charge GST by default. Check current requirements and thresholds.
4. The correct client and legal billing entity are named
Confirm the paying entity, billing address and a description Finance can match to the campaign and delivered work.
5. Invoice number, invoice date and PO/reference are ready
Use a unique invoice number and issue date; include any agreed PO, cost centre or campaign reference.
6. Payment terms, start event and due date are clear
Calculate the due date from the agreed start event — invoice date, receipt of a valid invoice, approval or contractually stated month-end — never from ‘Net 30’ alone.
7. The AP submission destination is confirmed
Check the accounts email or portal and required attachments; record when Finance receives and accepts the invoice.
Three outcomes
Ready to invoice
Every check above is satisfied. Issue the invoice, record the issue date and the date you actually sent it, and note the due date.
Waiting on an agreed approval or milestone
Do not invoice yet. Record who owes you the approval, what exactly you are waiting for, and the date you will follow up.
Missing billing details
The work may be invoiceable but the invoice has nowhere correct to go. Ask for the billing entity, accounts contact and any reference now, not after the due date.
Blank worksheet
One line per open job. Fill it in on paper or in your own notes — this page stores nothing and sends nothing anywhere.
- Job / client
- Legal billing entity
- Agreed billing trigger
- Amount and currency / GST status
- Invoice number / date / PO
- AP email or portal
- Due-date start event / due date
- Amount still to invoice
- Blocker
- Next action
- Review date
Copy or print it
Invoice-ready checklist (plain text)
Invoice-ready checklist — Finished the work? Check what you can invoice. 1. Agreed billing trigger reached (only if approval is required, check it) 2. No issued invoice or deposit already billing the same work 3. Agreed fee, currency, approved extras, prior invoices and Australian GST status checked 4. Correct client/legal entity, billing address and Finance-readable work description 5. Unique invoice number and invoice date; PO or reference if required 6. Payment terms, starting event and calculated due date confirmed 7. Correct AP email/portal, supporting material and receipt/acceptance path confirmed Outcome: [ ] Ready to invoice [ ] Waiting on an agreed approval or milestone — person: __________ follow-up date: __________ [ ] Missing billing details — ask now Worksheet Job / client and legal billing entity: ______________________________ Agreed billing trigger: ____________________ Amount, currency and tax treatment: ____________________ Invoice number / date / PO reference: ____________________ AP email or portal / acceptance contact: ____________________ Due-date start event / due date: ____________________ Amount still to invoice: ___________________ Blocker: ___________________________________ Next action: _______________________________ Review date: _______________________________ Australian GST-registered businesses use tax invoices. Non-GST-registered businesses use ordinary invoices, not tax invoices, and do not charge GST by default. Check current official requirements. General information, not tax or legal advice.
Printing uses your browser's own print dialog. Nothing you write on the worksheet is collected, stored or sent.
Still not sure whether a finished job is invoiceable? Work through the ten-minute check.
What this checklist does not cover
This is a practical working check, not legal or tax guidance and not a compliance statement. It does not create an entitlement to be paid, and it cannot tell you what your invoice must contain in your country or under your client's contract. Your agreement and your own professional adviser decide those.
Once the invoice is out, keeping track of what is still unpaid is a separate job: the payment tracker guide covers that side.
Keep your next job and invoice together
DUE keeps the brief, the delivered work and the invoice on one job record, so work you have finished but not invoiced stays visible. You create and send every invoice yourself.
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