Law regarding sending invoices

[Mikejones]

Hi, I would like to know if there is any specific law which requires you to send out invoices? or if its sufficient to have them available online.A person would be required to login to the service once they have logged in they would then be able to have access to any invoices that are due to them.

Where would i need to search to find out additional information about this?

[Justloadit]

I do not know what the law is, but personally, I would not waste my time to download an invoice so that I have to pay you.

The least you can do is to attach a PDF of the invoice with an email to me.

[Mikejones]

Its a subscription service, a debit order would go off every month.

[Justloadit]

Even so, I would say courtesy would be to email the invoice anyway. There could be an automated system to do this, as it may seem that you already have everything in place.

[Houses4Rent]

I also would never go and look for invoices. If they do not get delivered to me I would not pay. That aside if you have an automatic debit order system in place I would think you have the capability of automatic billing too? On seconds thoughts if I subscribe to something with a FIXED amount every month I would not really expect an invoice every month either.

[Justloadit]

If no invoice, how would you claim the expense in the business, and even to claim VAT if the service provided is used to further your business.

[Mikejones]

The intention here is not to send out the same invoice every month to a customer, the price of the subscription will not change. I want to identify if there is a legal requirement to send out the invoice to the customer. If anyone wanted an invoice they could get access to it on the site (The site is also the reason for the subscription). The invoices will be there an available at any time.

[Dave A]

I queried something similar years ago relating to monthly insurance premiums. Apparently if there is a contract in place with all the details, that's enough to satisfy the requirements for claiming the expense and input VAT without holding a Tax Invoice for each individual transaction on file.

I know that doesn't quite answer the question, but hopefully it'll help trigger the right answer.

[BusFact]

Well MWeb don't send me invoices each month. I have to log on to their website and retrieve them myself. I would imagine they've done their legal home work.

[Welo]

As fars as I know and if you are registered for VAT, Tax Invoices are to be issued within 30 days from date of receipt of payment. This can be by an actual hardcopy or an email. Logging onto a website for the customer to retrieve the invoice would - in my mind - not constitute an actual issue of such Tax Invoice.