Invoice template: mandatory invoice details and a sample

Mandatory invoice details

According to the Finnish Tax Administration's guidance Invoicing requirements in VAT, section 209 e of the VAT Act lists the mandatory details of an invoice. In an ordinary domestic sale, the invoice must include:

invoice issue date
running, unique invoice number
seller's VAT identification number (Business ID)
names and addresses of the seller and buyer
quantity and type of goods sold or scope and type of services
delivery or performance date, if it differs from the invoice date
tax base by tax rate, unit price excluding tax and discounts
applied tax rate
amount of tax payable

Situation-specific additional markings

According to the guidance, in certain situations the invoice also needs special notations: a statement of tax exemption or a reference to the relevant provision, a notation of reverse charge, the notation self-billing in self-billing, and the margin scheme notations. A credit note or other document amending an invoice must contain a specific reference to the original invoice.

According to the Finnish Tax Administration's guidance, the general VAT rate rose from 24 per cent to 25,5 per cent on 1.9.2024 and the reduced 14 per cent rate fell to 13,5 per cent on 1.1.2026. Check the correct tax rate for the product you sell on the Finnish Tax Administration's website.

Simplified calculation

According to section 209 f of the Value Added Tax Act, simplified invoice details may be used when the invoice total is no more than 400 euros. A simplified invoice may also be used in retail and similar sales where customers are almost exclusively private individuals, even if the amount exceeds 400 euros.

A simplified invoice needs only the date of issue, the seller's name and Business ID, the quantity and type of goods sold or the type of services, the amount of tax or the tax basis by tax rate, and, for a correction invoice, a reference to the original invoice. A simplified invoice suits, for example, small service sessions and cash receipts where the buyer's details are not collected. The simplified procedure cannot be used for intra-Community sales of goods, distance sales or sales where the buyer is liable for tax under the reverse charge.

Reverse-charge tax liability on the invoice

When the buyer is liable for tax under the reverse charge, for example in construction services, the invoice must state the buyer's VAT number and a reference to the reverse charge. In the example in the Tax Administration's guidance, the note reads "Reverse charge, AVL 8 c §". No tax rate or tax amount is stated on such an invoice.

Template: invoice

Below is a sample invoice from a fictional company for an ordinary domestic sale of services, where the standard tax rate applies. Fill in the parts in square brackets with your own details. Payment terms, due date and reference number are not required by the VAT Act, but they speed up payment.

Template – copy and edit

INVOICE

Seller: Meikäläisen Palvelu Oy, [street address], [postcode and city], Business ID [1234567-8]

Buyer: [Client Company Ltd or Maija Meikäläinen], [address]

Invoice number: [1001]

Invoice date: [dd.mm.yyyy]

Date of completion: [dd.mm.yyyy]

Due date: [dd.mm.yyyy], payment term [14 days net]

Reference number: [reference]

Row 1: [description of service], [quantity] h x [unit price excl. VAT] euros = [total excl. VAT] euros

Row 2: [product or travel expense], [quantity] x [unit price excl. VAT] euros = [total excl. VAT] euros

Total excluding tax: [summa] euroa

Value added tax 25,5 %: [amount of tax] euros

Total: [summa] euroa

Payment to account: [IBAN], [BIC]

Contact details: Matti Meikäläinen, [phone], [email]

If the sale falls under the reverse charge, replace the VAT line with the note "Reverse charge, AVL 8 c §", add the buyer's VAT number and leave out the tax rate and the amount of tax.

Invoice numbering and tracking

A running number means that each invoice receives a unique number and the same number is never used twice. If an invoice contains an error, the correction is made with a credit note or another document amending the invoice, with a unique reference to the original invoice. Numbering is easiest to keep in order when all invoices are made from the same template and recorded in a single register. Tutkat.fi has a paid Invoice template and invoice register for this. In unclear tax situations, it is worth asking the Finnish Tax Administration (Verohallinto) or your own bookkeeper.

Frequently asked questions

What is the euro limit for a simplified invoice?

Simplified invoice details may be used when the invoice total is at most 400 euros. The limit does not apply to retail and similar sales to private customers.

Does an invoice have to include a due date?

The due date is not among the mandatory invoice details under the Value Added Tax Act, but it is worth stating so that any late payment is unambiguous.

What is written on a reverse charge invoice?

The buyer's VAT identification number and a mention of the reverse charge, for example "Reverse charge, AVL 8 c §". The tax rate and the amount of tax are not stated.

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Sources

The article is general information and does not replace the guidance of an authority, a lawyer or an adviser. Check up-to-date information from the sources.

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