Invoice settings that save you work later

Why settings come before the first invoice

An issued invoice is fixed. Its number, lines and dates cannot be edited afterwards, only corrected with a credit note. So anything wrong in your settings ends up printed on every invoice you issue until you notice it. Spend the time once, before the first real invoice, and check the result on a draft.

Who issues the invoice

The invoice header prints your company as the issuer. 4fleet will not issue an invoice without an address for you: it uses the business address from Settings > Company > Profile & brand, and falls back to your base location when that is empty. On EU VAT or UK VAT it also needs your VAT number.

When something is missing, a draft can still be created, but issuing it is refused and it stays a draft. For an invoice 4fleet creates by itself, your team gets a notification titled "Invoice not issued" that names what is missing. Fill these details in on day one so automatic invoices never stall.

Tax system and default rate

Open Settings > Finance > Tax profile. Choose the Tax System (EU VAT, UK VAT, US Sales Tax or No Tax), enter your registration number, and set Default Tax Rate (%). On US sales tax you enter each jurisdiction and its rate yourself, and 4fleet does not suggest or check any rate.

The screen shows hints about typical rates. Treat them as hints. Ask your accountant which rate and treatment apply to your services, then enter what they tell you. A changed rate applies to invoices you create from then on; issued invoices keep the rate they were issued with.

Numbering

Under Settings > Finance > Numbering you set the prefix and format for invoice, booking and enquiry numbers. Invoice numbers are sequential with no gaps, which is what accountants expect. A draft only carries a temporary number; the real number is given when the invoice is issued, so deleting a draft never leaves a hole in the sequence.

Changes apply to new documents only, and existing invoices are never renumbered. Decide the format before you issue the first invoice and leave it alone after that.

Payment terms and what the client sees

Default Payment Terms sits under Settings > Finance > Invoice automation. A new workspace starts at Net 7. A client with a commercial agreement is billed by the agreement's terms instead, so set the company default for your ordinary clients and record the exceptions on each account client.

How the invoice asks for payment is set in Settings > Documents & client experience > Payment details: Bank details on documents, a Payment Link and a Payment QR Code. Fill in the bank details even if you plan to take cards, because some clients will always pay by transfer.