How to Invoice as a Bookkeeper
A step-by-step guide to billing bookkeeping clients: a monthly fee for ongoing work, separate lines for catch-up and extra work, and a clear service period on every invoice.
In the US, the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook (page last modified August 27, 2026) says "Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks compute, classify, and record data to help organizations keep complete and accurate financial records." Freelance and small-firm bookkeepers do that work for clients, and their invoices need to show which period was covered and what was included.
This guide follows a bookkeeping invoice in order: the scope and fee, the monthly invoice, the service period, extra and catch-up work, the hours behind it, costs you pass on, then due dates and follow-up. Ask an accountant whether you need to charge sales tax on your services.
Worked example (sample figures): a client pays a fixed fee of $450.00 a month. In March the bookkeeper also spends 6 hours catching up on February's bank records at $65.00 an hour, or $390.00. The March invoice totals $450.00 + $390.00 = $840.00, with the catch-up hours on their own line. Use your own fee and rate; these are only an illustration.
Step-by-step invoicing guide
- 1
Set the scope and the fee in writing
Say what the monthly fee covers, such as the accounts, the transactions and the reports, and what is billed on top, such as catch-up work or year-end help. Send it for approval. Billed's features page says "Yes your clients can approve or reject your estimates online." and "Convert your estimate to invoice with a single click after getting approval from your client."
- 2
Bill the monthly fee on a schedule
Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once." It adds: "Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
- 3
Name the service period
Write the month or quarter the work covers on every invoice, so the client can match each invoice to a period.
- 4
Put extra work on its own line
Bill catch-up, cleanup or one-off work as separate lines from the monthly fee. Billed's mobile app page says you can "Add line items, your logo, and tax" from your phone. For work billed by the hour: Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." and "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
- 5
Back hourly work with a timesheet
Billed's time tracking page says you can "Create timesheets from the time you and your team have tracked to see how the team is spending its time, and export them when a client or your accountant needs a copy."
- 6
Pass on costs the client agreed to pay
If the client agreed to pay a cost you paid for them, put it on the next invoice. Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." and "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
- 7
Set a due date and follow up
Billed's invoice software page says: "Set a due date on each invoice so your client knows when to pay." Billed's help article on payment reminders says: "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date." and "You can send up to three reminders." Billed's mobile app page says: "Invoices carry a pay button when Stripe or PayPal is connected, so clients can pay by card the minute they receive it."
Tips for bookkeeper invoicing
- Send the monthly invoice on the same day each month, so the client knows when to expect it.
- Say in the scope what happens when the client's volume grows, and when you'll revisit the fee.
- Quote catch-up work separately before you start it, with an estimate of the hours.
- Describe each extra line in a few words, such as which accounts or which months were caught up.
- Keep your own invoices numbered in sequence. Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "Each new invoice number will be one number greater than the previous invoice number."
Common invoicing mistakes to avoid
- Doing catch-up work inside the monthly fee because the scope never said it was extra.
- Sending invoices with no service period, so the client can't tell which month was covered.
- Billing a large block of hours with nothing to show how the time was spent.
- Keeping the same fee for years after the client's volume has grown.
- Paying a cost on the client's behalf and forgetting to bill it.
How this works in Billed
Recurring Monthly Invoices
Billed's invoice software page says: "For clients you bill on a schedule, set up a recurring profile once." It adds: "Choose the billing frequency (daily, weekly, monthly or yearly) and how many invoices to send, or keep sending until you stop."
Hourly Projects
Billed's time tracking page says: "Create an hourly rate project, set its hourly rate, and Billed tracks the charge for each task as you log it." and "From the project dashboard you can invoice one task or several at once."
Timesheets You Can Export
Billed's time tracking page says you can "Create timesheets from the time you and your team have tracked to see how the team is spending its time, and export them when a client or your accountant needs a copy."
Costs on the Next Invoice
Billed's help article on creating an invoice says: "If there are any unbilled expenses of a particular client, you can add these expenses to the client's next invoice." and "The expense will appear as a line item in the invoice."
Payment Reminders
Billed's help article on payment reminders says: "You can set a schedule of payment reminders before and after the invoice's due date." and "You can send up to three reminders."
Frequently asked questions
Start Invoicing With Billed
Set up your account and send your first invoice with Billed.
At a glance
- Ongoing work: a fixed monthly fee, invoiced on a schedule.
- Catch-up or cleanup: hours times your rate, on its own line.
- Proof of hours: an exported timesheet.
- Costs paid on the client's behalf: billed on the following invoice.
When this isn't for you
This guide covers invoicing small-business clients for bookkeeping. For tax preparation or audit work, follow your engagement letter and ask an accountant or lawyer what your state requires.