As a self-employed hairdresser, nail technician, or beauty specialist, you want to focus on your craft. But invoicing comes with the territory. In this article, we explain how to handle it smartly, what needs to be on an invoice, and how to avoid spending hours on administration.
Do you need to send invoices as a hairdresser?
That depends. You're not required to create an invoice for every treatment. Many clients pay by card or cash and don't ask for an invoice. That's fine.
However, you need to be able to prove what you've earned. Tax authorities want to see that your income matches your returns during an audit. A point-of-sale system or payment system that automatically records transactions is sufficient.
If you send invoices to business clients, such as for makeup at a photoshoot or wedding, an official invoice is necessary. Business clients often need that invoice for their own administration.
What needs to be on an invoice?
An invoice must meet certain legal requirements:
Your details – Your name or business name, address, and business registration number.
Client details – Name and address of the client. For individuals, you can keep this limited; for business clients, the full address is required.
Invoice date – The date you send the invoice.
Unique invoice number – Each invoice gets a sequential number. For example: 2025-001, 2025-002, and so on.
Description – What did you provide? "Women's haircut" or "Gel nail treatment" is sufficient.
Amount – The total amount. If you charge VAT, you list the amount excluding VAT, the VAT amount, and the total including VAT.
VAT number – Only if you're VAT-registered.
Payment terms – Within how many days should the client pay? Standard is 14 or 30 days.
Your bank account number – So the client knows where to pay.
Are you VAT exempt? Then no VAT on your invoice
If your annual revenue stays under €20,000, you may qualify for small business VAT exemptions. You won't charge VAT to your clients and won't need to file VAT returns. Read more about the benefits of the small business scheme.
This makes invoicing much simpler and your prices more attractive for individual clients.
How do you create invoices?
You have several options:
Manually in Word or Excel – Possible, but error-prone and time-consuming. You need to track which numbers you've used yourself.
Invoicing software – Software like Moneybird or e-Boekhouden automatically generates invoice numbers, tracks your revenue, and sends reminders for unpaid invoices.
Through your booking system – Some appointment systems automatically create an invoice when a client pays. This is the easiest option because you don't have to do anything manually.
Linking invoicing to your booking system
This is where it gets really smart. If you use a booking system that directly connects to your invoicing or accounting, you save enormous amounts of time.
With Bookura, it works like this: a client books online, pays directly or after the treatment, and the invoice is automatically created. Connect Bookura to Moneybird, and the invoice immediately appears in your bookkeeping. No retyping needed.
No more sending separate payment requests. No keeping receipts. No remembering invoice numbers. Everything happens automatically. Want to learn more about salon accounting?
When do you send an invoice?
For individual clients who pay directly, you don't need to send an invoice by default. The payment through your POS system or payment terminal is proof enough.
But in these cases, an invoice is useful or required:
Business clients – They need an invoice for their administration.
Clients who ask – Some individuals want an invoice for their own records.
Larger amounts – For an expensive treatment or package, an invoice is more professional.
Gift cards or prepayments – An invoice is useful to document what was sold.
Common mistakes when invoicing
No unique invoice numbers – Each invoice must have a unique number. Using the same number twice is not allowed.
Forgetting VAT or calculating it wrong – If you're VAT-registered, you need to charge the appropriate VAT on your treatments. Check that this is correct.
Not keeping records – Even if you don't send invoices, you need to be able to prove your income. A POS system or payment overview is essential.
Invoicing too late – Send invoices as soon as possible after the treatment. The longer you wait, the greater the chance you'll forget or the client won't remember what it's about.
Tips for faster invoicing
Use fixed treatment prices – If every haircut costs the same, you don't have to think about the amount each time.
Automate – Choose software that automatically creates invoices based on your bookings or payments.
Send digitally – Invoices by email are faster than printing and mailing. Most clients expect this too.
Create a standard template – If you do invoice manually, make a template that you only need to fill in.
Conclusion
Invoicing as a hairdresser or beauty professional doesn't have to be time-consuming. With the right software and a good connection between your bookings and accounting, it happens almost automatically. Make sure your invoices meet legal requirements, automate where possible, and spend your time on what you're good at: your clients.
Want invoicing to happen automatically? Try Bookura for free and connect it to your accounting software.
