How to create and send an invoice in BuilderDash

Every invoice you raise lives in one place, so you can see at a glance what's been sent, what's been paid, and what's overdue. You choose the tax treatment that applies to each job - reverse charge VAT, CIS or retention - and BuilderDash does the maths for the options you pick.

Create and send an invoice

1. Open Invoices and select New invoice.
2. Choose the client and, if you like, link it to a job. Both can be set or changed later. Select Create draft to open the invoice.
3. Add your lines: for each one set a category (labour, material and so on), a description, quantity, unit and price. The running totals update as you go.
4. If the invoice is for an accepted quote, use the option to pull the quote's lines straight in at their sell prices instead of typing them out again. Grouped or bundled quote items arrive as a single combined line, and if the invoice wasn't already linked to that quote, the link is created automatically. You can still edit, add or delete lines afterwards. You can also start from Convert to invoice on the quote - see How to create and send a quote.
5. Tick any tax options that apply - reverse charge VAT, CIS deduction or retention - and the totals adjust automatically.
6. When you're happy with it, select Send invoice. This gives the invoice its number, marks it as sent and sets the issue and due dates. If the client has no billing address yet, you'll be asked to add one first, because every invoice carries one.
7. When money arrives, select Record payment and enter the amount, the date, the method (such as bank transfer) and an optional reference. Record each part-payment the same way until the balance reaches zero.

Invoice statuses

An invoice moves from Draft to Sent, then Part-paid or Paid depending on the payments you record. It's flagged as Overdue automatically once its due date has passed with a balance still owing. It can be marked as Void, and reopened back to Draft if needed. The invoice list groups everything by status with a count for each.

Every payment you record is added up: once the total paid covers the amount due the invoice flips to Paid, and if some has been paid but not all of it, it shows as Part-paid. The balance shown is simply the amount due minus what's been paid.

Due dates and references

• The due date defaults to the issue date plus a payment term in days. If the client has their own default term set on their contact record, that's used; otherwise your workspace default payment terms apply (7 days out of the box). You can always override the due date on the invoice itself.
• Invoice numbers are given automatically when you send an invoice, using an INV prefix followed by the next number in your sequence. Drafts don't have a number yet, so abandoned drafts never leave gaps.
• If you don't type a reference on the invoice, it takes the job's client PO reference automatically - handy when you're starting from a quote that didn't have one.
• An invoice can be tied to both a job and a quote, and these links are shown on the invoice and in the list so you can trace the money back to the work.

VAT, CIS deductions and retention

• VAT is added at the set rate unless you turn on reverse charge, where the customer accounts for the VAT instead.
• CIS, when switched on, is deducted from the labour lines only.
• Retention, when switched on, holds back a percentage of the net total.
• The amount due is your net total plus VAT, less any CIS deduction and retention.

You choose which options apply to each invoice. BuilderDash applies the maths, but it doesn't decide whether reverse charge, CIS or retention applies to a particular job - check with your accountant if you're unsure.

Sync invoices with Xero

If your workspace is connected to Xero, each invoice is pushed across automatically when you send it.

• Each invoice is matched to the right Xero contact using a stored link rather than by name, so Xero doesn't end up with duplicate contacts. The link is saved the first time a client's invoice is pushed and reused after that.
• Standard-rate invoices post with output VAT at your set rate, while reverse charge and zero-rated invoices post with no VAT.
• Any CIS deduction or retention held back is added as its own line, so the total in Xero matches what your client sees on the invoice.

Who can do what

Anyone whose role lets them create and manage invoices can build and send invoices and record payments. Voiding an invoice or deleting one is limited to Owners and Office Admins. Only a draft that hasn't been sent can be deleted - once an invoice has its number it can be voided but not deleted, so your numbering stays complete.

The Invoices list shows your total outstanding across all unpaid invoices, and warns you when any are overdue.