Disclaimer

Solo Paperwork is not an accounting firm, a law firm or a customs broker, and nothing here is professional advice. Reading this site does not create a client relationship. The explanations are written to be generally accurate for a typical US freelancer or small business — which is not the same as being correct for you.

Whether a service is subject to sales tax, whether labour is taxable, what a contractor invoice must disclose, how goods are classified for customs, and what a late fee may legally be all vary by state and by country. Several of them also change from one year to the next.

Where something depends on a rule, the page cites the primary source it came from and the date it was last checked. If the date is old or the link is dead, treat the figure as stale and verify it before relying on it.

The examples on each page use real arithmetic and realistic rates, but the businesses in them are invented and the tax treatments shown are the common case rather than a universal one. They exist to show how a form is meant to be filled in — not to tell you what your own invoice should say.

Talk to a qualified accountant, attorney or licensed customs broker when the answer turns on your circumstances and being wrong is expensive. In particular:

• Whether you must register for, collect and remit sales tax
• How much to set aside for self-employment and income tax, and when to pay it
• What lien notice wording your state requires on a contractor invoice
• How your goods are classified and valued for customs, and what duty applies
• Whether a contract term is enforceable where you and your client are located

A template is a structure, not a guarantee that a document is complete or compliant for your use. Read what you are sending before you send it, and have anything with legal consequence reviewed.

If something here is wrong or out of date, email node.woodrow@gmail.com. Corrections are welcome and get fixed quickly. See also the terms of use.