To invoice a year after doing the work

31 replies

meganorks · 25/01/2024 13:48

I'm doing my tax returns. I have just realised that I haven't invoiced for a project I did that equates to c. £1500k! I'm so embarrased. Should I contact them? Do you think they would pay me now? Its a fairly small company.

I think it got missed as I had various other projects for the other same client so somehow I have missed it. To clarify - All the work I have done is for the same company but they have various clients. I had 3 projects at the same sort of time for the same one of their clients. I tend to invoice a few projects at a time if I have several on, rather than 1 for every individual project.

It was at the end of the last tax year. The amount would put me over the tax free amount. I am under otherwise. So maybe I should work out how much I will actually get.

YABU - It's your mistake it is too late to invoice now
YANBU - You've done the work and therefore you are owed the money

OP posts:

Mercedes45 · 25/01/2024 14:45

meganorks · 25/01/2024 13:57

I don't think they will have an issue with being able to pay, but not sure whether they will or not. I know the owner and his business partner well. I imagine the owner will say 'Well that's meganorks' fault! I'm not paying now!' I think the business partner will be more sympathetic and say they should pay up without any questions
What an idiot 😳

That's not a thing ie your fault so not paying. I work in accounts. It happens all the time that people miss an invoice. I'm not going to chase it but when it comes in, I need to pay it. I get hounded too if its not paid immediately. Nothing to be embarrassed about

Original poster

meganorks · 25/01/2024 16:56

ruffler45 · 25/01/2024 14:36

"£1500k" do you mean £1500 or £1,500,000?

Bit of difference hopefully it is £1500, if the people know they ordered and have had the work done they should have budgeted for it , unless they had planned to scam you. Invoice it and keep better tracking in future.

Edited

Yes, only £1500. I would like to think i would remember to invoice £1,500000, but who knows?!

OP posts:

billycorn · 25/01/2024 17:21

I own/operate a small business and personally think it’s very bad form to invoice after such a long time lapse. It’s all well and good if it’s within a legal timeframe but professionally I wouldn’t invoice a client after such a long time. I appreciate it might be industry specific.

Canonlythinkofthisone · 25/01/2024 17:31

Where I work we still send (and pay) invoices up to 4 years after goods have moved. As long as we know we were expecting it at some point.
Deffo invoice them

PuppyMonkey · 25/01/2024 17:42

I’d invoice it, maybe you could send it saying “just checking my email records and I think this invoice somehow got stuck in my drafts emails folder and it never actually reached you.”

(Our emails at work are always getting stuck in drafts and not going where they need to, so this is entirely believable imho).

AlisonDonut · 26/01/2024 09:19

PuppyMonkey · 25/01/2024 17:42

I’d invoice it, maybe you could send it saying “just checking my email records and I think this invoice somehow got stuck in my drafts emails folder and it never actually reached you.”

(Our emails at work are always getting stuck in drafts and not going where they need to, so this is entirely believable imho).

The problem with lying is that the invoice number would be numerically out of sync.

It really is quite common for things to come out in audits, thats why we do audits.

It is easier to just send the invoice than make up reasons.

Flip

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