Invoicing Guide

1 When to Invoice a Client

Invoicing is triggered when a case reaches the End of Engagement Review stage in the Case Management Pipeline. When this happens, an automated workflow (WF10) creates a task assigned to Ruby Campbell to generate the invoice.

The Automated Trigger

1. The case owner moves an opportunity to the "End of Engagement Review" stage in the Case Management Pipeline.
2. Workflow WF10 fires automatically and creates a task: "Generate Final Invoice", assigned to Ruby.
3. Ruby receives a notification and can find the task under Contacts > Tasks in GHL.
4. Ruby looks up the opportunity to find the agreed fee, then creates the invoice manually in GHL.

Other Invoicing Scenarios

While End of Engagement Review is the primary trigger, you may also need to invoice in these situations:

• Monthly retainer billing — recurring invoices for ongoing case management (use GHL's recurring invoice feature)
• Ad-hoc services — when Charles or another advisor requests an invoice for additional work
• Partial billing — when a case fee is split across milestones

2 Navigating to the Invoices Section

Step-by-Step Navigation

1. Log in to GoHighLevel at app.gohighlevel.com.
2. Make sure you are in the VATable sub-account (check the top-left corner—it should show "VATable, Sheffield, England").
3. In the left sidebar, click Payments (it has a credit card icon and sits below "Opportunities").
4. You will land on the Invoices & Estimates tab by default. This is the invoices dashboard.

The GHL Invoices Dashboard — showing summary cards (Draft, Due, Received, Overdue) and the invoice list below.

Payments Sub-Navigation Tabs

The top bar of the Payments section has multiple tabs. Here is what each one does:

3 Creating a New Invoice

Follow these steps to create a new invoice from scratch.

1. Click the "+ New" button
   On the Invoices dashboard (Payments > Invoices & Estimates), click the blue "+ New" button in the top-right corner. A dropdown may appear — select "Invoice" (not "Estimate" or "Recurring Invoice" unless creating a monthly retainer).
2. Set the Invoice Name
   Enter a descriptive name. Use the naming convention:
   [Case Type] - [Client Name] - [Month/Year]
   Examples: "VAT Review - Smith Ltd - Mar 2026", "TTP Agreement - John Doe - Q1 2026"
3. Select the Customer (Contact)
   Click the "Customer" field and search for the client by name. Select the correct contact from the dropdown. This links the invoice to their contact record.
4. Set the Issue Date
   The issue date defaults to today. Adjust if needed (e.g., if backdating to match engagement end date).
5. Set the Due Date / Payment Terms
   Choose your payment terms:
   • Due on receipt — for one-time payments
   • Net 14 — due 14 days from issue (standard for VATable)
   • Net 30 — due 30 days from issue
   • Custom date — set a specific due date
6. Add Line Items
   Click "Add Item" to add service line items. For each item enter:

   Item Name

   Description of the service (e.g., "VAT Investigation - Professional Fees")

   Description

   Optional detail (e.g., "As per engagement letter dated 15/01/2026")

   Rate

   The agreed fee amount (look this up from the opportunity — see Section 4)

   Quantity

   Usually 1, unless billing multiple units

   Tax

   Add VAT at 20% if applicable (VATable is VAT-registered)

7. Add Additional Line Items (if needed)
   For complex cases you may need multiple line items, such as:
   • Professional fees (main service)
   • Disbursements (e.g., HMRC penalties paid on behalf)
   • Monthly management fee
8. Add Notes or Terms
   Scroll down to add:
   • Notes to client — e.g., "Thank you for choosing VATable"
   • Terms & Conditions — payment terms, late payment interest notice
9. Review the Invoice Total
   Check the subtotal, tax (if applied), and total at the bottom. Verify it matches the agreed fee from the opportunity.
10. Save as Draft or Send
    Click "Save" to save as a draft (you can review and send later), or proceed directly to send it to the client.

4 Finding Fee Information on the Opportunity

Before creating an invoice, you need to know the agreed fee. This information lives on the Opportunity record in the Case Management Pipeline.

How to Look Up the Fee

1. Go to Opportunities
   Click Opportunities in the left sidebar.
2. Select the Case Management Pipeline
   Use the pipeline dropdown at the top to switch to "Case Management Pipeline". Look for the opportunity in the "End of Engagement Review" stage.
3. Open the Opportunity
   Click the opportunity card to open it. The opportunity detail panel will slide in from the right.
4. Check the Monetary Value
   The monetary value field on the opportunity shows the total agreed fee. This is the amount you should invoice.
5. Check Custom Fields
   Look for these custom fields which may contain additional fee details:

   Monetary Value

   The total case fee (e.g., £2,500.00)

   Per Month For

   Monthly payment amount if on a payment plan (use for recurring invoices)

   Engagement Expiry Date

   When the engagement ends (field ID: lUccKbEHj5ZnmW1wXtFj)

6. Cross-reference the Engagement Letter
   If in doubt about the fee, check the engagement letter under the contact's Documents & Contracts section, or ask the case owner (the advisor assigned to the opportunity).

The Pipelines list — select "Case Management Pipeline" to find opportunities at the End of Engagement Review stage.

5 Sending the Invoice to the Client

Once the invoice is created and saved as a draft, you can send it to the client via email directly from GHL.

1. Navigate to the Invoice
   Go to Payments > Invoices & Estimates. Find your invoice in the list (it will show as DRAFT).
2. Open the Invoice
   Click on the invoice name to open it.
3. Preview the Invoice
   Review the invoice one final time. Check the client name, amount, line items, and due date are all correct.
4. Click "Send"
   Click the "Send" button. GHL will present a send dialog.
5. Confirm the Recipient Email
   The client's email address should auto-populate from their contact record. Verify it is correct. You can also add CC recipients if needed (e.g., the case owner).
6. Customise the Email Message (Optional)
   GHL includes a default email template. You can customise the subject line and body text. Suggested subject: "Invoice [INV-XXXXXX] from VATable - [Service Description]"
7. Send the Invoice
   Click "Send" to dispatch the invoice. The status will change from DRAFT to SENT.

6 Checking Payment Status

You can monitor all invoice statuses from the main invoices dashboard.

Dashboard Summary Cards

At the top of the Invoices page, four summary cards show your current invoice status at a glance:

Filtering and Searching

1. Date range filter: Use the "Start Date" and "End Date" fields to filter invoices by issue date.
2. Search: Use the search box to find invoices by name, number, or customer.
3. Filters button: Click "Filters" to filter by status (Draft, Sent, Overdue, Paid, etc.).
4. Export: Click the download icon next to Filters to export invoices as CSV for accounting records.

Invoice List Columns

7 Recording a Payment

When a client pays via bank transfer (BACS) or other offline methods, you need to manually record the payment in GHL so the invoice status updates correctly.

1. Open the Invoice
   Navigate to Payments > Invoices & Estimates and click on the invoice you need to mark as paid.
2. Click "Record Payment"
   Look for the "Record Payment" button (or the three-dot menu > "Record Payment"). This is available on sent or overdue invoices.
3. Enter Payment Details

   Amount

   The amount received. Can be the full amount or a partial payment.

   Payment Date

   The date the payment was received (check bank statement).

   Payment Method

   Select: Bank Transfer / Cash / Cheque / Other.

   Notes

   Optional. Add a reference (e.g., bank reference number, "BACS received 15/03").

4. Save the Payment
   Click "Save" or "Record". The invoice status will update:
   • If full amount: Status changes to PAID
   • If partial amount: Status changes to PARTIALLY PAID

8 Invoice Statuses Explained

Every invoice in GHL has a status that reflects where it is in its lifecycle:

Current VATable Invoice Snapshot

As of 18 March 2026, the invoicing dashboard shows:

9 Invoicing Best Practices & Naming Conventions

Invoice Naming Convention

Use a consistent naming format so invoices are easy to identify at a glance:

Reference Numbers

GHL auto-generates invoice numbers (INV-000001, INV-000002, etc.). You do not need to create your own reference numbers. However, if your accountant requires a separate reference, you can add it in the invoice notes field.

Checklist Before Sending an Invoice

1. Client name correct? — Double-check the contact is the right person/business.
2. Amount matches engagement letter? — Cross-reference the opportunity monetary value.
3. Line item descriptions are clear? — The client should understand what they are paying for.
4. VAT applied correctly? — 20% VAT if the service is VAT-applicable.
5. Due date is reasonable? — Standard is Net 14 or Net 30.
6. Invoice name follows convention? — [Case Type] - [Client Name] - [Period].
7. Client email address is correct? — Verify before sending.

Monthly Reconciliation

At the end of each month, review the invoices dashboard to:

• Identify all OVERDUE invoices and follow up
• Record any offline payments received (BACS transfers)
• Export the invoice list as CSV for the accountant (click the download icon)
• Review draft invoices that need to be sent or deleted
• Check the Transactions tab for a complete payment history

10 Troubleshooting & FAQs

Q: The client says they did not receive the invoice email

A: This is likely caused by the email deliverability issue. The GHL sending domain is vatables.co (with an S), which does not match the business domain vatable.co. Ask the client to check their spam/junk folder. As a workaround, you can:

• Download the invoice as PDF and email it manually from your @vatable.co email
• Send a payment link via SMS (Text2Pay)
• Ask Charles to fix the sending domain in GHL Settings

Q: Can I edit an invoice after sending it?

A: Yes, but only if the invoice has not been paid. Open the invoice and click "Edit". If a partial payment has been recorded, you can still edit the remaining line items but cannot reduce the total below the amount already paid.

Q: How do I void/cancel an invoice?

A: Click the three-dot menu (…) next to the invoice in the list and select "Void". This marks the invoice as cancelled without deleting it, preserving your audit trail. Do not delete invoices as this removes the record entirely.

Q: How do I create a credit note?

A: GHL does not have a dedicated credit note feature. To issue a refund or credit, create a new invoice with a negative line item amount, or void the original invoice and create a new one with the corrected amount. Document the reason in the notes field.

Q: Where do I find the "Invoicing Pipeline"?

A: There is a separate "Invoicing Pipeline" visible in the Opportunities > Pipelines list (4 stages, last updated 18 Mar 2026). This may be used for tracking invoice status as opportunities. Check with Charles about whether this pipeline is actively used or if it duplicates the Payments > Invoices functionality.

Q: Can the invoice be created automatically when a case reaches End of Engagement Review?

A: Not currently. The GHL Invoice API returns 403/500 errors when called programmatically. The automated workflow (WF10) creates a task for Ruby to manually create the invoice. If GHL fixes the API in the future, this process can be automated.

Q: How do I set up online payments (Stripe/PayPal)?

A: Go to Payments > Integrations and connect your Stripe or PayPal account. Once connected, invoices will include a "Pay Now" button that allows clients to pay online with a credit/debit card. This needs to be set up by Charles or an admin.