Consulting invoice
For consultants and small advisory firms billing a client for an engagement over a period. Each line names who did the work and at what rate, which is what client finance teams check against the statement of work, and any retainer on account is applied before the amount due.
- Fields
- 97
- Pages
- 2
- Paper
- Letter
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Reviewed
Before you start
What you need to fill it in
- The engagement name and statement of work or contract number
- The billing period start and end dates
- A time record for each consultant: date, activity, hours and rate
- Any retainer balance to apply to this invoice
- Your firm's tax ID if the client requires it on invoices
- Remittance details for bank transfer
What's inside
97 fields, ready to fill
- 66Typed answersnames, addresses, descriptions
- 15Dateschecked as real dates
- 15Calculatedfill themselves from other fields
- 1Choicescheckboxes, options, dropdowns
7 required — the editor counts down how many are left while you fill.
Instructions
How to fill out the Consulting invoice
- 1
Reference the engagement
Enter the engagement name, SOW or contract number and the client's project sponsor so the invoice reaches the right approver.
- 2
Set the billing period
Enter the first and last day covered. Only include time worked within those dates.
- 3
Enter time by consultant
One line per consultant per activity or day: date, consultant name, a short activity description, hours and that person's rate.
- 4
Apply the retainer
If the client paid a retainer, enter the amount to apply now. The amount due is reduced by it.
- 5
Add remittance details
Fill the remittance block with the account name and bank details or payment portal the client should use.
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What filling it looks like
- Edit & fill, Invite to sign and Create form are three modes of the same editor
- Amounts are formula fields: they calculate as you type
- The field navigator counts what's left and jumps to the next field
Shown with our invoice template. Sample content; names are fictional.
Written for: General (US)
This is a general-purpose template. Check that its terms and fields match your situation and any rules that apply where you use it before you rely on it.
Written by PDFBetter and last reviewed October 15, 2026. Spotted a problem? Tell us.
Consulting invoice: questions people ask
How detailed should activity descriptions be?
Detailed enough that the client can map each line to the scope in the SOW, such as "Stakeholder interviews, finance team" rather than "Meetings".
How does a retainer work on an invoice?
A retainer is money paid in advance and held on account. Each invoice applies part of it, and the remaining retainer balance carries forward.
Can I bill different rates for different consultants?
Yes. The rate is entered on each line, so a partner and an analyst can appear on the same invoice.
Should I include expenses here?
Bill pre-approved expenses as their own lines with "Expense" in the activity and the cost in Rate with 1 in Hours, or use the freelance invoice, which has a separate expenses table.
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