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Free Consulting Invoice Template

Fees and expenses in separate sections with their own subtotals, the engagement named in the side column, and nothing a finance team would have to ask about.

Invoice

INV-0042

Engagement

Q3 operations review

Amount due

$8,198.40

Due Oct 31, 2026

Description HoursRate Amount
Professional fees
Operations review and analysis 24$225.00 $5,400.00
Stakeholder interviews, eight sessions 10$225.00 $2,250.00
Professional fees subtotal$7,650.00
Expenses
Travel — Boston to Cambridge, two site days 1$486.40 $486.40
Report printing and binding 1$62.00 $62.00
Expenses subtotal$548.40
Subtotal
$8,198.40
Total USD
$8,198.40

Notes

Receipts for expenses are attached.

Ruth Avery ConsultingInvoice INV-0042
Example

Ruth Avery Consulting invoicing Northgate Health Partners. Your own details replace these as you type.

Who it is for

Consulting clients usually book fees and reimbursable expenses to different budget lines, and their accounts payable team needs to see them apart. A single list mixing a strategy workshop with a train ticket gets sent back.

This template divides the invoice into Professional fees and Expenses, each subtotalled. Fees show hours and an hourly rate; expenses are listed at cost. The engagement name, your details and the payment terms sit in a ruled side column in Garamond, which reads as the formal document it is.

It suits management and operations consultants, advisers, coaches, interim executives and independent researchers. For retainers billed as a headline amount, the Executive template is an alternative.

What to include

What to put on a consulting invoice

Engagement
The engagement or statement of work it falls under: “Q3 operations review”. Add the PO or contract reference if there is one.
Professional fees
Each activity with hours and rate: analysis, interviews, workshops, reporting. Day rates work too: days as quantity.
Expenses
Travel, accommodation, materials or third-party costs, at cost, with the date or destination. Say receipts are attached.
Period
The dates the invoice covers, in the engagement name or the notes, for monthly or phase billing.
Tax ID
Your tax or VAT number where clients need it; in the US, a client may ask for a W-9 before the first payment.
Payment terms
Net 30 is common for corporate clients. Give wire or ACH details in full.

How to fill it in

From this page to a PDF.

  1. 01

    Open the example

    Customize this invoice opens a consulting invoice with fees and expenses in the generator.

  2. 02

    Fees, then expenses

    Add each activity under Professional fees with its hours, then each cost under Expenses. Subtotals appear when a section has more than one line.

  3. 03

    Name the engagement

    Enter the engagement and any PO number. Choose terms; the due date follows.

  4. 04

    Attach receipts and send

    Download the PDF and send it with the expense receipts to accounts payable.

Customize this invoice

Questions

Should consulting expenses be on the same invoice as fees?

They can be, as long as they are clearly separated. This template puts them in their own section with a subtotal, which is what most finance teams ask for. Some clients prefer a separate expense invoice; follow their process.

Should I bill hourly or a day rate?

Bill the way your proposal priced the work. For a day rate, enter days as the quantity and your day rate as the rate; the column heading still reads Hours, so say “days” in the description.

Do I mark up expenses?

Usually not; consulting expenses are commonly billed at cost with receipts. If your contract allows an administrative fee, show it as its own line.

How do I invoice a retainer?

One line for the period (“Advisory retainer — October”) with a quantity of 1. Add any work outside the retainer as separate fee lines.

Related templates

Other templates to try.

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Guides & tools

Guides and tools for this invoice.

  1. GuideHow to invoice a clientInvoicing starts before the work does. How to set terms, time your invoices, make paying easy, and handle a late payment without damaging the relationship.
  2. GuideHow to write an invoiceThe words on an invoice decide how quickly it is approved. How to write line items, terms, notes and the covering email, with examples.
  3. GuideWhat to put on an invoiceThe ten things every invoice needs, the extras that some clients and tax rules require, and what to leave off.
  4. ToolInvoice tax calculatorPrice, discount, tax, shipping and deposit in; subtotal, tax, total and balance due out, exactly as the invoice will show them.

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Your consultant invoice, in three minutes.

Open the example in the generator, put in your own details and download the PDF. Your business details are remembered for next time.

Customize this invoice