Accounting and invoicing for agencies
Pitch won, project started, freelancer hired, media budget spent: an agency bills in projects and needs income and expenses for every project. Saldiqo takes you from the quote through stage invoices to the final invoice and shows what is left per project.
What comes up for agencies
Projects instead of single invoices
Concept, delivery, rounds of changes, sign-off: a project runs for months and is billed in stages. In the end everything has to match the quote.
Re-invoicing third-party costs
Print, media budget, stock images, freelancers: you advance costs and bill them to the client. Without allocation you do not know at the end of the project what was earned.
Retainers and flat fees
Ongoing care is billed monthly. The invoice repeats, but the payment still has to be checked.
Team and tax adviser
Several people in the agency work with invoices. Who may see and change what should be clearly regulated.
How Saldiqo helps
- Stages and final invoiceYou issue milestones as stage or part invoices straight from the quote. The final invoice deducts them automatically.
- Cost centre per client or projectAssign invoices, expenses and receipts to a project and see in the report what it brings in and costs.
- Record third-party costsYou record receipts and invoices from service providers as expenses with the same cost centre as the project.
- Retainer as a recurring invoiceThe monthly invoice is created on a fixed date without writing it each time.
- Roles in the teamTeam members and tax adviser get their own logins with their own rights.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Concept and strategy, flat fee
- Campaign delivery, milestone 2 of 3
- Re-invoiced print costs as per receipt
- Freelancer fee, passed through
- Retainer for November
- Rounds of changes by effort, hours
Tax and invoicing in Ireland
What applies to invoices in Ireland, in short. As of October 2026.
- VAT
- Standard rate 23 %, reduced rates 13.5 % and 9 %, 4.8 % for livestock, and 0 %. Since 1 July 2026 a 9 % rate applies to restaurants, catering, hot takeaway food and hairdressing, excluding alcohol and soft drinks.
- VAT registration
- Registration is required above €42,500 a year for services and above €85,000 for goods, if at least 90 % of turnover comes from goods. Saldiqo leaves VAT off your invoices while you are below the threshold and shows how much room is left.
- What goes on an invoice
- Registered businesses show their VAT number. Sole traders and partnerships providing services show their tax reference number, or their full name and address, on invoices and receipts of €7 or more (section 885 TCA). Companies show their name, CRO number and registered office, and directors’ details on letters, order forms and the website.
- Invoice timing
- Issue a VAT invoice within 15 days after the end of the month in which the supply took place.
- E-invoicing
- From 1 November 2028 every business must be able to receive e-invoices. Issuing is phased in: first for suppliers to large corporates, from November 2029 for businesses trading B2B within the EU, and from 1 July 2030 under the EU VAT in the Digital Age rules. A PDF does not count as an e-invoice, and the technical specifications are not yet published.
- VAT returns
- VAT3 returns are filed every two months through ROS, by the 19th of the following month, or the 23rd when you file online through ROS. Saldiqo does not file returns, your accountant or ROS does.
- Record keeping
- Keep records for 6 years, longer while a review is open.
- Late payment
- Interest on late business payments is the ECB main refinancing rate (2.40 % in the second half of 2026) plus 8 points, so 10.40 %, plus fixed compensation of €40, €70 or €100 depending on the amount owed.
- Getting paid
- IBAN and BIC are on every invoice, plus a SEPA QR code (EPC) for banking apps that can read it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bill projects with stage invoices?
Yes. You create stage or part invoices straight from the quote. The final invoice deducts them.
How do I see whether a project makes a profit?
With cost centres. You assign invoices and expenses to a project and see the report per cost centre.
Are there roles for my team?
Yes. You invite team members and your tax adviser with their own logins and their own rights.
Do agencies in Ireland have to charge VAT?
Once they are registered, yes. Registration is required from the sale that takes turnover over €42,500 a year for services or €85,000 for goods, where at least 90 % of turnover comes from goods. Below those limits Saldiqo leaves VAT off your invoices.
Do agencies in Ireland need e-invoicing?
Not yet. From 1 November 2028 every business must be able to receive e-invoices. The duty to issue them phases in from the same date for suppliers to large corporates and later for more businesses. PDF invoices do not count as e-invoices.
How long should agencies keep invoices?
Keep records for 6 years, longer while a review is open. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records stays with you.
Try Saldiqo for free
Write invoices, match payments, collect receipts and send reminders: free and without a trial period.
Start for freeThis page for other countries
Niches in this industry
More industries
As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.