Accounting and invoicing for branding agencies
Brand strategy, naming, logo, corporate design and style guide: a branding agency bills in phases and delivers rights. Saldiqo splits the project into stage invoices, runs the final invoice and records licences for fonts and photos as expenses.
What comes up for branding agencies
Projects in phases
Analysis, strategy, design, artwork, style guide: each phase is signed off and partly paid.
Rights and licences
The client gets usage rights, the agency buys fonts and photos with its own licences.
Long payment terms
Large brands pay after 30, 60 or 90 days. Until then the invoices have to stay in view.
How Saldiqo helps
- Stage invoices by phaseQuote with phases, stage invoices straight from it, final invoice deducts them.
- Rights as a lineUsage rights with duration and territory as a separate line.
- Record licencesLicence and stock costs as expenses with the project’s cost centre.
- Reminders on long termsKeep open invoices in view and send a payment reminder with one click.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Brand strategy and positioning, phase 1
- Logo and corporate design, phase 2
- Style guide and artwork, phase 3
- Usage rights, unlimited in time and territory
- Font licence re-invoiced as per receipt
- Stage invoice 30 % on commissioning
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
How do I bill a project in phases?
With a quote, stage invoices per phase and a final invoice that deducts the stages.
How do I handle licences?
You record the receipt as an expense with the project’s cost centre and re-invoice it if needed.
Do branding 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 branding 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 branding 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.
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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.