Accounting and invoicing for photographers
Shoot, selection, editing, delivery: photographers sell time, skill and usage rights, all in one invoice that clients understand. Saldiqo takes you from the quote through the deposit to the paid invoice and keeps camera, lenses and lighting in your asset register.
What comes up for photographers
Fees and usage rights
An invoice usually has several parts: the shoot, editing, usage rights, travel. Clients want to see what they pay for.
Dates with a deposit
Weddings, events and corporate jobs are booked long ahead. A deposit secures the date, the final invoice follows after delivery.
Expensive equipment
Camera, lenses, flashes, computers and software are a big item. Writing them off over their useful life spreads your taxable profit more evenly.
Working on location
Travel, hotel, rented equipment and meals arise where you shoot. The receipts belong to the billing.
How Saldiqo helps
- Quote with line itemsFee, editing, usage rights and travel as separate lines. The client sees what costs what.
- Deposit and final invoiceFrom the quote you create the deposit invoice. The final invoice deducts the deposit automatically.
- Receipts and travel costsPhotograph the receipt with your phone and capture it as an expense, with a cost centre for the project if you want to look at jobs separately.
- Time tracking for editingIf you bill by effort, you record the time and create the invoice line from the hours.
- Match paymentsUpload the bank statement and Saldiqo recognises paid invoices. Whoever does not pay gets a reminder.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Wedding coverage, 8 hours
- Image editing, 120 selected images
- Usage rights, web and print, one year
- Travel, mileage allowance
- Studio hire for one day
- Deposit for the shoot on 21 May
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 show usage rights as a separate line?
Yes. You create the service as its own item and add it to the quote or invoice. The client sees what they pay for.
How do I bill deposits?
You write the quote, create the deposit invoice from it and later the final invoice. It deducts the deposit that was paid.
Can I depreciate equipment?
In Germany yes: Saldiqo keeps an asset register and calculates the depreciation. For other countries you record the purchase as an expense and clear the depreciation with your tax adviser.
Do photographers 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 photographers 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 photographers 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.