In this article you'll find a step-by-step guide for creating and managing invoices in Solo. If you're still unsure about anything or have questions, please feel free to send us a message using the in-app chat.

1. Set up your invoices

The first step is to configure your invoice settings. This will customise your invoices to your business and save you time from reentering business information each time you create a new invoice. To set up your invoices:

Go to the Invoices page.
Click on Invoice settings link in the top right of the page.

Here's a brief overview of Solo's invoice settings and how each one effects your invoices:

Business details

These details will be displayed on each invoice you create. Any edits you make to the business details will only be applied to new invoices or when editing old invoices.

Name: The name of your business or your name if you don't have a business name.
Address: Your business address. This could be your home address if you operate your business from home. Some companies will require that you display an address on your invoice in order to pay you.
Email: Your business email address.
Phone: Your business phone number.
GST Number: The GST number for your business. As a sole trader this is likely your personal GST number. A GST number only needs to be displayed if you are GST registered.
Bank name: The name of the bank where you want the invoice paid to.
Bank account number: The number of the bank account that the invoice total should be paid into.

Invoice details

Due days: The default number of days before an invoice becomes due. E.g. '30' days from the date the invoice is created. You can still manually set the due date when creating or editing an invoice.
Customer note: The customer note will be shown by default when creating a new invoice. You can also edit the note when creating or editing an invoice.
Logo: Your business logo which will be displayed on your invoices. A logo is optional and the recommended image size is 600 x 400 pixels. Solo accepts JPG, JPEG, or PNG formats with a max file size of 2MB.

2. Create an invoice

Now that you're all set up you can begin creating invoices:

Go to the Invoices page.
Click the Create an invoice button.

The form will then appear to create an new invoice. The invoice options are:

Client: Select an existing client to address the invoice to. Or click the 'Create New Client' option in the dropdown to add a new client.
Date: This date will appear on the invoice as the 'Issued' date. By default today's date will be used but you can set any date you need.
Due date: This date will appear on the invoice as the 'Due' date. It will be automatically suggested based on the 'Due days' option in your Invoice settings, however you can adjust this date as needed.
Invoice number: A unique number to identify the invoice. E.g. 'INV2303'. The number of the last invoice you created will be shown as a placeholder to help you remember your invoicing sequence.
Enable GST: If enabled, GST will be added to the invoice. If disabled, then GST will not be calculated on the invoice. GST is calculated based on the invoice subtotal and not each line item. This is the correct way to invoice. Even if you are including GST exclusive expenses in your invoice, if you are GST registered then GST still needs to be applied to the entire invoice. The GST you collect on the invoice will be claimed back when you file your next GST return.
Description: A short description of the product/service/item that you are invoicing for.
Quantity: The quantity of the product/service/item. This could be the number of products or hours worked.
Unit price: The price of a single product/item, or your hourly rate for the service.
Subtotal: The subtotal is automatically calculated based on the quantity multiplied by the unit price.
Add row: This button will add another line item to your invoice. You can add as many rows as you need. You can also delete rows by clicking on the trash icon at the right end of the row. To reorder a row click on the 3 vertical dots at the left end of the row and drag the row into the new position.
Customer note: If you need to add any additional instructions to the client, such as payment instructions, you can add them to the customer note. The customer note that you created in your invoice settings will be displayed here by default, but you can still edit the note per invoice.

3. Click the Save button to save the invoice.

4. Click Download PDF to download a copy of the invoice to your computer.

5. Open your email program and email the invoice to your client.

That's it. Simply repeat the steps above to create as many invoices as you need.

What happens after an invoice is created?

After an invoice has been saved it will appear in the table on the Invoices page and be given a default status of 'Unpaid'. Remember to download the invoice PDF and email it to your client. Invoices can be edited at any time by clicking on the Invoice ID.

Note: Invoices are currently separate from Solo's income and tax calculations. To include income in Solo you need to categorise a transaction or connect your IRD account (for schedular payments). Learn more.

Invoices have four statuses to help you manage your invoices. Which status you choose will also determine how the invoice is displayed in the Invoices figure on the Solo dashboard:

Draft: Invoices that are not yet ready to be sent. Draft invoices will not be displayed in the Invoices figure on the Solo dashboard.
Unpaid: New invoices are set to 'Unpaid' by default. Unpaid invoices are included in the Invoices figure on the dashboard. When an unpaid invoice passes it's due date, the invoice amount will also be displayed in the 'Overdue' figure on the dashboard.
Paid: When an invoice is paid, change it's status to 'Paid'. The invoice amount will then be removed from the Invoices figure on the dashboard.
Void: Invoices that are no longer valid. These invoices will not be included on the dashboard.

When an invoice is paid remember to change it's status to 'Paid'.

More info: Income types explained, Adding transactions to Solo

How do I delete an invoice?

Click the id/title of the invoice you would like to delete.
Click the trash icon in the bottom left of the invoice form.
Click the Delete button.