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The name on your W-9, the client's PO or project code, and what the invoice covers: hours by date, an approved milestone, or the retainer period. Add reimbursable expenses with receipts, the contract or statement of work it bills against, and when and how you expect to be paid.

Start from the rate you need to cover self-employment tax, health insurance, equipment, unpaid admin time and slow months, costs an employer would otherwise carry, then adjust for your field, experience and how urgent the work is. The generator opens the hourly line at $65 so the page is not empty; type your own rate over it.

Many US clients ask for a Form W-9 before paying a new contractor, because it gives them the taxpayer ID they need for year-end 1099 reporting. Send it once, securely and separately from the invoice, and never print your Social Security number on the invoice itself. Many freelancers get a free EIN from the IRS so they can give that instead.

Hourly suits work whose size is unclear, such as ongoing edits or support, and keeps you paid when the scope grows. Milestone billing suits defined projects: you invoice as each stage is delivered and approved, so neither side carries all the risk until the end. Many freelancers combine them, with milestones for the agreed scope and an hourly line for anything added later.

Settle it in the contract before work starts: a deposit from a new client, payment on each approved milestone, or a monthly invoice for retainers and hourly work. Print the payment terms and a due date on every invoice. Larger companies often run their own payment cycles and vendor setup, so ask about both at the start rather than after the first invoice stalls.

Check it reached the right inbox with the PO or project code the client needs, then send a statement and follow up by phone. Your contract can hold back final deliverables or the transfer of rights until payment, and can set a late fee where your state allows it. Small claims court handles modest amounts, and some cities and states have added freelancer payment protection laws.

Many freelance services are not subject to sales tax, but states differ, and some tax specific services or digital products such as downloadable files. Selling physical goods alongside your service usually brings sales tax in. Income tax is separate: clients do not withhold it from contractor payments, so set money aside for estimated tax. Check your state's rules.