Does a company registration number need to be on an invoice?

Whenever you issue an invoice, you need to make sure that you include some key pieces of information, such as an invoice number, a due date and details about both you and your customer. But does an invoice need to include a company registration number (CRN)?

This article explores which businesses need to put company registration numbers on their invoices, as well as how to add your company registration number to invoices issued with invoicing software.

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When to put a company registration number on an invoice

It’s not always clear whether invoices need to include a company registration number because it depends on the business issuing the invoice.

CRNs on invoices issued by incorporated businesses

If your business incorporates, you’ll be assigned a company registration number. CRNs are used by Companies House, HMRC, clients and other businesses to identify companies, and they need to be displayed in a number of different places – including on invoices.

If you have a company registration number, you can be fined if you don’t display it correctly, so it’s important to check that every invoice you issue contains your company registration number.

Bear in mind that a VAT number (VRN) isn’t a substitute for a CRN. If you run a VAT-registered company, your invoices need to include both your VRN and your CRN.

CRNs on invoices issued by sole traders and freelancers

CRNs are issued when a business incorporates, so if you’re a sole trader, freelancer or run a business that hasn’t incorporated, you won’t have a company registration number – and you obviously don’t need to put a company registration number on your invoices.

If you don’t have a company registration number, you might have a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), but unlike CRNs, UTRs are highly confidential and should never be shared with clients or displayed on your invoices.

How to add a CRN to an invoice in SumUp Invoices

It’s easy to add your company registration number to invoices issued with invoicing software, like SumUp Invoices. All you need to do is update your business settings.

To add your CRN to SumUp Invoices, go to the 'Business Information' section of your settings. In the ‘Tax & Registration’ section, you’ll see two fields for your company registration number (‘Co. Reg. No.’) and your VAT number (VAT No.). Type or paste your CRN in the ‘Co. Reg. No.’ field – it will save automatically.

Once you’ve added your company registration number to your profile settings, it will automatically appear on every future invoice, quote and credit note.

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