What must be on an Irish VAT invoice (2026)

2026-09-15 · FaighPaid

Ireland has specific rules for what an invoice must show before it counts as a valid VAT invoice. Get it wrong and a client can push back, a return can slow down, and a payment can sit unreconciled. Here is the list in plain English.

What Revenue requires on a VAT invoice

Revenue.ie sets out the fields a VAT invoice must carry. The core ones are:

• The date of issue.
• A unique sequential number. A fresh number per invoice; reusing numbers, or skipping around the sequence, breaks it.
• Your full name and address, and — if you are VAT registered — your VAT registration number (an IE… number).
• The customer's full name and address.
• For certain cross-border or reverse-charge supplies, the customer's VAT number and the relevant notation.

A compliant invoice also itemises the goods or services, the amounts, and the VAT applied.

The four Irish VAT rates

For most supplies the rates are 23% (standard), 13.5% (reduced, e.g. energy, some construction/repair), 9% (second reduced, e.g. most hospitality), and 0% for zero-rated goods. FaighPaid lets you pick any of these per line item, and it totals VAT for you at each rate.

Why it matters beyond the client pushing back

A VAT invoice is part of your own records. If you are VAT registered, the details need to line up with what you report. Getting the shape right from day one means fewer corrections at year-end.

A quick way to check your own invoice

Use FaighPaid's free invoice grader to check some basic invoice details — no account or email required. It checks entered values and supported formats, not the whole invoice, tax treatment or Peppol conformance. A high score is not a compliance certificate.

FaighPaid is a free Irish invoicing tool with a built-in payment chaser. Not legal or tax advice — check Revenue.ie and, for decisions about your own tax, your accountant.