Consulting firms bill across hours, retainers, milestones, and expenses. Everhour keeps billable work organized before the invoice is issued.
Fill in your details, add line items, hit Print when ready.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Tax | Amount |
|---|
The calculator gives you the number — Everhour takes it from there.
One click and you're timing. Start a timer, add an entry, edit the details. This is exactly how it feels in Everhour.
Set a budget, assign rates, and get alerted before you're over.
Measurement
Track your budget through time or costs
Every report you need — configured your way, always up to date.
Tracked hours flow straight into a polished invoice — no copy-paste, no manual math.
Consulting firms use invoices to turn an agreed scope into a payment request the client can approve. The invoice should identify the project, consultant and client details, invoice number, issue date, due date, itemized services, quantity or hours, unit price, subtotal, applicable tax, total due, notes, and payment terms. The result should match the consulting agreement rather than introduce new commercial terms at billing time.
The structure changes by engagement type. Hourly work needs billable hours, rate, and line total, often supported by a timesheet. Fixed-fee work should name the deliverable or phase. Retainers usually bill a recurring monthly amount. Milestone invoices should connect the amount due to the completed stage. Reimbursable travel, products, services, or on-site costs belong on separate lines with the documentation required by the agreement.
Consulting firms do not all bill the same way. A 2023 Consulting Success study of nearly 1,000 consultants found that 30% used project-based rates, 29% used hourly billing, 16% used monthly retainers, 15% used value pricing, and 10% used daily rates. Your invoice should make the selected model obvious, because the client approval process follows the model in the proposal.
A practical hourly line can read: Strategy workshop preparation, 6 hours at $175, line total $1,050. A fixed-fee line can read: Phase 1 market assessment, fixed fee $4,500. A retainer line can read: June advisory retainer, $3,000. Each format answers the same client question: which agreed service produced this amount due?
The United States has no national VAT or GST invoice regime and no prescribed federal private-sector invoice form. For ordinary consulting firms, invoice content is mainly a recordkeeping and contract matter. IRS Publication 583 treats invoices as supporting documents that show business transactions and sources of gross receipts, so clean invoice records matter even when no federal template applies.
Sales and use tax depends on state and local rules, nexus, service type, and place of sale. Service taxability varies by state: California generally taxes retail sales of tangible personal property and only some service or labor charges, while Texas defines 16 broad categories of taxable services. Late fees, payment methods, and deposits also need contract support, because consulting agreements commonly define those terms before billing starts.
A free invoice works for a one-time consulting project, a small fixed-fee deliverable, or a client that only needs a PDF with clear terms. It also works when you already have the timesheet, expense receipts, approval notes, tax treatment, and payment terms organized somewhere else. The risk starts when each invoice requires manual reconstruction from chats, spreadsheets, calendar entries, and project notes.
Consulting firms need a managed workflow when billable and non-billable time affect revenue, margins, and client trust. Everhour supports billable and non-billable time through project billing status, task-level non-billable controls, custom task rates, member-rate exceptions, and admin reports for billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost. That gives firms a record behind the invoice, especially across hourly, retainer, and mixed-scope engagements.
This content is for general information only, may not be fully up to date, and is provided without any warranty or liability.
High Performer
G2
Summer 2026
Best Ease Of Use
Capterra
Summer 2026
Rated in the top time trackers across G2, Capterra, and TrustRadius — with consistent praise for ease of use, integrations, and support.
A consulting invoice should include the project name, consultant and client details, unique invoice number, issue date, due date, itemized services, quantity or billable hours, unit price, subtotal, applicable tax, total due, notes, and payment terms. Reimbursable expenses should appear separately from service fees and follow the documentation rules in the consulting agreement.
Hourly consulting work should show the service performed, billable hours, hourly rate, and line total. Many consultants attach or keep a timesheet to support the billed hours. The invoice should separate non-billable internal work from client-approved billable work, especially when the same project includes research, meetings, revisions, and administrative time.
One invoice can include a retainer and extra work if the agreement allows it and the lines stay separate. The retainer line should show the recurring fee or covered period. Additional work should reference the written approval, estimate, or change process, then apply the agreed rate or fixed amount from the proposal or agreement.
Consulting invoices do not always need sales tax. The United States has state and local sales and use tax instead of a national VAT or GST invoice regime. Tax treatment depends on nexus, the state and local rules, the service type, and where the sale is sourced. The invoice should show tax only when it applies.
The most common challenge comes from billing that does not match the proposal or agreement. A client can dispute vague lines, unsupported hours, unapproved expenses, new late fees, or out-of-scope work without written approval. Strong invoices connect every charge to the agreed scope, pricing model, expense rules, and payment terms.
Everhour lets admins set billing status at the project level, mark specific tasks as non-billable, use custom task rates, and set member-rate exceptions. Reports can show billable time, non-billable time, billable amount, and cost, so consulting firms can review invoice-ready work before billing the client.
Everhour Billing & Invoicing turns uninvoiced billable time and expenses into client invoices, using project or member rates while excluding non-billable work. Invoice line items can be grouped by project, task, person, date, or another available breakdown, then exported to QuickBooks Online, Xero, or FreshBooks.
Track approved billable work by client and project, then use Everhour to separate non-billable time, review amounts, and produce cleaner consulting invoices.
14-day free trial · No credit card · Cancel anytime
