An independent contractor invoice is how most contractors receive payment for their services. For those new to the field, though, drafting such a document can be confusing. Below are instructions for drafting an independent contractor invoice.

The Top: Parties and Position

The top of the invoice should contain the name, address, telephone number and email address of the independent contractor and employer. If placed side by side, the contractor's information should be located on the left; if placed vertically, the contractor's name should be on top. This section should be headed "Invoice for Independent Contract Work." The date of the invoice is located at the very bottom of this section. This date could be a range of weeks, months or a single day depending on the employment agreement.

If your employment with the company will be continuous, you may want to number your invoices. This will assist you in finding and referring to the invoice should the need arise. If you number the invoice, place the number above the invoice date.

Middle: Description of the Work

The middle of the invoice will contain a list of the work completed, the date of assignment and completion, and a statement of the length of time for completion of the job, depending on how that is measured. For example, if the contractor is being paid hourly, the statement of length of time will be how many hours were worked on the task.

The most important part of this section is the calculation of the total cost of the job. If you were hired at a flat rate, you do not need to calculate the job cost, but if you are paid hourly or per piece of production, you should calculate how much you are owed in total. For example, if you are paid $8.00 an hour and worked 10 hours on a job, show that you are owed $80.00.

Ideally, you should create columns for each section: job description, date of assignment, date of completion, rate of pay and total amount due. It is easy to insert a simple table in many word processing programs.

Bottom: Total Amount Due, Date and Signature

The bottom of the invoice should contain a calculation of the total amount due for all work done. For example, if you completed five jobs at $80.00 each, this section should state the total amount due as $400.00. Unless it will appear rude, you should include the date payment of the invoice is due. This could be anywhere from two weeks to a month after the invoice date. If you have previously agreed to the date of payment, use that date, but if there has been no discussion, use a date two weeks in the future.

The final section of the invoice will contain your signature and date of signing the invoice. Of course, this date might be the same as the invoice date, but it is necessary nonetheless. Do not type your name in lieu of signing the invoice. Sign and date the invoice by hand prior to submitting.