Receipt Generator
Create simple receipt layouts with business name, line items, quantities, VAT toggle and total calculation
Items
Acme Ltd
Receipt
30/04/2026
What a UK Business Receipt Actually Needs
Under HMRC rules, a basic receipt for a business transaction should include the date, the supplier's name, a description of what was sold, and the total amount paid. If the seller is VAT-registered, the receipt becomes a VAT invoice and must additionally show the VAT registration number, the VAT rate (usually 20% standard rate, 5% reduced, 0% zero-rated, or exempt) and the VAT amount separately from the net price. The toggle for VAT in this generator handles the inclusive/exclusive maths automatically.
There are two kinds of VAT receipts: simplified and full. Simplified receipts (used for sales under £250) need only the date, supplier name, VAT number, total inclusive of VAT and the rate of VAT applicable. Full VAT invoices (over £250 or any B2B sale where the customer asks) must additionally show the customer name, the unit price, quantity, and a breakdown of net, VAT and gross amounts per line. The receipt generator produces a simplified format suitable for most retail transactions and small consultancy invoicing.
Receipt Retention: 6 Years Is the Real Number
HMRC requires UK businesses to retain receipts and supporting records for six years from the end of the relevant tax year for VAT purposes, and at least five years and 10 months for self-assessment income tax. The often-cited '30, 60 or 90 day' retention windows refer to credit card chargeback periods (90 days under Section 75) and customer return windows, not HMRC retention. If you are running a business, six years is the safe rule. Sole traders without VAT registration only need five years and 10 months, but it is easier to keep everything for six and not have to remember which is which.
Digital receipts (PDFs, JPGs) are accepted by HMRC under Making Tax Digital, provided they are legible and contain all the required information. The generator's JPG export is fine for personal expense tracking; for actual VAT-registered businesses, generate a copy and upload it into your accounting software (Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent) which will automatically attach it to the relevant transaction line. This satisfies HMRC and saves the box-of-paper-receipts misery at year end.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a generated receipt legally valid?
Yes, provided the information on it is accurate. There is no legal requirement that a receipt be printed on a till roll or come from a specific software. As long as it correctly records a real transaction, it is acceptable as evidence for HMRC, customer dispute resolution and accounting purposes. What is NOT acceptable is fabricating a receipt for a transaction that never happened - that is fraud regardless of the format used to produce it.
How is this different from an invoice?
An invoice requests payment; a receipt confirms payment was received. They contain similar information (parties, items, amounts) but serve opposite purposes. A typical sale generates an invoice first, then a receipt once the customer pays. For instant in-person sales (a market stall, a coffee shop), there is usually no invoice and only a receipt. Use the [Invoice Number Generator](/invoice-number-generator) for the request-payment side and this tool for the payment-confirmation side.
Should I include my address?
For a simplified receipt under £250, no - just the business name and VAT number (if registered). For a full VAT invoice, yes - the supplier's address must appear. If you trade from home, use a service address (around £30 to £100 per year) rather than your home address to maintain privacy. The customer's address only needs to appear on full invoices over £250.
Can I use this for an Etsy or eBay sale?
Etsy and eBay generate their own receipts automatically and email them to the buyer; you usually do not need to produce a separate one. Where this generator helps is for direct sales outside those platforms - craft fair sales, cash-in-hand consultancy, repeat orders from a customer who paid via bank transfer. Generate the receipt, save the JPG, and file it alongside your bank statement so the income trail is complete.