Creating your first sales invoice is a special moment for every founder, it means your company has officially made its first sale. For an Estonian e-resident founder, invoicing is simple when done right from the start. Estonia’s digital tools and services make it easy to create and send invoices online, but it’s important to understand what makes an invoice valid and compliant with local requirements.
In this guide, we’ll walk through what every sales invoice must include, how to create your first invoice using Envoice or our Word template, and how Unicount can help you manage the process correctly from the first one onward.
Why invoicing matters for Estonian e-Residents?
Invoices are more than payment requests. They are legally required documents that record your company’s income and serve as the foundation for your accounting and annual report.
Each invoice issued by your company must comply with Estonian VAT law §37, which sets out what information needs to be included. Missing or incorrect details may cause issues during accounting or tax reporting later on.
With Unicount’s accounting service, your invoicing setup is configured correctly from day one, ensuring that all required data fields are in place and that your invoices are fully compatible with Estonian accounting standards.
What every Estonian sales invoice must include
According to Estonian VAT law, a valid sales invoice must include the following details:
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A unique serial number and date of issue
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The name and address of the seller and buyer
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VAT registration numbers (if applicable)
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Description and quantity of goods or services sold
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Unit price and total amount
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Applied VAT rate and VAT amount (if registered for VAT)
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Reference to special VAT rules, such as reverse charge or zero-rated VAT
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Payment terms and due date
If your company is not yet registered for VAT, these details are still required. The VAT law applies to all Estonian entities, even those without a VAT number.
Step-by-step guides to creating an invoice in Envoice
When using Unicount’s accounting service, your invoicing can be handled through integrated software such as Envoice. This ensures that your invoices are correctly formatted and automatically synchronized with your accountant’s system.
With this setup, you can:
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Create and send invoices in seconds
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Automatically apply VAT rules based on your company setup
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Attach documents and receipts for accounting
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Avoid manual data entry or errors in your reports
Invoices created through integrated tools are automatically available for your accountant, helping them prepare your monthly and annual reports faster and more accurately.
If you are not yet a Unicount accounting client but plan to manage invoicing yourself, you can still use tools like Envoice, but keep in mind that setup may require technical and accounting knowledge.
Create your invoices manually
If this is too complex and you don’t want to set up an accounting plan with software that integrates with Envoice to sync the chart of accounts and VAT rates, you can create your first invoice using tools like Microsoft Word, Canva, or other design platforms, which offer templates and customisable options to design a professional invoice. However, some details are mandatory for a correct invoice.
When creating invoices manually, make sure all the mandatory fields listed above are included and that your company details match the Business Register exactly.
While manual invoicing can work in the beginning, it is easy to make mistakes in formatting, numbering, or VAT calculations. These small issues may lead to corrections later by your accountant, which can increase your workload or costs.
Here is a sample sales invoice in Word, which you can use as a sample.
Why use Unicount for invoicing and accounting
Many e-resident founders start by experimenting with different invoicing tools before realizing how connected invoicing is to accounting and reporting.
At Unicount, we set up your invoicing as part of your accounting service, so you don’t have to worry about integrations, VAT rules, or compliance. Your invoices are always formatted correctly, and all data is instantly accessible for bookkeeping and reporting.
This means:
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No extra configuration or accounting software setup
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Automatic compliance with Estonian VAT and accounting rules
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Secure digital document handling
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Fast annual report preparation
If your business grows, you can easily switch to a more advanced accounting package without losing any data or invoices.
In a Nutshell
Creating your first sales invoice as an Estonian e-resident is simple when done correctly. You can start with a manual template, use invoicing software, or let Unicount set up everything for you as part of your accounting plan.
Getting invoicing right from the beginning saves you time, prevents errors, and keeps your business fully compliant.
Thanks for reading!
If you have more questions about Estonian e-Residency or Unicount, check out our extensive support articles or reach out for personalised advice.
