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Accounting and invoicing for agencies

Pitch won, project started, freelancer hired, media budget spent: an agency bills in projects and needs income and expenses for every project. Saldiqo takes you from the quote through stage invoices to the final invoice and shows what is left per project.

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What comes up for agencies

Projects instead of single invoices

Concept, delivery, rounds of changes, sign-off: a project runs for months and is billed in stages. In the end everything has to match the quote.

Re-invoicing third-party costs

Print, media budget, stock images, freelancers: you advance costs and bill them to the client. Without allocation you do not know at the end of the project what was earned.

Retainers and flat fees

Ongoing care is billed monthly. The invoice repeats, but the payment still has to be checked.

Team and tax adviser

Several people in the agency work with invoices. Who may see and change what should be clearly regulated.

How Saldiqo helps

  • Stages and final invoiceYou issue milestones as stage or part invoices straight from the quote. The final invoice deducts them automatically.
  • Cost centre per client or projectAssign invoices, expenses and receipts to a project and see in the report what it brings in and costs.
  • Record third-party costsYou record receipts and invoices from service providers as expenses with the same cost centre as the project.
  • Retainer as a recurring invoiceThe monthly invoice is created on a fixed date without writing it each time.
  • Roles in the teamTeam members and tax adviser get their own logins with their own rights.

Typical invoice lines

Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.

  • Concept and strategy, flat fee
  • Campaign delivery, milestone 2 of 3
  • Re-invoiced print costs as per receipt
  • Freelancer fee, passed through
  • Retainer for November
  • Rounds of changes by effort, hours

Tax and invoicing in Malta

What applies to invoices in Malta, in short. As of October 2026.

VAT
Rates 18 %, 12 %, 7 % and 5 %. Malta has no zero rate in law. Exports, EU supplies, food and medicines are exempt with credit, which lets you reclaim input VAT. Exempt without credit does not.
Article 11 small undertakings
With up to €35,000 of domestic turnover a year you can be exempt under Article 11. The status ends on the day the limit is passed, and you still register with the VAT department. Saldiqo adds the exemption note and leaves VAT off.
Tax invoice or fiscal receipt
A tax invoice is issued only when the customer gives you a VAT number. Otherwise a fiscal receipt from an approved system is required. Saldiqo writes invoices. It is not a fiscal receipt system, and a Saldiqo PDF does not replace a fiscal receipt.
Invoice timing
Issue the invoice by the 15th of the following month, or when payment arrives if that comes first. Simplified invoices are allowed up to €100.
E-invoicing
There is no mandate. Public bodies accept e-invoices through Peppol (EN 16931). The tax authority plans e-invoicing and real-time reporting but has set no dates, and EU rules apply from 1 July 2030.
VAT returns
Returns are due by the 15th day of the second month after the period, with 7 extra days when you file and pay electronically. Article 11 businesses file a yearly declaration by 15 February. Saldiqo does not file returns.
Record keeping
VAT records for 6 years, income tax records for 9 years and company records for 10 years. Plan for 10 years.
Late payment
Interest on late business payments is 10.40 %, plus €40 compensation between businesses.
Languages
Use Saldiqo in English or Maltese and send invoices in either language.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bill projects with stage invoices?

Yes. You create stage or part invoices straight from the quote. The final invoice deducts them.

How do I see whether a project makes a profit?

With cost centres. You assign invoices and expenses to a project and see the report per cost centre.

Are there roles for my team?

Yes. You invite team members and your tax adviser with their own logins and their own rights.

Do agencies in Malta have to charge VAT?

If you are registered under Article 10, yes. Small undertakings under Article 11 with domestic turnover of up to €35,000 a year are exempt from charging VAT, but the status ends on the day the limit is passed.

Do agencies in Malta need a fiscal receipt?

Sales to consumers need a fiscal receipt from an approved fiscal receipt system, and Article 11 businesses use one for all sales. Saldiqo is not such a system. It covers tax invoices to customers who give you their VAT number.

How long should agencies keep invoices?

VAT records for 6 years, income tax records for 9 years and company records for 10 years, so plan for 10 years. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records stays with you.

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Write invoices, match payments, collect receipts and send reminders: free and without a trial period.

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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.