Accounting and invoicing for expert witnesses and surveyors
Reports for courts, insurers and private clients, valuations, damage reports and evidence preservation: experts bill by the hour and flat fee and have clients with long payment terms. Saldiqo writes invoices with a case number, records travel and measuring devices and reminds on open items.
What comes up for expert witnesses and surveyors
Case number and proof
Invoices for courts and insurers carry a case number and a statement of hours.
Long payment terms
Public-sector clients and insurers pay late.
Site visits
Travel, measurements and photos belong to the report and the invoice.
How Saldiqo helps
- Invoice with case numberCase number in the description, hours as lines.
- Time trackingRecord hours per report.
- Record travelReceipts by phone photo.
- RemindersKeep open invoices in view.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Report case 2027-0412, hours
- Site visit, travel and duration
- Photo documentation, flat fee
- Typing costs as per receipt
- Measurement and evaluation
- Supplementary report by effort
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
How do I write an invoice for a report?
With the case number in the description and the hours and expenses as lines.
Are there special remuneration rules for court reports?
Yes, in many countries. Saldiqo does not calculate statutory remuneration. You enter the calculated amount.
Do expert witnesses and surveyors 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 expert witnesses and surveyors 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 expert witnesses and surveyors 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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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.