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Accounting and invoicing for ghostwriters and copywriters

Books, blog posts, speeches, applications and editing: whoever earns with words bills by standard page, word or flat fee and delivers in stages. Saldiqo issues stage invoices by chapter, keeps fee and usage rights apart and shows which clients have not paid yet.

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What comes up for ghostwriters and copywriters

Price by scope

Standard pages, words or flat fees: the invoice says how the price is made up.

Long projects in stages

A book takes months. Stage invoices by chapter secure income.

Discretion

Ghostwriters do not name their clients. The service description on the invoice is neutral.

How Saldiqo helps

  • Stage invoices by chapterQuote, stage invoices, final invoice.
  • Neutral service descriptionService as an item with a general name.
  • Usage rightsAs a separate line.
  • Match paymentsUpload the bank statement, keep open invoices in view.

Typical invoice lines

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

  • Manuscript, chapters 1 to 4, stage invoice
  • Editing, 200 standard pages
  • Blog posts, 1,200 words, 5 pieces
  • Speech for an occasion, flat fee
  • Usage rights, unlimited in time and territory
  • Round of corrections 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 bill books in stages?

With stage invoices by chapter from the quote. The final invoice deducts them.

How neutral can the service description be?

You choose the item name freely, for example text work as agreed. Saldiqo checks the mandatory details for your country.

Do ghostwriters and copywriters 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 ghostwriters and copywriters 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 ghostwriters and copywriters 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.

Try Saldiqo for free

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.