Accounting and invoicing for SEO consultants

Audit, strategy, monthly care and workshops: a freelance SEO consultant sells knowledge and time, often with a retainer and training. Saldiqo creates monthly invoices, re-invoices tools and copy and shows per client how much time the care really costs.

Updated: 16 October 2026

What comes up for SEO consultants

Project and retainer

An audit is a project, the care afterwards a retainer.

Tools and licences

Analysis tools run monthly and are sometimes re-invoiced.

Workshops

Training for teams are jobs of their own with a headcount.

How Saldiqo helps

Audit with a depositQuote, deposit, final invoice.
Retainer as a recurring invoiceMonthly on schedule.
Time tracking per clientEvaluate effort.
Workshops by invoiceParticipants and duration as lines.

Typical invoice lines

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

SEO audit, report and action plan
Monthly care November, 12 hours
Keyword research workshop, half a day
Tool licence re-invoiced as per receipt
Content briefing, 4 articles
Reporting and strategy call

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 separate audit and care?

Yes. The audit runs as a project, the care as a recurring invoice.

How do I re-invoice tools?

You record the receipt as an expense with a cost centre and re-invoice it as a line.

Do SEO consultants 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 SEO consultants 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 SEO consultants 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.