Accounting and invoicing for UX designers
Research, wireframes, prototypes, design systems and workshops: UX designers bill by the day and by project and work for product teams in several countries. Saldiqo creates monthly invoices from days, issues stage invoices for projects and records tools and licences as expenses.
What comes up for UX designers
Days and projects
Some clients book days, others projects. Both need clear lines.
International teams
Product teams often sit abroad. The tax type and note have to be right.
Tools and licences
Design tools, prototyping and user testing run as subscriptions.
How Saldiqo helps
- Invoice from daysDay rate as an item, quantity per month.
- Stage invoices for projectsQuote, deposit, final invoice.
- Reverse chargeFor businesses in the EU.
- Record toolsRecord subscriptions with their due date.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- UX research and interviews, 4 person days
- Wireframes and prototype, milestone 2
- Design system, set-up
- Customer journey workshop, full day
- User test with 8 participants
- Tool licence re-invoiced as per receipt
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 mix days and projects?
Yes. You create day rate and project flat fees as items.
How do I bill clients in the EU?
With the tax type reverse charge. The rule for the client you clear with your tax adviser.
Do UX designers 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 UX designers 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 UX designers 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.