Invoice from a Ltd company — what to watch out for
Published: 2026-07-25
An invoice from a British Ltd looks different from a domestic one and is accounted for under different rules — especially after Brexit, with the UK outside the European Union. Before you pay or book such a document, it is worth confirming that the issuer is a real, active company and knowing what to watch out for in the accounting. This guide shows what an invoice from a Ltd should contain, how to verify the issuer and how to avoid common traps. This is informational material — confirm specific tax treatment with your tax adviser or the relevant authority; it is not tax advice.
What should an invoice from a Ltd contain?
A proper invoice from a British Ltd usually contains the full company name with the Ltd suffix, its company number, its registered office address and — if the company is VAT-registered — a British VAT number. It is worth comparing this data with the Companies House register: the name, number and address should match what is on record.
A discrepancy between the invoice and the register is a warning sign — it may be a mistake, but it can also indicate impersonation of an existing company. So the company number on an invoice is a convenient starting point: it pinpoints the entity and lets you check its status.
| Invoice item | What to compare with |
|---|---|
| Full name with the Ltd suffix | the name in Companies House |
| Company number | the number in Companies House |
| Registered office address | the registered address in Companies House |
| British VAT number (if any) | verified UK-side (not VIES) |
| Payment details | a channel from an official source, not the invoice alone |
Invoice from a Ltd and VAT after Brexit
After Brexit the UK is outside the European Union, so accounting with a British company differs from intra-EU trade. In goods trade you usually speak of import and export with customs formalities, not of an intra-Community acquisition or supply. An important consequence: you cannot check a British VAT number in the EU's VIES system — separate rules apply and the number is verified UK-side.
Exactly how to account for a given invoice (rate, tax point, documents, any duty) depends on the nature of the transaction, the place of supply and both parties' VAT status. This is an area where mistakes happen easily — confirm the specific case with your tax adviser or the relevant authority.
How to verify the invoice issuer and avoid fraud?
Before paying a larger invoice, confirm the issuer at source: check in Companies House whether a company with the stated name and number exists, is active and has a matching address, and who represents it. A particularly common pattern is impersonation of a real, credible Ltd — the fraudster copies the name and number and swaps only the payment details or email. So confirm bank details through a channel from an official source (the company's website, a call to a published number), not just the invoice received. Watch out especially for a sudden change of account number just before payment.
A British company's register data is public but scattered across register sections and presented raw. A UKCompany report gathers it into one PDF — status, directors, PSC, charges and accounts — with terms explained and in your language, from publicly available Companies House data. It is a ready-made write-up and at the same time a dated record of the check that you keep as part of due diligence; the fee covers preparing and delivering the report. You generate the report in the search — the first report after creating an account is free.
Frequently asked questions
- What should an invoice from a Ltd contain?
- Usually the full company name with the Ltd suffix, the company number, the registered office address and — if the company is VAT-registered — a British VAT number. It is worth comparing this data with the Companies House register; a discrepancy is a warning sign.
- Can I check a British VAT number from the invoice in VIES?
- No. After Brexit the UK is outside the EU, so a British VAT number is not in the EU's VIES system — it is verified UK-side, and accounting differs from intra-EU trade. Confirm the exact treatment with your tax adviser or the relevant authority.
- How to check that an invoice is from a real Ltd company?
- Confirm in Companies House that a company with the stated name and number exists, is active and has a matching address. Confirm payment details through a channel from an official source, not just the invoice — a common scam is impersonating a real company and swapping the account number. A UKCompany report gathers the register data into one PDF, with terms explained and in your language.
- What to watch out for when paying a British company?
- A sudden change of payment details just before payment, a discrepancy of name or address against the register, and a status other than active. For larger amounts, confirm the account number by phone using a number from the official website, and keep a dated record of the counterparty check.
Check a company — your first report is free
Registry data, management, owners and financials — in a single PDF report in your language.
Related guides
- How to check a company in the UK (Companies House)
- Companies House reform (ECCTA): identity verification and what it means for checking a UK company
- How to check a UK VAT number after Brexit (VIES vs HMRC)
- What is a Ltd company (private limited company)?
- Ltd company charges — how to check secured debt
- What is Companies House? The UK company register explained
This guide is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Laws and registry rules may change — the information held in the relevant country's official registers is always decisive.