14 votes

Client owes me substantial money, I got another job full-time, client wants me to hand over keys to next developer without payment

Generate an invoice marked "past due". Send certified. That's all you can really do in your case, at this step, without getting an attorney involved. The $10,000 is probably more than any state's ...
  • 5,313
11 votes

Asking client to pay bank transfer charges

No. Client pays an invoice. It's up to you to calculate all costs in the invoice or pay part of them yourself. For example, I always pay PayPal's 4%, never ask the client to pay it nor I increase my ...
  • 14.4k
9 votes

Client owes me substantial money, I got another job full-time, client wants me to hand over keys to next developer without payment

Unless you receive payment, I don't believe you are obligated to do anything. It's your fault to some degree for letting outstanding invoices "build up over time". You should never allow that to ...
  • 17.4k
9 votes
Accepted

New project manager suddenly demanding source-code prior to payment

IANAL, nor any form of professional regarding law, let alone Australian law. However, from what I've found from a quick google of Australian copyright law, it seems to conform with most copyright ...
  • 545
8 votes

What should I charge for a custom shirt builder web application?

Some of the first considerations would be: How many times have you done similar work, what were your costs, time, difficulties. How much will you have to charge just to break even? What profit is ...
  • 264
7 votes
Accepted

Is there a reason against not billing someone when asked for an invoice for work completed?

Well this is really opinion-based. But there are some aspects to be aware of. Some clients will see your failure to invoice as an "ok" to send you more changes then act shocked when you want to be ...
  • 17.4k
7 votes
Accepted

Is it okay for customer to pay less than invoice amount because of their wire charges?

No. If you invoice for $380, you should receive $380... then if your payment processor has fees, they are deducted from the $380. In no instance is it "okay" for a client to send less than ...
  • 17.4k
6 votes
Accepted

When making a website which activities do you normally include in invoice?

Generally, clients buy a freelancer's time. Using that logic, all time spent on client work is invoiced, regardless of the work. I never heard of clients wanting different rates for work on prototype ...
  • 3,822
5 votes

Invoice a client without an address?

I don't think it's necessary. I have invoiced without an address before. I just emailed the person and put their email address and phone number in the area where I normally put an address. But that ...
  • 1,356
5 votes

New project manager suddenly demanding source-code prior to payment

The single worst mistake I ever made as a contractor was agreeing to provide source code before payment was made. Don't do it. This doesn't pass the "smell test" at all.
5 votes
Accepted

Date on invoice?

the invoice date: last day of the previous month when work was completed (March 31) send invoice the same/next day (March 31 OR April 1st) doesn't make a difference yes: invoice is always generated ...
  • 66
5 votes

Is it fair to charge client for FontAwesome pro license as development charges?

If I have a client which needs to run something requiring a license, they purchase a license (through me) so they can continue to use the licensed product. If I purchase a license, it's so I [my ...
  • 17.4k
4 votes
Accepted

How do I prove my source of income as a freelancer?

Tax returns. Neither Fiverr nor istockphoto are your employers so they aren't obligated to track your earnings or send you records. It's up to you to maintain income records. Since these sites are ...
  • 17.4k
4 votes

Asking client to pay bank transfer charges

No. Never add processing fees to accept payments. Just don't. This is really in similar to Peter's answer I realize. However... An important factor is that some merchant accounts severely frown upon ...
  • 17.4k
4 votes

New project manager suddenly demanding source-code prior to payment

Simple down to earth advice: unless you have a contract or document that explicitly includes the requirement to supply the source code before payment, I think you are right not to change the existing ...
  • 1,629
4 votes
Accepted

Should I warn client that I'm going to have to threaten legal action?

First, from looking at your first question and reading this one, I assume you've already pandered to the clients apologies and promises of payment too much. As well as this, I'll be assuming you're ...
  • 545
4 votes

Can I take my client to court for non payment of invoice before invoice is due?

I am NOT a lawyer. It is my understanding that in the United States, if you have evidence of an intent to default on payment or a contract, you can start the legal processes of repercussions due to ...
  • 17.4k
4 votes

When making a website which activities do you normally include in invoice?

There is more than one way to bill clients for creating websites. Many freelancers view it as a product, and thus charge a flat rate for what they believe the full value of their time + expertise is ...
  • 523
4 votes
Accepted

Does anyone know of any free time tracking and invoicing software geared toward freelance software developers?

I've been using an MS Access app i put together to track hours, clients, create invoices from hours entered, payments, etc. Since last year i have it connected to MYSQL backend in cloud.
  • 84
3 votes
Accepted

Starting as sole trader / limited company in the UK

Yes. I started as a Sole Trader and after a couple of years, registered as a limited company as my company grew. You will still act as a company, but a sole trader is a lot easier and cheaper to set ...
3 votes

VAT Directive and Article 44 - Selling services outside EU

I'm not sure if it's the same for every EU country, but in Belgium: Yes, you have to include a clause on your invoice that explains why you are not charging VAT. It used to be that you had to point ...
  • 131
3 votes

Late Fees or Finance Charges

I believe it's better business practice to discuss late fees or finance charges at the front end of a project. You may have difficulty from a legal standpoint trying to enforce something that's not in ...
  • 1,622
3 votes

How do I invoice my client correctly in the UK?

From GOV.UK: You must register for VAT with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) if it goes over the current registration threshold in a rolling 12-month period. This isn’t a fixed period like the tax year ...
3 votes

How to notify a client of costs that increase beyond the estimate

In my experience clients appreciate transparent and frequent updates about the project. I use a simple template that I send out weekly or biweekly that includes updates on planning and budget estimate....
  • 1,629
3 votes

New project manager suddenly demanding source-code prior to payment

I'm not familiar with Australia's laws, nor am I a lawyer. But here's what I'd do. Stick to your guns - do not send source code! First, take into account any payment terms that apply to the invoice....
  • 5,313
3 votes

New project manager suddenly demanding source-code prior to payment

I would simply write an email to Person B explaining how you and Person A did business before, detail how the work flow process worked before and how it can be beneficial now. Ask the right questions,...
3 votes

Non- Vat Invoice? How to invoice?

That gov.uk link is a very good one. There are some non-government sites which also give advice on running a small business and others which have templates for invoices. This Google Doc lists all the ...
3 votes
Accepted

Should I include gratis overtime on an invoice?

Though I understand your view, I would strongly advise against displaying free hours on your invoice. It could just as easily be viewed as a passive-aggressive move, which is the exact opposite of ...
  • 3,822

Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible