How to Generate PDF Invoices and Timesheets from Tracked Time

Tracking hours is the first half. Getting paid for them is the second half. The bridge between them is the invoice, the timesheet, or the work record. Done well, that bridge writes itself from the tracked data. Done badly, you spend an hour every Friday in a spreadsheet that doesn't really know what your week looked like.

Timesheet's document generation turns tracked entries into three flavors of PDF: invoices for billing, timesheets for payroll or compliance, work records for field service. All on the Pro plan, which includes a 30-day free trial (no credit card).

#The Three Document Types

#Invoices

Billing documents you send to clients for payment. Include:

• Your company details and logo
• Client information
• Itemized time entries
• Tax calculations and totals
• Payment terms and bank details

#Timesheets

Hour summaries for payroll, HR, or compliance. Include:

• Employee or contractor details
• Date range
• Daily or weekly breakdowns
• Signature lines for approval
• Total hours

#Work Records

Detailed task-by-task documentation, useful for field service.

• Task list with descriptions
• Start and end times
• Optional location data
• Per-task signature lines for client sign-off

#Creating Your First Invoice

#Step 1: Open Document Generation

1. Sign in at my.timesheet.io (Pro plan)
2. Open Documents or Invoices
3. Click Create New Invoice

#Step 2: Pick the Time Entries

Filter to the right entries:

• By date range
• By project
• By billable status
• Or select specific entries by hand

#Step 3: Fill In the Details

Your side

• Company name, address, contact, tax ID/VAT number
• Logo (upload it once, save the document as a template, and it's prefilled next time)

Client side

• Client name, company, billing address, contact person

Invoice metadata

• Invoice number (auto-generated or custom)
• Invoice date
• Due date
• Payment terms

#Step 4: Review the Line Items

Line items come straight from the tasks (and, if enabled, expenses) you selected:

• Each task becomes a line with its description, duration, and rate
• Descriptions come from the tasks themselves, so tidy them up before generating (the client doesn't need to see internal codes)
• Expenses appear in their own section, with descriptions and amounts

#Step 5: Tax and Discounts

• Tax rate (VAT, sales tax, GST), with an optional second tax rate
• Discount, applied at the document level
• Option to hide taxes entirely where they don't apply

#Step 6: Generate and Send

• Preview the PDF
• Download
• Email directly to the client from the app
• The invoice is saved to your document history

#Customizing the Template

#Your Logo

1. In the document form, find Company Logo
2. Upload PNG or JPG (PNG preferred for transparent background); the recommended sizes are 400x120px or 120x120px
3. Save the document as a template, and the logo is prefilled on every document you create from it

#Payment Information

Include payment details on the invoice itself:

• Bank account / IBAN / SWIFT
• PayPal or payment links
• Accepted payment methods
• Late payment terms (e.g. "2% per month after due date")

#Standard Text

Reusable text blocks:

• A thank-you line
• Terms and conditions
• Notes about services
• Next steps

#Timesheets

A timesheet is the right document when the recipient is HR, payroll, or a compliance auditor; not the client paying you. The format is a summary of hours, not a bill.

#Setup

1. Pick the date range
2. Pick the project(s)
3. Select the entries to include

#Signatures

Timesheets and work records carry a signature field. Sign directly in the form, or leave the printed line blank for a pen. The signature appears on the generated PDF, ready for the approval workflow on paper.

#Common Use Cases

Employee time reporting. Weekly timesheet, signed by the employee, approved by the supervisor, archived for payroll.

Contractor documentation. Contractors who invoice clients provide a verifiable record of the work performed.

Compliance. Working-time directive, government contract, or labor-law audit trail.

#Work Records

The most detailed format. Designed for field service and client sign-off on each task.

#What's Included

• Task-by-task listing
• Description and notes
• Start and end times
• Location data (when geofence was used)
• Per-task signature lines

#Per-Task Signatures

Each task can have its own signature line, so the client can sign off as the work happens, not after the fact. Three workflows where this pays off:

Field service. A technician finishes a service call, the client signs the work record entry on the phone, the next call begins.

Construction sub-contracts. Verification of completion for each phase or each day, the paper trail behind invoicing for construction work.

Disputed work. The signed work record is the audit trail that closes the dispute.

#Field Service Example

A repair technician visits three clients in a day:

1. Each service call is a task
2. At the end, generate the work record
3. Each client signs their section
4. The signed PDF is the record

#Invoice Numbering That Doesn't Bite Later

#Sequential

Simple and bulletproof: INV-001, INV-002, INV-003. Works fine for low volume.

#Year-Based

Include the year: INV-2024-001, INV-2024-002. Easier to file and find in year three.

#Client-Based

Include client code: ACME-2024-001. Easier to scan when invoices span many clients.

#Rules That Pay Off

• Never reuse a number. Even on a canceled invoice. Issue a credit note instead.
• Keep numbers sequential, no gaps. Tax authorities check this.
• Include the year in the format.
• Use leading zeros for proper sorting (001, not 1).

#Tax Handling

#Single Tax Rate

Most setups: one tax rate (e.g. 19% VAT in Germany, 20% in the UK, varies in the US). The rate applies to the whole document.

#A Second Tax Rate

When two rates apply (some jurisdictions split state and local tax, for example), enable the second tax field and both show up in the totals.

#Tax-Exempt Invoices

For invoices that carry no tax at all, hide the tax section entirely. E-invoices additionally support a tax exemption reason and reverse charge where regulation requires it.

#Discounts

Discounts apply at the document level, with an optional second discount when you need two (an early payment discount on top of a negotiated volume discount, say).

Typical uses:

• Early payment discount (e.g. 2% if paid within 7 days)
• Volume discount (e.g. 15% off above 40 hours)
• One-time credit or goodwill adjustment

For a partial credit on one specific piece of work, adjust the underlying entry before generating, or issue a separate credit note.

#Tracking Payment

Beyond generation, the document keeps a status.

#Invoice Status

Each invoice is Paid or Unpaid, and the list shows the total next to how much has been paid so far, so partial payments are visible at a glance. Filter the list by status to see what's still open.

#Recording a Payment

1. Open the invoice
2. Mark as paid
3. Enter the payment date
4. Note the method (bank transfer, PayPal, etc.)

To update the underlying time entries too, mark them Paid in bulk from the task list.

#Finding What's Outstanding

The document list is searchable by customer and shows date, total, paid amount, and status for every invoice. The "who haven't I been paid by?" question is now a filtered list, not an inbox archaeology project.

#Tips That Save Real Time

Specific descriptions. "Consulting" is a placeholder. "Website performance audit and optimization recommendations" is an invoice line.

Reference numbers. Add project codes, PO numbers, or client-side references on each invoice. Helps the client's AP team match invoices to records.

Clear payment terms. "Due upon receipt" is clearer than "Net 30" to many clients. Match the client's accounting standard if possible.

Systematic follow-up. A polite reminder at day 35 catches most slow payers without damage. Schedule it.

Quarterly template review. Update contact info, banking details, branding, payment terms. Catch the stuff that drifts.

Archive everything. Timesheet stores invoices automatically. Keep an additional backup for tax-record purposes (most jurisdictions require six to ten years).

#Common Questions

Can I edit an invoice after sending? Don't. Issue a credit note and a new invoice. Editing sent invoices breaks audit trails.

How do different currencies work? The currency comes from your account settings and applies to your documents. E-invoices carry their own currency field for cross-border requirements.

Can I add non-time items? Line items come from tracked tasks and expenses. For a fixed charge like materials or a flat fee, record it as an expense and include it on the invoice.

Do clients need a Timesheet account to view invoices? No. Invoices are standard PDFs. Anyone can open them.

Can I include expenses on the invoice? Yes. Expense entries attached to the same project appear as line items, with descriptions and amounts. See How to Track Expenses and Attach Receipts.

#Summary

Three documents, one source of truth:

• Invoices for billing clients
• Timesheets for payroll and HR
• Work records for field-service sign-off

Configure the company profile once. Generate unlimited documents from tracked time. The Pro plan trial is 30 days, no credit card; you can produce real invoices during the trial and only commit after seeing the workflow.

#Where to Go Next

• Export to Excel for custom reporting or hand-off to your accountant
• Sync to QuickBooks for accounting integration
• Bill clients with custom rates so invoices total correctly the first time