Invoicing for Temps 2 weeks before they work?!

lmiddleham

Hi

Having a debate at work with a supplier.

Invoices have arrived dated 30/06 but they're for a temp work w/e 17/07/09 and 10/07/09.

Should the invoices be dated at the week end date or even after and am I in my rights to return these and ask them to be re dated?

Thanks

Luke

blobbyh

Sounds like they could be trying to boost their month end accounts by effectively pro-forma invoicing. There's a vague argument in Germany that you can invoice when the service is performed (e.g. if in July you search for and place a candidate starting in September, you've actually performed the service in July) but that would usually be for the supply of a perm. Since you wouldn't usually know in advance exactly how many hours a temp will be doing in three or four weeks time, I'd want these dated for the end of the week/month of actual provision of service.

truecockney

Working for an agency, I certainly wouldn't even consider charging in advance for a temporary worker.

It is normal, and good, practice to charge when service is undertaken. On permannent placements, some agencies may well bill at time of placement rather than start date, but for temporary workers, the worker may not even start. Contact the company and say you cannot pay the bill unless there is an authorised timesheet attached. If they don't have a timesheet, then you would like a full credit note for that invoice.

lmiddleham

I have the timesheet with it, but the timesheet is for 1 week in the middle of July, yet the invoice is dated the end of June

truecockney

Pre-dating invoices is perfectly legitimate, unfortunately, but bad practice as the terms of business usually state payment is from invoice date. If that is the case, they are attempting to:

a) Increase cashflow; and
b) Improve their sales figures for the month of June

You are still entirely within your rights to ask for the invoice to be reissued to the week ending dates of 10 July and 17 July.

Jon_1984

Another possibility is some accounts packages make you change the system date to perform certain functions relating to period you are working on....several times I have done this, finished what I was working on and then merrily batch processed 15 or 20 invoices through - If you are lucky you notice you have done this before sending them out :001_rolleyes:

I would just ring their credit control and inform them you will be paying 30 days from last day the service was supplied on the invoices (days worked in this case) and duly do so - if they are bumping up invoice figures they will accept it, if a mistake they will learn from it :thumbup1:

lmiddleham

Thanks for the help.

Dates changed with no problem.