Accounting and invoicing for thumbnail designers
Thumbnails, intros, overlays, animations: whoever designs for creators delivers many small jobs for a few regular clients. Saldiqo creates collective invoices for the month’s packages, records revisions and matches payments from channels and agencies.
What comes up for thumbnail and motion designers
Small unit prices, many jobs
One thumbnail costs little, but in a month there are 20 or 50. The invoice has to show quantity and unit price.
Revisions and rush jobs
Clients want changes and fast delivery. Both should appear as lines on the invoice.
Licences and assets
Fonts, stock photos, plug-ins and templates are running costs and sometimes part of the job.
How Saldiqo helps
- Monthly package as a recurring invoiceFixed packages are created by a recurring invoice on schedule, and you adjust the quantity per month.
- Items for unit pricesYou create thumbnail, intro, overlay and animation as items.
- Record licencesCapture subscriptions and purchases with your phone or as a file and assign them to a cost centre.
- Match paymentsUpload the bank statement, and Saldiqo suggests the matching invoice.
Typical invoice lines
Examples that often appear on invoices in this industry. You set the prices yourself.
- Thumbnail, unit price, 24 in November
- Two revisions, included
- Rush delivery within 12 hours
- Channel intro, 8 seconds, animation
- Overlay package for livestream
- Font licence cost re-invoiced as per receipt
Tax and invoicing in Germany
What applies to invoices in Germany, in short. As of October 2026.
- VAT
- Standard rate 19 %, reduced rate 7 %. Which rate applies to which supply depends on the case. Saldiqo calculates each invoice line with the rate you pick.
- Small business scheme
- Under section 19 of the VAT Act (UStG) you charge no VAT as long as your turnover was at most €25,000 last year and is at most €100,000 this year. Saldiqo shows how much room is left and adds the note to your invoice.
- Mandatory details
- Under section 14 UStG every invoice shows a tax number or VAT ID, a consecutive invoice number, the date of supply and the recipient. Saldiqo checks this before you finalise an invoice. Small invoices up to €250 gross need fewer details.
- E-invoicing
- All businesses have had to be able to receive e-invoices since 1 January 2025. Issuing becomes mandatory from 2027 if last year’s turnover was above €800,000, and from 2028 for domestic business-to-business sales in all cases. Small businesses under section 19 are exempt. Saldiqo creates XRechnung and ZUGFeRD.
- VAT return
- The advance VAT return goes to the tax office through ELSTER, by the 10th after the end of the period. You file monthly if last year’s VAT was above €9,000 and quarterly above €2,000. Saldiqo provides the figures; you file in ELSTER or through your tax adviser.
- Record keeping
- Keep invoices and accounting vouchers for 8 years, books for 10 years and business letters for 6 years. The period starts at the end of the calendar year.
- Late payment
- In the second half of 2026 the default interest rate is 10.52 % between businesses and 6.52 % towards consumers, plus a €40 flat fee that applies to businesses only. Saldiqo has reminder levels with deadlines and fees.
- Getting paid
- Every invoice carries a GiroCode (EPC QR) that customers scan with their banking app. You match payments by uploading the bank statement as CSV or CAMT.
- Tax adviser
- Cash-basis profit calculation (EÜR), a DATEV export and a separate login for your tax adviser are built in.
Frequently asked questions
Can I bill thumbnails per unit?
Yes. You create the unit price as an item and enter the quantity per invoice.
How do I bill revisions?
Included revisions are in the quote, further ones you bill as a line by effort.
Do thumbnail and motion designers in Germany have to charge VAT?
Yes, unless they qualify as small businesses under section 19 UStG. That applies when turnover was at most €25,000 last year and is at most €100,000 this year. The limit is hard: VAT is due on the sale that takes you over it.
Do thumbnail and motion designers in Germany need e-invoicing?
Every business must be able to receive e-invoices since 2025. Issuing is mandatory from 2027 if last year’s turnover was above €800,000, and from 2028 for domestic business-to-business sales in general. Small businesses, invoices up to €250 and tickets are exempt. Private customers still get a normal invoice.
How long do thumbnail and motion designers have to keep invoices?
Invoices and vouchers for 8 years, books for 10 years and business letters for 6 years, counted from the end of the calendar year. You can store receipts digitally in Saldiqo. The legal duty to keep records and to document your procedures stays with you.
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As of October 2026. General information, not legal or tax advice, without guarantee. For your case ask your tax adviser.