Publishers, labels and licensing bodies calculate royalties from their own sales and streaming data — so self-billing lets you turn each royalty statement into a compliant invoice and payment.
Under a self-billing agreement with each rights-holder, you prepare the royalty invoice from your own data each period, apply VAT where due, send a copy and pay. The rights-holder doesn’t raise their own invoice.
Standard UK VAT rules apply — add the rights-holder’s VAT where they are VAT-registered, and none where they are not. Many individual authors and artists are not VAT-registered; Apex Billing records each one’s status so VAT is only added when it’s due.
This is general information, not tax advice — confirm your own position with your accountant or HMRC.
Yes. Use multiple line items to break down the components of a royalty period on a single self-billed invoice.
Then no VAT is added. Apex Billing only applies VAT where you’ve marked the rights-holder as VAT-registered and hold their VAT number.
Raise your first compliant self-billed invoice today — free to start.