In short
- Ask whether the total is before or after tax, and ask the supplier to say so in writing.
- Do not assume a tax rate. Your supplier confirms what applies to their invoice.
- Match every invoice line back to a line in the quotation before you pay.
- Travel, extra films and overtime are the lines most easily left out of a headline total.
Ask the supplier to state, in writing, whether the total on the quotation is before or after tax, and what the invoice will list. Do not work from an assumed tax rate or from what another supplier charged. The supplier’s own quotation is the only source that counts for your booking.
Why the same total can mean two different things
One quotation may show a subtotal with tax added at the bottom. Another may show a single figure that already includes everything. If you set them side by side without checking, the cheaper-looking one may simply be the one that has not added its tax line yet.
The same happens with inclusions. A total that looks low may leave out travel, a second film, or time beyond the agreed hours. Before comparing, make both quotes say the same thing about the same items. Our guide on comparing two quotations fairly shows how to line up coverage, crew and films.
What to ask the supplier to confirm
| Question | Why it matters | Where the answer should appear |
|---|---|---|
| Is the total before or after tax? | Avoids a surprise at invoice stage | On the quotation, next to the total |
| Is tax charged on this job, and how is it shown? | Tells you the real amount payable | On the quotation and the invoice |
| Are travel, parking and accommodation inside the total? | These are easy to leave out | A named line, or a note that they are excluded |
| Which films and files are included? | Extra films can be priced separately | The deliverables list |
| How many hours of coverage, and what happens after? | Overruns change the final bill | The coverage hours and overtime terms |
| How is payment staged? | Helps you plan cash flow and approvals | The payment terms |
If an answer is vague, ask for it to be added to the quotation. A short written reply is enough.
How to match the invoice to the quotation
When the invoice arrives, check it in this order:
- The event name, date and venue are correct.
- Each billed line matches a line in the quotation, with the same films and services.
- Any amount already paid is shown and deducted.
- Tax, if charged, appears as its own line or is clearly stated as included.
- Any new line, such as extra hours or an added film, can be traced to a change you approved.
If something does not match, ask before you pay. Gaps usually come from a change made on the day that was never written down.
A worked example with letters, not prices
This is an illustration, not a real quotation. Suppose Supplier A’s quote reads: coverage subtotal, plus travel, plus tax on the total. Supplier B’s quote reads: one figure, with a note that travel is excluded and tax is included.
To compare fairly, rebuild both on the same basis. Put coverage, films, travel and tax in separate rows for each supplier. Where a row is blank, send a message asking the supplier to fill it.
Only then compare the final amounts. Our event video budget worksheet has rows for known costs and for items still unpriced, so a blank is visible instead of forgotten.
Who decides what?
You decide the scope, the films, the hours and who approves changes. The supplier’s own tax registration decides what its invoice shows, and your finance team decides how your company records the cost.
If several people approve spend for your event, name one person who receives the quotation and the invoice. This keeps changes from being agreed in one chat and paid from another. The videography booking scope checklist helps you list what is agreed before you confirm.
What we confirm for your event
- Tax: whether the total includes tax and how the invoice shows it, written on the quotation.
- Outside the total: travel, overtime or extra films, each as a named line.
- Changes on the day: who approves them, recorded in writing.
- Payments: each due date and what it covers.
- Deliverables: the films and files listed as in a video deliverables sheet.
For the wider picture of what moves a price, see what changes the cost of event videography. If you have no supplier rates yet, building a budget when rates are unknown shows how to plan with gaps.
How we write the quote
We quote each event from its scope: date, area, hours, crew, films and travel. We state how tax is shown and what is included in writing for your event videography booking.
If you have a quotation in hand, or only a rough scope, message us the date, venue and the films you want. We will write down what the quote includes, how tax is shown and how payment is staged for your event.
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