Interest Note Generator — create a nota odsetkowa online for free

What should an interest note contain?

• Party detailsFull company name, registered address and VAT (NIP) number of both the creditor (issuing the note) and the debtor. Incomplete details make identification of the parties difficult and may weaken the evidentiary value of the document.
• Source invoiceInvoice number, issue date and gross amount on which interest is calculated. The note must clearly identify the specific invoice, enabling the debtor to match the interest claim to the underlying obligation.
• Interest calculationThe applicable interest rate (e.g. 15.75% for commercial transactions), the accrual period (from the day after the payment due date to the note issue date or payment date), the calculation formula and the resulting interest amount. Formula: Amount × Rate% / 365 × Number_of_days.
• Legal basisReference to Art. 7(1) or Art. 8(1) of the Act of 8 March 2013 on Counteracting Excessive Delays in Commercial Transactions (Journal of Laws 2023, item 1790, consolidated text), or Art. 481 §1 of the Civil Code — depending on the nature of the transaction.
• Payment deadline and bank accountA clear deadline by which the debtor must pay the interest (usually 7–14 days from the note issue date), the creditor's full bank account number and a suggested payment reference (e.g. "Interest on Invoice INV/123/2025").

When to issue an interest note?

• After the payment due date passes: You can issue an interest note as early as the day after the payment deadline stated on the invoice. Interest accrues automatically by operation of law from the day following the required payment date — you do not need to wait.
• After the principal has been paid: If the debtor paid the main invoice but without interest, you can issue an interest note covering the entire delay period. The interest claim is an independent claim, separate from the principal amount.
• Separately for each invoice: Standard practice is to issue an interest note for each unpaid invoice individually. This makes it easier to assign the claim to a specific obligation and simplifies any subsequent court proceedings.
• Before the statute of limitations expires: An interest claim becomes time-barred after 3 years. To avoid losing the right to collect interest, issue the note or file a court claim before that deadline. Issuing a note alone does not interrupt the limitation period — only filing a court claim does.

Interest note and taxes

An interest note has a specific tax status because interest for late payment is not remuneration for a service or goods — it is a compensatory payment.

• Interest is outside the scope of VAT — Art. 5 of the Polish VAT Act does not cover interest for late payment; an interest note is not an invoice and does not enter the VAT records.
• Income is recognised on a cash basis — the creditor recognises income from interest only when it is actually received, not on the date the note is issued (Art. 12(4)(2) of the CIT Act).
• Not reported in JPK_V7 — an interest note is not included in either the VAT sales or purchase records; it is a purely accounting document.
• An interest note is an accounting document, not an invoice — it forms the basis for a journal entry to "Financial income" for the creditor and "Financial costs" for the debtor.
• The debtor deducts interest on a cash basis — for the debtor, interest becomes a deductible cost only after it has actually been paid, not on the date the note is received.

Frequently asked questions about interest notes

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