---
title: Create a One-Time Invoice
description: create a one-time invoice
---
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1. [HOA Start - Empower](https://help.hoastart.app/?hsLang=en)
2. [Invoicing & Billing](https://help.hoastart.app/invoicing-billing?hsLang=en)
# Create a One-Time Invoice
Every invoice — whether it is a single one-off charge or a recurring monthly/annual due — is created by setting up an **Invoice Schedule** under **Balances \> Invoice Schedules**. A one-time charge uses the **Once** frequency; recurring dues use **Monthly** or **Annually**. You can open the Create Invoice Schedule form from **Balances \> Invoice Schedules \> List Actions \> Create Invoice Schedule**, or from the **Create Invoice** tile on the Dashboard.
Use a "Once" schedule for a charge that isn't part of the regular dues cycle — something billed a single time to specific properties, not every property on a recurring schedule. Examples:
- A special assessment to cover an unexpected roof repair, charged only to the units in the affected building.
- A move-in or move-out fee charged to one property when an owner sells or a tenant relocates.
- A one-time fine for a rule violation (for example, an unapproved fence) charged only to that property.
Compare that to a Monthly or Annually schedule, which is for recurring charges like standard HOA dues billed to every property on the same cadence.
##### **Steps**
1. Go to **Balances \> Invoice Schedules**.
2. Click **List Actions \> Create Invoice Schedule**.
3. Fill in **Invoice Name** (required — what shows on the invoice and in lists, e.g. "Special Assessment - Roof Repair") and, optionally, **Invoice Schedule Description** (internal notes about why this charge exists; members never see this).
4. Leave **Activate Charge** on (the default) so the schedule is live once saved. Turning it off saves the schedule without generating any invoices yet — useful if you want to set one up ahead of time and switch it on later.
5. Choose Income Type and Asset Type:
- **Income Type** — what kind of revenue this is on the organization's books (options include 4000 - Assessment Income, 4010 - Special Assessment Income, 4100 - Late Fees, 4110 - Interest Income - Late Fees, 4200 - Other Income, 4300 - Amenity Fees, 4400 - Transfer Fees).
- **Asset Type** — the receivable account tracking what's owed until it's paid (options include 1100 - Accounts Receivable - Assessments, 1110 - Accounts Receivable - Other, 1200 - Prepaid Insurance, 1210 - Prepaid Expenses - Other, 1300 - Undeposited Funds).
Getting these right keeps the organization's financial reports accurate. When in doubt for a special assessment, “Special Assessment Income + Accounts Receivable - Assessments” is a safe, common combination.
1. Enter the **Amount** — the dollar amount each selected property will be charged. The system enforces a $5.00 minimum; entering less shows an inline error ("Amount must be at least $5.00") and blocks saving. (See “[How Invoice Schedules Generate One Invoice Per Property](https://help.hoastart.app/how-invoice-schedules-generate-one-invoice-per-property?hsLang=en)” — this amount is billed per property, not split across them.)
2. Set **Frequency** to **Once** for a single, non-recurring invoice (or Monthly / Annually for recurring dues). Once is the default selection when the form opens.
3. Set the **Issuance Date** and **Due Date** (both required, mm/dd/yyyy):
- **Issuance Date** is the date the invoice is officially generated and becomes visible to the member — it's the invoice's "created on" date. It must be today or a later date.
- **Due Date** is the date payment is expected by. The Invoice Dashboard counts its Current and Past Due tiles from this date.
- Optionally add **Invoice Instructions** — free text shown to the member on the invoice itself (for example, payment instructions or context for the charge).
1. Optionally expand **Late Fees** and click **Configure** to enable a late fee that automatically applies if the invoice isn't paid by its due date. Once at least one invoice has been issued from a schedule, the Late Fees section becomes permanently locked ("No late fees were configured for this schedule, and they cannot be added because invoices have already been issued") — configure late fees before the first invoice goes out if you want them.
2. Under **Select Properties to charge**, search/filter the property list and check every property this invoice applies to. For a one-time charge this is usually one property or a small subset, not the whole organization. Each checked property receives its own separate invoice for the full Amount entered.
3. Click **Save**. An “Invoice schedule created successfully” confirmation appears with Leave and Create Another buttons.
##### Good to know
- Issuance and due dates use the organization's configured time zone (the note at the top of the form shows it, for example "Eastern Time (US & Canada)").
- The invoice does not appear in Balances \> Invoice Dashboard immediately if the Issuance Date is in the future — invoices generate on/around their issuance date, not the moment the schedule is saved.
- If the organization has not connected Stripe, the Invoice Schedules list shows a note that online payments cannot be accepted until an active Stripe account is set up. See [How Do I Connect an Organization to Stripe](https://help.hoastart.app/how-do-i-connect-an-organization-to-stripe?hsLang=en).
##### After creating
The new schedule appears in the Invoice Schedules list with its Properties count, Amount, Frequency, Late Invoices count, and Charge Status (Active or Inactive). Once its issuance date arrives, the generated invoices appear individually in Balances \> Invoice Dashboard — one row per property, each with its own Invoice # — and in Balances \> Payment Dashboard once paid. Clicking **Actions \> Summary** on a schedule's row opens an Invoice Schedule Summary page showing Total Amount Invoiced, Total Invoices, and Open / Paid / Late breakdowns for everything that schedule has generated. To check the invoices after they generate, see [How Do I View the Invoice Dashboard](https://help.hoastart.app/how-do-i-view-the-invoice-dashboard?hsLang=en). To pause or stop a schedule, see [How Do I View and Manage Invoice Schedules?](https://help.hoastart.app/how-do-i-view-and-manage-invoice-schedules?hsLang=en)
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