Confusing a quote and an invoice, or using them interchangeably, is a common mistake among professionals starting out, and has different legal and tax implications worth being clear about.
A quote is a proposal, not a charge
A quote is an informative document detailing the work, price and conditions before anything is carried out. It creates no obligation to pay by itself nor has tax effects: it is an offer the client can freely accept or reject.
An invoice is the tax document for the charge
An invoice is issued when the work has been done (or at least has started to be billed, in the case of staged payments), and does have tax effects: it must be declared in the professional's accounts and entitles the client to deduct VAT if applicable, among other legal implications.
Why you can't invoice without a previously accepted quote
Issuing an invoice without the client having first accepted a clear quote is a practice that breeds distrust and exposes the professional to non-payment or complaints, precisely because there is no prior record that the client knew and accepted the price and scope of the work.
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