Can I calculate an invoice from a photo?

Yes. Photograph the invoice with your phone or upload an existing image, and the supplier, invoice number, dates, currency and line items are read from it and placed into an editable invoice you can calculate from.

Which file types can I upload?

JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC/HEIF and PDF. Photos taken directly with a phone camera are supported, and large photos are reduced in the browser before being sent.

Can I upload a PDF invoice?

Yes. A PDF is often read more accurately than a photo because the text is already sharp, so use the PDF when you have one.

Is the extraction always accurate?

No. Automatic reading is an aid, not a guarantee. Creased paper, glare, handwriting, unusual layouts and low-light photos all reduce accuracy, which is why every field stays editable and uncertain fields are flagged for review.

How do I get a good photo of an invoice?

Lay the invoice flat, fill the frame with the page, use even light without a shadow across the totals, hold the camera parallel to the paper and check the line items are legible before uploading.

Invoice calculator from a photo or PDF

Photograph an invoice with your phone or upload a PDF, review the supplier, dates and line items that were read from it, then calculate the net amount, VAT and gross total.

Open the invoice calculator Check an invoice

Why start from the document

Retyping an invoice is where most mistakes come from: a digit dropped from a unit price, a quantity read off the wrong row, a VAT rate carried over from the line above. Starting from the document itself removes most of that typing, and leaves you with the shorter job of checking what was read.

It is also the fastest route on a phone, where a photo takes seconds and typing a twenty-line invoice does not.

How it works

1Take a photo or choose a file — a phone photo, an image from your gallery, or a PDF.
2Extract — the supplier, invoice number, invoice date, due date, currency, payment method and line items are read from the document.
3Review and edit — check every field, correct anything that was read wrongly, and add or delete lines.
4Calculate — line totals, the net subtotal, VAT per rate and the gross total are worked out from the corrected lines.
5Check — the calculated total is compared with the total stated on the document and any difference is explained.

Supported files

You can upload JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC/HEIF and PDF. The file type is verified from the file's own contents, not just its name. Large photos are reduced in the browser first so an upload from a phone does not stall on a weak connection.

Accuracy and review

Automatic reading is not perfect

Extraction from an image is a best effort. A folded page, a shadow across the totals column, a faded thermal print or a layout the model has not seen before can all produce a wrong value. No result should be treated as verified simply because it was filled in automatically.

What the tool does about it

Fields the system is less confident about are marked so you know where to look first, every field remains editable, and the arithmetic is always recalculated from the values shown on screen rather than from a total the document asserted. Replacing the photo clears the previous data so two invoices can never be mixed.

Review before you rely on it

Read the extracted values against the document before you pay, forward or record anything based on them — especially quantities, unit prices and VAT rates, which drive every downstream figure.

Your documents stay private

Uploaded invoices belong to your account alone. They are never published, never listed in the sitemap and never shown to anyone else. Nothing from a document you upload appears on a public page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I calculate an invoice from a photo?: Yes. Photograph the invoice with your phone or upload an existing image, and the supplier, invoice number, dates, currency and line items are read from it and placed into an editable invoice you can calculate from.
Which file types can I upload?: JPG, PNG, WebP, HEIC/HEIF and PDF. Photos taken directly with a phone camera are supported, and large photos are reduced in the browser before being sent.
Can I upload a PDF invoice?: Yes. A PDF is often read more accurately than a photo because the text is already sharp, so use the PDF when you have one.
Is the extraction always accurate?: No. Automatic reading is an aid, not a guarantee. Creased paper, glare, handwriting, unusual layouts and low-light photos all reduce accuracy, which is why every field stays editable and uncertain fields are flagged for review.
How do I get a good photo of an invoice?: Lay the invoice flat, fill the frame with the page, use even light without a shadow across the totals, hold the camera parallel to the paper and check the line items are legible before uploading.

Extraction results are indicative and must be reviewed. ChargeAlign is a calculation and review tool, not tax, accounting or legal advice.

Related calculators and checks

Invoice calculator

Work out line totals, net subtotal, VAT and the gross invoice total.

VAT calculator

Add VAT to a net price or take VAT back out of a gross price.

Invoice checker

Go through an invoice field by field before you pay it.

Invoice discrepancy checker

See where a stated amount differs from the calculated amount.