An Australian tax invoice must show that it is a tax invoice, your name and ABN, the date, what you sold with quantity and price, the GST amount, and how much of the sale is taxable. Sales of $1,000 or more also need the buyer's name or ABN. Not registered for GST? Issue a plain "invoice" with your ABN and no GST.
Download the free template below in Word, PDF or Excel, or fill it in online and download a PDF in about two minutes, without signing up.
Free Tax Invoice Template (Australia)
For businesses registered for GST. Use the filled-in example to see the layout, or the blank version for your own details.
The online editor opens in Australian dollars with the title set to TAX INVOICE, GST at 10% and a line for your ABN. Change the details and download your PDF.
The Word file opens in Word, Google Docs (File → Open → Upload), Pages and LibreOffice. All templates are A4.
Invoice Template Without GST (ABN Invoice for Sole Traders)
Not registered for GST? Use this version: it is titled "Invoice", shows your ABN, and charges no GST.
In the spreadsheet, set the GST rate to 0% and change the title to INVOICE. In the online editor, change the title to INVOICE and set the tax to 0.
What a tax invoice must include (ATO checklist)
For taxable sales of less than $1,000, the ATO says a tax invoice must include these seven details:
Sales of $1,000 or more must also show the buyer's identity or ABN. The template has a line for it under the client's name.
Good practice, though not on the ATO's list: an invoice number, a due date, your contact details, and how to pay you (BSB and account number). Business.gov.au recommends always stating when and how you want to be paid.
Tax invoice example (filled-in sample)
This is the example from the PDF above: a graphic designer in Melbourne, registered for GST, billing a cafe for a branding project. The sale is over $1,000, so the cafe's ABN is on the invoice.
| Description | Qty | Price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logo design and brand guide | 1 | $1,400.00 | $1,400.00 |
| Menu design — 2 pages | 1 | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Social media templates (6) | 1 | $300.00 | $300.00 |
| Subtotal (excl. GST) | $2,150.00 | ||
| GST (10%) | $215.00 | ||
| Total incl. GST (AUD) | $2,365.00 | ||
Above the table, the invoice shows "Tax invoice", the designer's business name and ABN, the invoice number and issue date, and the cafe's name and ABN. Below it: "Payment due within 14 days. Bank transfer: BSB 000-000, account 00000000. Please use invoice number 2026-041 as the payment reference."
Invoicing when you are not registered for GST
Many sole traders start out below the GST threshold. Their invoices work differently:
- Don't call it a tax invoice. The ATO says businesses that aren't registered for GST should not use the words "tax invoice" and must issue standard invoices.
- Don't add GST. No GST line, and no "includes GST" statement. Some people add "No GST has been charged" to save the client asking.
- Do show your ABN. If you don't quote an ABN, a business paying you generally has to withhold 47% of the payment for the ATO.
- Register when you reach the threshold. GST registration is required once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. From then on, your invoices become tax invoices.
There is no law that sets out what goes on a regular invoice, but business.gov.au suggests the same basics: the word "invoice", your business name and ABN, an invoice number, the date, your contact details, what you sold with quantity and price, your payment terms, and the buyer's name.
How to show GST on an invoice
GST in Australia is 10%. There are two common ways to show it:
- GST-exclusive prices: list prices without GST, then add a GST line. $2,150 + $215 GST = $2,365.
- GST-inclusive prices: list prices that already include GST and state "Total price includes GST". The GST is one-eleventh of the total: $2,365 ÷ 11 = $215.
If some items are GST-free, label those lines "GST-free" so the invoice shows the extent to which each sale is taxable. The ATO points to the MoneySmart GST calculator if you want to check your sums.
When you must give a tax invoice
If a customer asks for a tax invoice, you must give them one within 28 days. You don't have to for sales of $82.50 or less (including GST). In practice, send one with every sale to a business: they need it to claim the GST back.
How to create an Australian tax invoice online
Open the template
Open the Australian tax invoice template. It starts in AUD with the title TAX INVOICE and GST at 10%. No sign-up is needed to try it.
Add your details and ABN
Your business name, contact details and logo, and your ABN in the notes. They are saved for every future invoice.
Add your client
The client's name and address, plus their ABN if the sale is $1,000 or more.
List what you sold
One line per service or item with quantity and price. The GST and total work themselves out. Not registered? Change the title to INVOICE and set the tax to 0.
Download the PDF or email it
Download the PDF or email it to your client straight from the app.
Getting paid on time
- State your terms on the invoice — for example "Payment due within 14 days" and your BSB and account number.
- Send it the day you finish — invoices sent at the time of sale get paid sooner.
- Follow up when it is late — here are payment reminder emails you can copy, or let Pro send reminders automatically 1, 7 and 14 days after the due date.
Free invoice generator for Australian sole traders
- Professional A4 PDF with your logo
- AUD and eight other currencies, chosen per invoice
- Email invoices to clients straight from the app
- Track status — draft, unpaid, paid, overdue
- Automatic payment reminders 1, 7 and 14 days after the due date (Pro)
The free plan includes 3 invoices with no credit card. Pro is US$9 a month for unlimited invoices. It doesn't do bookkeeping, BAS or card payments; if you need those, accounting software is the better fit.
This is general information from the ATO and business.gov.au, checked on 27 October 2026, not tax advice. Check your situation with the ATO or a registered tax agent.
Make your tax invoice now
AUD, GST at 10% and a line for your ABN, ready to fill in. No sign-up needed to try it.
Open the Australian TemplateFrequently asked questions
What must be on a tax invoice in Australia?
The ATO lists seven things for sales under $1,000: that the document is intended to be a tax invoice, the seller's identity, the seller's ABN, the date it was issued, a brief description of what was sold with the quantity and price, the GST amount (if any), and the extent to which each sale on the invoice is taxable. For sales of $1,000 or more it must also show the buyer's identity or ABN.
Do I need to write "tax invoice" on my invoice?
If you are registered for GST, yes: the ATO says your invoices should be called "tax invoice". If you are not registered for GST, the ATO says your invoices should not include the words "tax invoice"; issue a standard invoice instead.
Can I invoice without being registered for GST?
Yes. If you are not registered, you issue a regular invoice with no GST on it and you do not call it a tax invoice. You must register once your GST turnover reaches the $75,000 threshold. Show your ABN on the invoice: if you don't quote one, a business paying you generally has to withhold 47% of the payment and send it to the ATO.
When do I have to give a customer a tax invoice?
If a customer asks for one, you must provide it within 28 days. Sales of $82.50 or less (including GST) are exempt. Most businesses simply send a tax invoice with every sale.
How do I work out GST on an invoice?
GST in Australia is 10%. Add 10% to a GST-exclusive price ($1,000 + $100 GST = $1,100), or take one-eleventh of a GST-inclusive price ($1,100 ÷ 11 = $100 GST). Show the GST amount on the invoice, or state that the total price includes GST.
Is there a free tax invoice template in Word?
Yes. The Word template on this page (.docx) opens in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Pages and LibreOffice. There is also a version without GST for sole traders who are not registered, blank and filled-in PDFs, an Excel spreadsheet that works out the GST, and an online editor that opens with AUD and 10% GST already set.