Australian Invoice Template: Tax Invoice and Non-GST Versions

Short answer: Use the tax invoice template if you are registered for GST and the plain invoice template if you are not. An Australian tax invoice must show that it is a tax invoice, your identity and ABN, the issue date, what you sold with quantity and price, the GST, and how much of each sale is taxable — plus the buyer’s name or ABN once the sale reaches $1,000. A non-GST invoice says “Invoice”, carries your ABN and a single total, and never shows GST.

Both templates follow the ATO’s tax invoice rules as they apply in the 2026–27 income year, for sole traders, tradies and freelancers billing customers in Australia. There is nothing to download: copy the layout into Word, Google Docs or a spreadsheet and fill in the brackets. For the reasons behind each field — ABN withholding, when GST registration starts, numbering and payment terms — read how to invoice as a sole trader in Australia; for the arithmetic, see how to calculate GST.

Which Australian invoice template do I need?

Your GST registration decides it: registered sellers issue tax invoices, and everyone else issues a plain invoice.

Your situation	Template to use	Heading	GST on the invoice
Registered for GST	Tax invoice	”Tax invoice”	GST amount, or the statement “Total price includes GST”
Not registered for GST	Invoice	”Invoice” — never “tax invoice”	None at all
Registered, selling a mix of taxable and GST-free items	Tax invoice	”Tax invoice”	Mark which lines are taxable and show the GST

The second row is where most mistakes happen. business.gov.au is explicit that a regular invoice uses the word “invoice” and must not use “tax invoice”. If you are not registered, you cannot charge GST, so that template has no GST line at all. Once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 you must register for GST within 21 days and switch to the tax invoice template — sole trader taxes in Australia covers the test.

What does the ATO require on a tax invoice?

Seven details for a sale under $1,000, and an eighth — the buyer’s identity or ABN — for a sale of $1,000 or more.

#	What the ATO requires	Where it sits on the template
1	That the document is intended to be a tax invoice	The “TAX INVOICE” heading
2	The seller’s identity	”From” line
3	The seller’s ABN	”ABN” line
4	The date the invoice was issued	”Date issued”
5	A brief description of what was sold, with quantity (if applicable) and price	Line items
6	The GST amount payable, if any	GST line
7	The extent to which each sale on the invoice is taxable	GST line, or a marker on GST-free lines
8	From $1,000: the buyer’s identity or ABN	”Bill to” block

The ATO allows an invoice that meets the $1,000-and-over requirements to be used for smaller sales too. That is why the template below always has a “Bill to” block: you never need to remember which side of $1,000 a job landed on.

An invoice number, due date and payment details are not on the ATO’s list, but business.gov.au treats them as standard practice and clients expect them.

Tax invoice template for GST-registered sellers

Copy this block, replace everything in square brackets and delete any line you do not need.

TAX INVOICE

Invoice no:    [0001]
Date issued:   [DD/MM/YYYY]
Due date:      [DD/MM/YYYY]

From:          [Your name or business name]
ABN:           [00 000 000 000]
Contact:       [Phone] [Email] [Address]

Bill to:       [Customer name or business name]
Customer ABN:  [If a business; name or ABN is
                required for sales of $1,000+]

Description            Qty   Unit price   Amount
[Item or service]      [1]   [$0.00]      [$0.00]
[Item or service]      [1]   [$0.00]      [$0.00]

Subtotal (excl. GST)                      [$0.00]
GST                                       [$0.00]
Total (incl. GST)                         [$0.00]

Pay to:   [Account name]
          BSB [000-000]  Account [00000000]
          Reference: [invoice number]
Terms:    Payment due within [14] days

If one invoice mixes taxable and GST-free items — fresh food alongside labour, for example — add a marker such as * to the GST-free lines and a note at the bottom (”* GST-free”). The ATO requires the invoice to show the extent to which each sale is taxable, and it must show each taxable sale, the GST and the total to be paid.

Invoice template for sellers not registered for GST

This is the same layout with every GST element removed.

INVOICE

Invoice no:    [0001]
Date issued:   [DD/MM/YYYY]
Due date:      [DD/MM/YYYY]

From:          [Your name or business name]
ABN:           [00 000 000 000]
Contact:       [Phone] [Email] [Address]

Bill to:       [Customer name or business name]

Description            Qty   Unit price   Amount
[Item or service]      [1]   [$0.00]      [$0.00]
[Item or service]      [1]   [$0.00]      [$0.00]

Total due                                 [$0.00]

Not registered for GST.

Pay to:   [Account name]
          BSB [000-000]  Account [00000000]
          Reference: [invoice number]
Terms:    Payment due within [14] days

The “Not registered for GST” line is optional, but it stops a business client asking where the GST is. Keep the ABN line even though nothing about a plain invoice is prescribed: if you do not quote an ABN and the payment is more than $75 excluding GST, a business paying you generally has to withhold the top rate of tax — 47% in 2026–27 — and send it to the ATO.

What does a filled-in tax invoice look like for a tradie?

Here is the GST template completed by a registered electrician for a switchboard upgrade. The total is over $1,000, so the customer’s name and address are on it.

TAX INVOICE

Invoice no:    2026-0142
Date issued:   06/10/2026
Due date:      20/10/2026

From:          Sam Nguyen, Nguyen Electrical
ABN:           12 345 678 901
Contact:       0400 000 000  sam@example.com.au

Bill to:       Priya Sharma
               14 Example Street, Geelong VIC

Description              Qty  Unit price   Amount
Switchboard upgrade,       6     $110.00  $660.00
  labour (hours)
RCBO safety switches       4      $65.00  $260.00
Switchboard enclosure      1     $185.00  $185.00
Call-out fee               1      $90.00   $90.00

Subtotal (excl. GST)                    $1,195.00
GST                                       $119.50
Total (incl. GST)                       $1,314.50

Terms:    Payment due within 14 days

GST is 10% of the GST-exclusive subtotal: $1,195.00 × 0.10 = $119.50. Every line is taxable, so no GST-free markers are needed. (The ABN shown is an example and not a real number.)

What does a filled-in invoice look like for a freelancer?

This is the non-GST template completed by a graphic designer who is not registered for GST, billing a café for a logo and menu design.

INVOICE

Invoice no:    MC-031
Date issued:   06/10/2026
Due date:      05/11/2026

From:          Mia Collins Design
ABN:           98 765 432 109
Contact:       mia@example.com.au

Bill to:       Harbour Lane Café Pty Ltd
               ABN 45 678 901 234

Description              Qty  Unit price   Amount
Logo design and           1      $950.00  $950.00
  three revisions
Menu layout, A3 print     1      $500.00  $500.00
  and digital

Total due                               $1,450.00

Not registered for GST.

Terms:    Payment due within 30 days

Had Mia been registered for GST and priced the job at $1,450 including GST, she would use the tax invoice template. With every item taxable, the GST is one-eleventh of the total — $1,450 ÷ 11 = $131.82 — and the ATO accepts the statement “Total price includes GST” instead of a GST amount. The sample ABNs are examples only.

How should I number, send and store the invoices?

Give every invoice a unique number from one sequence and never reuse or delete one.

• Numbering: a plain run (0001, 0002), a year prefix (2026-0142) or a client prefix (MC-031) all work. Pick one and stick to it.
• Sending: most sole traders email a PDF. What matters to the ATO is the information on the invoice, not whether it is on paper.
• Storage: keep a copy of every invoice for 5 years from when you issued it or completed the transaction, whichever is later; sole trader expenses and receipts covers the rest of your records.

Before you send one, check the client’s ABN on ABN Lookup — how to find an ABN shows what to look for. If you price jobs before doing them, the quote template covers the step before the invoice.

Can I make these invoices on my phone, and where does Keel fit?

Yes — any app that produces every field in the tables above gives you a valid invoice.

Keel: Invoice Maker & Receipts, by Ilura Technology OÜ, creates invoices like these on iPhone as PDFs. An accepted quote becomes the invoice in one tap, each job keeps its quote, receipts and invoice together, and “who owes you” prepares reminder drafts that you review and send — nothing is sent automatically. Records stay on the iPhone: no account, no bank connection, no cloud sync, and the App Store privacy label reads “Data Not Collected”.

Keel is free with no invoice limit; free invoices carry a small “Made with Keel” footer. Keel Lifetime is a one-time purchase ($249.99 USD; the App Store shows your local price) that adds custom branding, a signature, premium templates and accountant-ready exports. It is a record keeper, not a tax tool: it does not lodge your BAS, connect to the ATO or work out the tax you owe, so check each invoice against the tables above. Keel on the App Store. More Australian guides are in the Australia hub.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free invoice template for Australia? Yes — the two templates above are free to copy into Word, Google Docs or Google Sheets, and they include every field the ATO requires. Use the tax invoice version if you are registered for GST and the plain invoice version if you are not. Nothing has to be downloaded, and the layout works the same in any program.

What is the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice in Australia? A tax invoice is issued by a seller registered for GST and must carry the ATO’s required details, including the GST. A plain invoice is issued by a seller who is not registered for GST; it must not be headed “tax invoice” and must not show GST. Business customers need a tax invoice to support their GST credit claims.

Do I have to put my ABN on my invoice template? On a tax invoice, yes — the seller’s ABN is one of the ATO’s required details. On a non-GST invoice it is not prescribed, but if you leave it off and the payment is over $75 excluding GST, a business client generally has to withhold 47% (the 2026–27 top rate) and send it to the ATO. Put your ABN on every invoice you send, whatever your GST status, so the question never comes up.

Do I need the customer’s details on an invoice under $1,000? Not for the ATO: the buyer’s identity or ABN is only required on tax invoices for sales of $1,000 or more. The ATO lets you use the $1,000-and-over format for smaller sales too, so most people include the customer’s name on every invoice. It also makes chasing payment and matching records much easier.

Do I have to show GST as a separate line on a tax invoice? Not always. If every item on the invoice is taxable, the GST is exactly one-eleventh of the total, and the ATO accepts the statement “Total price includes GST” instead of a separate amount. If the invoice mixes taxable and GST-free items, you must show which items are taxable, the GST amount and the total to be paid.

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This article is general information, not tax advice. Consult a qualified Australian tax professional.