Invoicing in Australia
Australian invoice template
This generator opens with Australia's own labels, currency and number format already set.
What an Australian invoice has to say on its face
Required on the document
- The words “Tax invoice”, if you are registered for GST. The law asks that it is clear the document was meant to be a tax invoice.
- Your identity and ABN.
- What was sold, with the quantity (if applicable) and the price, and the extent to which each supply is taxable.
- The GST payable on each supply. The ATO says it can be shown separately or, if it is exactly one-eleventh of the total price, as the statement “Total price includes GST”.
- The date the invoice was issued.
- The buyer’s identity or ABN once the total price is $1,000 or more.
- If you are not registered for GST, use a regular invoice that shows no GST. Never call it a “tax invoice”.
The one people get wrong
Under the no-ABN withholding rule, a business paying you for work done in the course of your enterprise, with no ABN quoted on the invoice or another document, generally has to withhold the top rate of tax from the payment and send it to the ATO. It applies when the total payment is more than $75, excluding GST. A private homeowner paying for work at home is outside the rule.
The rate
GST is 10% on taxable sales.
That is the standard rate as a matter of public record. Whether it is the rate for your work, and whether you are registered at all, are questions about your business — this page does not know, the app does not look it up, and neither will guess.
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What a tax invoice must show
If a customer asks for a tax invoice for a taxable sale, you must give it within 28 days. You do not have to for a sale of $82.50 or less including GST.
Under the GST Act, a tax invoice must let the reader clearly work out who the supplier is and their ABN, what was supplied with quantity (if applicable) and price, and how much of each supply is taxable. It must show the date it was issued and the GST payable on each supply. If the total price is $1,000 or more, it must also show the buyer’s identity or ABN.
The ATO says a tax invoice under $1,000 must show seven details, and that the GST can be shown as a separate amount or, if it is exactly one-eleventh of the total, as the statement “Total price includes GST”. A PDF sent by email is a valid tax invoice if it holds all the required information.
A tax invoice that is wrong or missing details may not support the buyer’s GST credit, although the Commissioner can treat a document as a tax invoice. Replace it when the buyer asks.
What to put on an invoice if you are not registered for GST
If you are not registered for GST, you do not include GST in your prices. Use a regular invoice, and make sure it shows that GST was not included. business.gov.au says you must not use “tax invoice” on it.
The law does not set the contents of a regular invoice. Even so, you must give a customer a receipt for a sale of $75 or more (excluding GST), and for a smaller sale within 7 days if they ask for one.
Registration is required once your GST turnover reaches $75,000. That is your income, not your profit. You register within 21 days of becoming aware you will go over. Taxi and ride-sourcing drivers must register at any turnover. You can also register voluntarily below the threshold. GST is 10%.
Leaving your ABN off an invoice
If you do not give an ABN, and the total payment is more than $75 excluding GST, the business paying you generally has to withhold the top rate of tax and pay it to the ATO. The rule does not apply if the invoice, or another document for the supply, quotes your ABN.
It also does not apply when the payer is not paying in the course of an enterprise it carries on in Australia. A private homeowner paying for work at home is in that group.
Keep most business records for at least five years. Some businesses also send and receive invoices through the Peppol network. business.gov.au describes this as e-invoicing between businesses, and says it does not apply to sales to consumers.
The free generator above sets up an Australian invoice with the right labels and currency.
Common questions
Do I need to put GST on my invoice if I’m not registered?
No. If you are not registered for GST, you do not include GST in your prices, and your invoice should show that GST was not included. Do not call it a tax invoice.
When do I have to register for GST?
When your GST turnover reaches $75,000. That is income, not profit. You register within 21 days of becoming aware you will go over.
What must a tax invoice include?
The supplier’s identity and ABN, what was supplied with quantity and price, the extent each supply is taxable, the date issued, and the GST payable. At $1,000 or more it must also show the buyer’s identity or ABN.
Sources
Checked against official sources on 10 October 2026.