A valid tax invoice in Australia must show the words "Tax invoice", your business name and ABN, the date issued, a description of the work, and the GST amount (or a line saying the total includes GST). For any invoice of $1,000 or more, you also need the buyer's name or ABN. You can only issue a tax invoice with GST if you are registered for GST.
That is the checklist. Here is what each part means in practice.
The fields every tax invoice needs
For a sale under $1,000, a valid tax invoice must include:
- The words "Tax invoice", clearly shown.
- Your identity (business or trading name).
- Your ABN.
- The date the invoice was issued.
- A description of the items or services, including quantity where relevant.
- The GST amount payable, or a statement such as "Total price includes GST".
For a sale of $1,000 or more, you must also include:
- The buyer's identity or ABN.
Get any of these wrong and your customer may not be able to claim their GST credit, which is the fastest way to get an invoice bounced back to you.
Our free GST Invoice Generator builds an invoice with all of these fields already in place, so you cannot leave one out.
The 10 percent and the one eleventh
GST in Australia is 10 percent. If you are registered, you add 10 percent to your price and pay it to the ATO on your Business Activity Statement.
If you quote a GST-inclusive total, the GST portion is one eleventh of that total. So on a $1,100 invoice, $100 is GST. It helps to show the breakdown on the invoice: the work at $1,000, GST at $100, total at $1,100.
If you are not registered for GST
You only register for GST once your turnover hits $75,000 in a 12-month period. Below that it is optional.
If you are not registered:
- Do not add GST to your prices.
- Do not use the words "tax invoice". Just call it an "Invoice".
- You still show your name, ABN, the date, a description and the total.
Sending a "tax invoice" with GST when you are not registered is a real problem with the ATO, so get this one right.
Keep it simple and consistent
Use the same clean layout on every job: your details and ABN up top, a clear line-item description, the GST broken out, and a total. Number your invoices in order so they are easy to track at tax time.
This is general information, not tax advice. For the current rules on tax invoices and GST registration, check the ATO website or talk to a registered tax agent.