Australian Tax Invoice Template

Australia sets its own rules for what an invoice must contain and how GST appears on it: including what the document has to be called, which is a compliance requirement and not a matter of style. This template handles both: pick your rate and the lines, the wording and the arithmetic follow.

At a glance

Standard GST rate: 10%.
The document must say "Tax invoice", not just "Invoice": this is a compliance requirement, not a style choice.
GST registration is compulsory once turnover reaches $75,000; invoices of $1,000 or more must also show the buyer's identity or ABN.

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Last reviewed 3 November 2026, against the sources listed below.

What Australian Taxation Office requires on the document

7 things have to appear before this counts as a tax invoice in Australia. The one people miss most often is the title itself: the document must carry the words “Tax invoice”, not “Invoice”.

The words “Tax invoice”
Your identity business or trading name
Your ABN
The date the invoice was issued
A description of the items sold, including quantity and price
The GST amount, or a statement that the total price includes GST
The extent to which each sale is taxable

Verified against Australian Taxation Office on 2026-09-11.

The $1,000 line, and what changes above it

Australia's tax invoice requirements step up at $1,000, and the addition is easy to miss because nothing about the document looks different until someone tries to claim on it.

Under $1,000: your identity, your ABN, the date, a description, the GST amount or a statement that the total includes GST.
$1,000 or more: all of that, plus the buyer's identity or their ABN.
The threshold is on the GST-exclusive value of the supply, not the total you invoice.

A business client cannot claim a GST credit on a $1,000-plus invoice that does not identify them, so the invoice comes back and payment waits.

GST-free is not the same as input-taxed

Two categories both result in no GST on the line, and they are not interchangeable, the difference decides whether you can claim GST back on what you bought to make the supply.

GST-free: basic food, most medical and educational supplies, exports. You charge no GST and still claim credits on your inputs.
Input-taxed: residential rent and most financial supplies. You charge no GST and cannot claim credits on related inputs.
Show either as a line at 0% with the reason named, rather than leaving it off the invoice.

If you are not registered for GST at all, that is a third case again: issue a plain invoice with no GST line and do not call it a tax invoice.

Recipient-created tax invoices: when your client issues the invoice, not you

For a defined set of supplies, the buyer is the one who issues the tax invoice instead of the supplier, this is a recipient-created tax invoice (RCTI), and it is a formal arrangement, not something either side can decide to do informally.

An RCTI is only valid for supplies listed in the ATO's RCTI determination, with a written agreement between supplier and recipient in place first.
The document must say it is a recipient-created tax invoice, and once it exists, the supplier must not also issue their own tax invoice for the same supply.
If you supply under an RCTI arrangement, you still need the agreement on file. A recipient-created invoice with no agreement behind it is not a valid tax invoice for either side.

This mostly shows up in agency and marketplace relationships, where the platform invoices on the supplier's behalf; it is the exception, most invoicing here is supplier-issued.

No ABN quoted: the payer withholds 47%, not a token amount

If a supplier doesn't quote an ABN on an invoice over $75 (excluding GST), the payer isn't just free to ignore it, they are required to withhold tax from the payment and send it to the ATO.

The withholding rate is 47% of the gross payment, current since 1 July 2017.
A cancelled, invalid ABN, or one that doesn't match the invoiced business name is treated the same as no ABN at all.
Several carve-outs exist, for example payments to non-residents for services performed entirely outside Australia, so check the ATO's exceptions before assuming it applies.

A supplier can avoid this entirely by quoting their ABN by the time payment is made, which is also why a template that omits the ABN field is a real cost to the person filling it in, not just a compliance gap.

GST registration and the value thresholds

The rules below only bite past a certain amount, which is what makes them easy to miss: an invoice that was fine last month becomes non-compliant the first time it crosses the line.

Invoices of $1,000 or more must also show the buyer's identity or ABN.
GST registration is compulsory once turnover reaches $75,000, or $150,000 for a non-profit.
For taxi and ride-share work, registration is compulsory from the first dollar.

GST rates

Pick the rate matching what you supply. The generator applies it as a named line, which is how a client's accounts team expects to see it.

GST rates for Australia
Applies to	GST	Combined	Notes
Standard rate	GST 10%	10%
GST-free supplies	No tax line	:	Basic food, most medical and educational supplies, some exports.
Not registered	No tax line	:	Turnover under $75,000 and not voluntarily registered.

Note: Rates shown for Australia, checked against Australian Taxation Office on 11 September 2026. Tax rates change by legislation, not on a schedule, so confirm yours before sending an invoice.

Sources

The requirements on this page come from the authorities that set them. Rules change, check the source before relying on it.

Tax invoices · Australian Taxation Office
Applying for an ABN · Australian Business Register
Statement by a supplier not quoting an ABN · Australian Taxation Office
Recipient-created tax invoices · Australian Taxation Office

Frequently asked questions

What GST rate should I charge in Australia?

GST 10%. Choose the one matching what you supply; the generator adds the line and does the arithmetic.

Do I need a abn to invoice?

You can invoice without one, but you cannot charge GST without being registered. GST registration is compulsory once turnover reaches $75,000, or $150,000 for a non-profit.

Is a PDF invoice valid in Australia?

Yes. Australia places no format requirement on an invoice: it must contain the required information, not arrive in a particular file type. Keep a copy for your records for as long as your authority requires.

Can I use this template if I am not registered for GST in Australia?

Yes, and you should not show a tax line at all. Charging GST while unregistered is an offence in most jurisdictions. Pick the "no tax" option and the line is omitted rather than shown as zero, which is a different statement.

Do I have to invoice in AUD if my client is in Australia?

The generator defaults to AUD for Australia, which is what a domestic client expects. You can invoice in another currency for an overseas client, just state the currency clearly so there is no ambiguity about what is owed.

What has to legally appear on a GST invoice in Australia?

Australia requires The words “Tax invoice”, Your identity business or trading name, Your ABN, The date the invoice was issued, among other items. The generator includes all of them automatically once you select Australia.

Does my invoice number have to be sequential?

Yes, Australian Taxation Office expects a unique, sequential invoice number it can follow without gaps or repeats; either looks like a missing invoice during an audit even when nothing is actually wrong. The generator's invoice number field is editable, so you can keep your own sequence running across invoices.

How long do I need to keep a copy of this invoice?

At least 5 years. Check with Australian Taxation Office if your situation (an audit, a dispute, a dissolved business) extends that.

Do I charge GST on an invoice to a client outside Australia?

Generally no: exports are commonly zero-rated or outside the tax's scope, but you still need evidence the customer is genuinely outside Australia (for goods, shipping/delivery proof) and the invoice should state why no tax was charged, e.g. "zero-rated export", rather than omitting the line silently.

Does the invoice need a signature, or does it have to be in a specific language?

No signature is required for a standard invoice, and there is no mandated language for domestic use, so write it in whatever language your client will actually read.

Related templates

Billed differently, but close enough to australia work that it's worth checking these too.

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