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Lodgya blog · 2 November 2026
Invoice Template Australia: What Every Invoice Must Show
What an Australian invoice must show, from ABN and GST to payment terms, plus a simple template layout you can copy for your business today.
4 min read
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General information only, not tax advice. This article doesn't take your personal circumstances into account, and tax rules change each income year. Check the ATO website or speak to a registered tax agent before acting on it. Lodgya is a record-keeping tool and is not a registered tax agent. See our disclaimer.
An invoice template for Australia needs your business name, your ABN, the date, a unique invoice number, the customer's details, a clear description of what you supplied, the amount owed, and your payment terms. Add your bank details and it is ready to send. If you are registered for GST, it also needs to be labelled a tax invoice with the GST shown separately. If you are not registered, leave GST off completely and call it an invoice, not a tax invoice.
The fields every invoice must show
Get these into your template once and every invoice after that is quick. The table below covers the core fields and what belongs in each one.
Field | What goes there |
|---|---|
Business name and ABN | Your legal or trading name plus your 11 digit Australian Business Number |
Invoice date | The date you issue the invoice, which drives your payment terms |
Invoice number | A unique reference you never reuse, such as INV-0042 |
Customer details | Name, address and email of the person or business paying |
Description and amount | What you supplied, quantity, unit price, subtotal and total |
GST status | Either a tax invoice with GST on its own line, or a plain invoice with no GST |
Payment terms | When payment is due and how to pay |
GST or no GST: get the label right
This is the part most people get wrong. Once you are registered for GST, the document is a tax invoice and the GST amount must appear as a separate line, not folded quietly into the total.
If you are not registered for GST, do not add 10 percent to your prices and do not title the document a tax invoice. Just use the word invoice, show the total, and leave the GST field out. Charging GST when you are not registered creates a mess you will have to unwind later. If you are unsure about your registration status, sign in to ATO online services with myID and check before you send anything.
A simple invoice template for Australia you can copy
Here is a plain text layout that works in Word, Excel or a PDF builder. Keep the order top to bottom.
Business or trading name, ABN, phone and email
The heading: Tax invoice if registered for GST, Invoice if not
Invoice number and invoice date
Due date, based on your payment terms
Bill to: customer name, address and email
Description of work or goods, quantity and unit price
Subtotal
GST amount on its own line and the total including GST (registered businesses only)
Payment terms, for example due within 14 days
Bank details: account name, BSB, account number and the invoice number as the payment reference
A short thank you and your contact details
Payment terms and bank details
Vague payment terms are why invoices sit unpaid. Write the due date as an actual date on the invoice, not just "30 days", so there is nothing to argue about. Put the invoice number in the payment reference field so the deposit is easy to match to the job.
Turning paid invoices into income records
An invoice proves what you charged. It does not, on its own, keep your income records tidy for tax time. Lodgya has a quotes and invoices builder made for sole traders and tradies: you build the quote, turn it into a PDF invoice, and once it is marked paid the invoice becomes an income record in your tracker. That means less double handling at the end of the financial year and a cleaner report for your accountant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an ABN on every invoice?
Yes. Your ABN should appear on every invoice you issue, whatever your turnover or GST status. Customers and businesses that pay you may need to record it, and missing ABNs can lead to withholding questions from business clients. Keep it in the header of your template so it is never left off.
What is the difference between an invoice and a tax invoice?
A tax invoice is specifically for GST registered businesses and must show the GST amount separately. A plain invoice is what you send when you are not registered for GST. It looks almost identical, minus the GST line and the tax invoice heading. Using the wrong label confuses customers and your own records.
Can I make my own invoice in Word or Excel?
Yes. Free Australian invoice templates are widely available in PDF, Word and Excel formats, with and without GST fields. A spreadsheet version works fine at low volume. Once you are sending several a week, a builder that generates PDFs and keeps a record of what has been paid saves a lot of copying and pasting.
General information only, not tax advice. Check the ATO invoices page for the current record keeping rules, or speak to a registered tax agent about your own situation.
