Australian invoice template no GST

The short answer

For an Australian invoice template with no GST: if you are not registered for GST, do not charge it and do not call your invoice a "Tax invoice". Call it "Invoice", put your ABN on it, and add a line such as "No GST has been charged". Set the GST rate to 0% in the template and the total is just your prices added up.

You can do this in Duebolt's free invoice maker. Pick Australia, set the rate to 0%, fill in your ABN, and download an A4 PDF. No signup, no watermark.

How it works

GST registration is what decides this. Per Westpac's small business guide, you must register once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 (or $150,000 for non-profits). Below that, registering is optional. If you are not registered, you cannot charge GST, so your invoice shows the price and nothing else.

A tax invoice is the document a GST-registered seller gives a buyer so the buyer can claim a GST credit. If you are not registered, there is no GST to claim, so you have no use for one.

What a no-GST invoice should have

• The word Invoice at the top, not "Tax invoice".
• Your business name or your name, and your ABN.
• A unique invoice number and the issue date.
• Your client's name.
• A short description of each item, with quantity and price.
• The total, in Australian dollars.
• A line saying no GST has been charged, or a GST amount of $0.
• Payment due date and how to pay: BSB and account number, or PayID.

Why keep your ABN on it

Quote your ABN even if you are not registered for GST. When a business pays a supplier who has not given an ABN, it generally has to withhold 47% of the payment and send it to the ATO. Many businesses will not pay an invoice without an ABN.

Setting it up in Duebolt

1. Open the editor and choose Australia as the country.
2. Enter your ABN in the registration numbers section.
3. Set the tax rate to 0. Australia starts at 10%, so this step is easy to forget.
4. Type "No GST has been charged" in the notes.
5. Add your items and your BSB, account number or PayID, then download the PDF.

Duebolt only switches the title to "Tax invoice" when a seller ABN is filled in and tax is actually charged. At 0% the title stays "Invoice", which is what you want here.

An example

A freelance designer without GST registration invoices a client for a logo.

Above the table: "Invoice", the designer's name and ABN, the invoice number, the issue date and the client's name. Below it: "No GST has been charged. Payment due within 14 days. BSB 062-000, account 12345678".

That is the whole document. For more layouts, see our guide on what an invoice looks like.

Common mistakes

• Leaving GST at 10%. The Australian setting adds GST by default. Check the total before you send.
• Writing "Tax invoice" without being registered. Use "Invoice".
• Skipping the ABN. You risk the 47% withholding, or a client who will not pay.
• Missing the registration threshold. The $75,000 figure is measured over the current month and the previous 11 months, not the financial year. Once you pass it, you must register and start issuing tax invoices.
• Having no ABN at all. Check with the ATO before you invoice a business client without one.

When you need a tax invoice instead

Switch once you register for GST. A tax invoice has to say it is a tax invoice, show your name and ABN, the date, a description of what you sold, and the GST amount. Sales of $1,000 or more also need the buyer's name or ABN. A customer who asks for one must get it within 28 days, unless the sale is $82.50 or less including GST. Details are on the ATO's tax invoice page.

For that, use the Australian tax invoice template or read the tax invoice template guide.

Where Duebolt fits, and where it does not

Duebolt is a good fit if you send a few invoices a month and want a clean PDF fast. Saving clients and items, sending invoices as a link, and payment reminders are in Duebolt Pro ($5/month or $49 once). The free editor does not have them.

If you need bank feeds, BAS reporting or automatic GST returns, you need accounting software. Duebolt does not do that. Our business invoice software comparison covers the options.

Duebolt does not check whether your invoice meets any ATO requirement. Confirm your own situation with the ATO or your accountant.