No VAT, but maybe sales tax
The United States has no federal VAT or GST. What you may have to charge is state and local sales tax, and that depends on two things: where the sale happens and what you sell.
- Physical goods are taxable in most states that have a sales tax.
- Services are a patchwork. Some states tax many services, others tax only a few named ones, and some none at all.
- A few states have no statewide sales tax.
If you're not sure, your state's department of revenue lists what's taxable. When nothing is taxable, set the rate to 0% and the invoice shows no tax line, like the example above. When it is, type your combined rate, decimals included (for example 8.875%).
What to put on a US invoice
There's no single federal rule for what an invoice must contain, so the practical standard is what a client's accounts payable team needs to pay you without emailing back:
- Invoice number and invoice date.
- Your business name, address, phone and email.
- The client's company name and billing address, and their PO number if they gave you one.
- Itemized lines: description, quantity, rate, amount.
- Sales tax, on its own line, if you charge it.
- Total due, payment terms (Net 15, Net 30) and the due date.
- How to pay: Zelle, bank transfer (ACH), check payable to, or PayPal.
Duebolt has a place for each of these, including the PO in Their reference.
EIN, W-9 and 1099s
Your EIN (Employer Identification Number) is optional on an invoice. Add it if you have one; many freelancers don't.
Never put your Social Security number on an invoice. If a business client needs your taxpayer ID, they'll usually ask for Form W-9, which the IRS describes as the way to give your correct taxpayer identification number to someone who has to file an information return about payments to you. For independent contractors that return is often Form 1099-NEC, which reports nonemployee compensation. Send the W-9 separately and securely, not attached to the invoice.
Homeowner or business client: what changes
A homeowner mostly wants to know what they're paying for and how to pay. Keep the lines plain ("Replace kitchen faucet" rather than a part number) and the terms short, often due on receipt.
A business client runs your invoice through accounts payable. They'll usually want:
- Their PO number on the invoice, or it may sit unpaid.
- Your legal business name matching the W-9 you gave them.
- Net 30 terms, and a due date they can enter into their system.
- A PDF they can forward, rather than a photo of a paper invoice.
Same template, different details. Duebolt remembers each client, so the PO field and terms are only typed once per client.
US format: Letter, dollars, month first
Choosing United States sets:
- Letter paper (8.5 × 11 in) instead of A4, so it prints cleanly on US printers.
- Dates written month first, such as October 23, 2026, and amounts like $1,234.56.
- US spelling ("Labor") in the quick-add items.
- Payment fields for Zelle, Venmo, PayPal and bank routing and account numbers.
Last checked October 23, 2026.