Free invoice generator

How it works

1. Type on the invoice. Start from the example or click Start blank. Click your logo space, your business and client details, the dates and each line, and type straight onto the page. Press Enter at the end of a line to add the next one.
2. Add only what you need. Use + Discount, + Tax, + Shipping or fee and + Payment received (a deposit already paid) under the lines, or Tax rate per line for mixed rates. The totals update as you type, rounded to your currency’s smallest unit. Exact PDF page shows the finished page, including page breaks.
3. Download or print. Download PDF builds the file in your browser with no print dialog. Print sends the same pages to your printer. Both remember the number you used, so Next № (beside the number on the page) continues your sequence, and keep a copy under Saved invoices in the settings panel so you can reopen it later.

What to include on an invoice

A clear invoice answers three questions for the person paying it: what am I paying for, how much, and by when. Most businesses include the following.

• A unique invoice number from a consistent sequence, such as INV-0042. Don’t reuse or skip numbers. Many tax authorities expect them to run in order.
• The issue date, plus the date the goods or services were supplied if it is different.
• Your business name, address and contact details, and your tax registration number (VAT, GST, ABN) if you are registered.
• Your client’s name and address. For business clients, use the legal company name and, where required, their tax number.
• A description of each item, with its quantity, unit price and line total.
• Tax shown separately: the amount before tax, the rate, and the tax amount for each rate you charge.
• The total amount due and its currency.
• Payment terms and a due date, and how to pay (bank transfer details, a payment link or accepted methods).
• Optional extras: the client’s purchase order (PO) number, any late-payment terms you agreed in advance, and a short thank-you.

Common requirements in some regions

A short summary is below. The invoice requirements by country reference lists each required item for the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and India, with a link to the official guidance and the date we checked it.

• European Union. VAT invoices usually need a sequential number, the supplier’s VAT number, the taxable amount and VAT for each rate, and in some cases the customer’s VAT number (for example, reverse-charge sales between businesses). Each country sets its own detailed rules.
• United Kingdom. VAT-registered businesses normally issue a VAT invoice showing their VAT registration number, the time of supply, each VAT rate and the VAT amount. A simplified invoice is allowed for retail sales up to £250 including VAT.
• Australia. GST-registered businesses must provide a tax invoice for taxable sales over A$82.50 (including GST) if the buyer asks. It should say “Tax invoice” and show the seller’s ABN. Sales of A$1,000 or more also need the buyer’s identity or ABN.
• United States. There is no national invoice format. Sales tax is set by states and local governments, so charge it only where you are required to collect it.
• Canada and India. GST/HST registrants in Canada show their registration number. GST-registered suppliers in India generally show their GSTIN, HSN or SAC codes and the tax amounts. This tool shows one tax line per rate. For a CGST and SGST split, enter the split in the notes.

General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change and depend on where you and your client are based and registered. Check your tax authority’s guidance or ask an accountant before relying on any template.

Payment terms explained

Payment terms tell your client when the invoice must be paid. Pick a preset in the Payment terms field on the invoice and the due date is calculated for you. Billpad counts calendar days from the issue date. For example, an invoice dated 31 January 2026 on Net 30 terms is due on 2 March 2026.

Due on receipt

Payment is expected as soon as the client receives the invoice. The due date is the issue date. This is common for small one-off jobs and retail work.

Net 15

The full amount is due 15 days after the invoice date. It suits freelancers and short projects where cash flow matters.

Net 30

The full amount is due within 30 days. This is the most common term between businesses, and many accounts teams pay in monthly cycles.

Net 60

Payment within 60 days. Larger companies sometimes require it. Agree on it before you start work, because it delays your cash.

Other terms

You may also see “2/10 Net 30” (2% off if paid within 10 days, otherwise due in 30), “EOM” (due at the end of the month) or a deposit up front. Choose Custom date, set the due date yourself and explain the terms in the notes.

To get paid faster, agree on terms before the work starts, send the invoice promptly, put the due date where it is easy to see, and include everything the client needs to pay you. Only add late fees if your contract and local law allow them. More on each term, with exact due dates and wording, in invoice payment terms explained; for overdue invoices see late payment wording.

Invoice vs proforma invoice vs estimate vs receipt

These four documents look alike but do different jobs at different stages of a sale. Billpad has a builder for each, with its own wording and its own saved draft. Freelancers who bill hours can start from the freelance invoice page, which uses the same invoice builder.

How totals are calculated

Every amount is calculated the same way on the editable page, in the PDF and in the print. That way the numbers you check are the numbers your client sees.

1. Line amount = quantity × unit price, rounded to the currency’s smallest unit: cents for USD, whole yen for JPY and KRW, and thousandths for KWD, BHD and OMR.
2. Discount is taken off the subtotal, as a percentage or a fixed amount. If lines use different tax rates, the discount is shared across them in proportion to their value.
3. Tax is calculated once per rate on the discounted amount and rounded half up. With more than one rate, each rate gets its own line, such as “VAT 20% on £1,200.00”.
4. Extra charge (shipping, service fee) is added after tax and is not taxed. If your shipping is taxable, add it as a line item instead.
5. Amount due = subtotal − discount + taxes + extra charge.
6. Balance due (only if you add a payment received) = that total − the amount already paid, for example a deposit. The invoice then shows Total, Amount paid and Balance due.

Amounts use the usual number format for each currency, for example $1,234.56, 1.234,56 €, ¥123,457 and INR 1,23,456.78 (Indian digit grouping). Override it under Number format, and choose Show currency as to switch between symbols and ISO codes.

Worked example: the sample invoice

The example that opens above is a design studio billing a client in US dollars. It charges 8% sales tax, but one line, a workshop, is a tax-exempt service, so it has its own 0% rate. This is how Billpad works out the amount due.

Because only one rate above zero is used, the invoice shows a single “Sales tax (8%)” line and adds a Tax column to the lines so the exempt service is visible. With Net 30 terms, an invoice dated 20 October 2026 is due on 19 November 2026. Change any number on the page and every figure, including the PDF, updates the same way.

Billing by the hour instead? The freelance invoice generator opens with an hourly example and explains how to show hours, a fixed fee and reimbursed expenses on one invoice.

More invoicing tasks

Short guides and ready-made invoices for the questions that come up after the first one. Each template opens in this generator with realistic lines already filled in; your own draft is kept until you edit it.