How to fill out a tax invoice
A tax invoice evidences tax charged on a supply, in the form the jurisdiction requires for the buyer to reclaim it. It is not the same document as a commercial invoice, which values goods for customs — though on many exports one document is made to do both jobs.
The 28 fields on a tax invoice
Taken from the document itself, in the order it prints them.
- Document No.
- Date
- PO Reference
- Incoterms
- Payment Terms
When payment falls due. In several jurisdictions the tax point is driven by invoice date or payment date, so this is not purely commercial.
- Currency
- Shipper / Exporter
The supplier, with the tax registration number the authority issued. A missing number generally invalidates the document for reclaim purposes.
- Consignee
The customer, with their registration number where they intend to reclaim. Ask for it at order stage; asking at invoicing means reissuing.
- Notify Party
- Method of Dispatch
- Vessel / Voyage
- Port of Loading
- Port of Discharge
- Country of Origin
- Country of Destination
- Discount
- Freight
- Insurance
- Other Charges
- Tax Label
What the tax is called where you are: VAT, GST, IVA, consumption tax. Using the destination's name for your own jurisdiction's tax confuses everyone downstream.
- Tax Rate (%)
The rate applied. Zero is a rate and must be shown as one — a blank box reads as an omission, not as zero-rating, and it is the omission that gets queried.
- Amount in Words
Required in a number of jurisdictions and harmless everywhere else. It defeats an altered figure, which is why the practice exists.
- Bank Details
How to pay. Under a letter of credit these must match the credit exactly, down to the account name.
- Notes
Where the legal basis for zero-rating or exemption goes, if your jurisdiction requires it stated. Many do.
- Name
- Title
- Place
- Date
The line-item columns
One row per product. Columns can be hidden, renamed or added in the generator.
- Item #
- Description
- HS Code
Present because the document usually doubles as the customs invoice. A pure domestic tax invoice does not need it.
- Qty
- Unit
- Unit Price
Net of tax, with the tax shown separately. Tax-inclusive line prices make the reclaim arithmetic ambiguous.
- Amount
- Net Wt
- Gross Wt
- Origin
Per line, again because the document commonly serves customs as well.
A working tax invoice, prefilled with a sample shipment. Every field above is editable here, and it downloads as a PDF.
| Item # | Description | HS Code | Qty | Unit | Unit Price (USD) | Amount (USD) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Your entries are kept as you move between documents: the parties, ports, container and line items all carry across.
Why exports usually show no tax
Most jurisdictions zero-rate or exempt exported goods, on the principle that tax belongs where they are consumed. Zero-rated is not the same as out of scope: you generally have to show the zero rate, often cite the legal basis, and be able to evidence that the goods actually left. The transport document is what supports the zero rating in an audit.
One document or two
A single document can serve both purposes if it carries everything both readers need — HS codes, origin and Incoterms for customs, plus registration numbers and tax treatment for the tax authority. Many exporters do exactly that. It only works if nothing is missing for either audience, and the usual omission is the tax registration numbers.
Corrections go through a credit note
Unlike a commercial invoice, which you reissue when it was wrong, a tax invoice is normally corrected by credit note in most jurisdictions — the original stays in the tax record and the credit reverses it. Reissuing a tax invoice under the same number tends to breach the sequential-numbering rules tax authorities impose.
+Do I charge tax on an export?
Usually not, but the rule is set by your own jurisdiction rather than the destination's, and the conditions for zero-rating vary. That is a question for your accountant, not a shipping document.
+Can a tax invoice clear customs?
If it carries what customs needs — HS codes, origin, Incoterms, full descriptions — yes. Many do. A domestic-format tax invoice with none of those will not.
+What if my buyer has no tax number?
Then they are probably not registered and cannot reclaim, which is normal for a private buyer. Do not invent a number, and do not leave the box looking as though one is missing.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
Everything above is already on the form. Fill it in and download the PDF — no account needed.
Open the tax invoice generator