Tax Invoice Generator
A tax invoice shows the tax charged on a sale, in the form the buyer needs in order to reclaim it. That reclaim is the whole purpose: an invoice missing a required detail is not a smaller problem for the buyer, it is a document their tax authority may refuse, leaving them out of pocket by the tax amount.
| 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 carry across.
What makes it a tax invoice rather than an invoice
Most tax systems require specific elements: the supplier's tax registration number, the words identifying it as a tax invoice, the tax rate applied, the tax amount shown separately, and the amounts before and after tax. Exactly which are mandatory varies by country, but the pattern is consistent — the buyer must be able to see how much tax was charged without recalculating it.
Export sales are usually zero-rated, not tax-free
Goods exported are commonly zero-rated rather than exempt, and the distinction matters to the seller. Zero-rated means tax is charged at zero percent and the seller can still recover tax on their own costs. It also means the invoice should show the zero rate explicitly and, in many countries, state why — typically a reference to the export provision the sale relies on.
Keep it separate from the customs invoice
A commercial invoice is for customs valuation. A tax invoice is for tax accounting. The same sale often generates both, and while they can be combined, the requirements do not overlap neatly — a commercial invoice needs the Incoterm and country of origin, and a tax invoice needs registration numbers and a tax breakdown. Trying to make one document satisfy both is how details get dropped.
Want a blank one to complete by hand? Download the tax invoice template →
Exporters
Issue the invoice, packing list and origin paperwork for a shipment in one sitting, without re-keying the consignee address four times.
Freight forwarders
Produce a clean set of documents for a client who sent you a spreadsheet, and hand back PDFs that a customs broker will accept.
Customs brokers
Rebuild a missing or unusable document from the particulars you already hold, without waiting on the shipper's software licence.
One shipment in, every document out
| FreightStow | Typical alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Enter the shipment once, every document fills in | Yes | Re-key per document |
| Document types | 33 | Varies |
| Statutory forms (CMR, ISF, USMCA origin) | Included | Often missing |
| Add, rename or remove line-item columns | Yes | Fixed templates |
| PDF built in your browser | Yes | Upload, then download |
| Works before you create an account | Yes | Usually not |
The right-hand column describes the general pattern in this category, not one named vendor. Features and plans change — check any provider’s current terms before deciding.
Commercial documents · 12
- Packing List — DetailedFull itemised packing list with HS codes, marks and numbers, package types and per-item dimensions.
- Packing List — SimpleMinimal packing list: what is in the shipment, how many packages, and what it weighs. No HS codes or dimensions.
- Packing List — ContainerPacking list broken down by container, for FCL shipments where each line must be traced to a container and seal.
- Packing List — ConsolidatedOne packing list covering several orders or invoices consolidated into a single shipment.
- Commercial InvoiceThe primary customs valuation document: what was sold, to whom, on what terms, and for how much.
- Proforma InvoiceA binding quotation in invoice form, issued before shipment so the buyer can open a letter of credit or arrange an import licence.
- Tax InvoiceInvoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
- Credit NoteCancels or reduces a previously issued invoice, for returns, short shipments or agreed price adjustments.
- Purchase OrderThe buyer's formal instruction to supply goods on stated terms, prices and delivery dates.
- QuotationA priced offer to supply, stating validity, lead time and the Incoterms the price is quoted on.
- Request for QuotationInvites a supplier to price a specified list of goods against stated delivery terms and a response deadline.
- Sales ConfirmationThe seller's acceptance of an order, confirming goods, price, terms and shipment schedule back to the buyer.
Declarations & instructions · 10
- Non Asbestos DeclarationCertifies that the goods contain no asbestos in any form — required by Australia, Saudi Arabia and other markets that ban asbestos outright.
- New and Unused DeclarationCertifies that the goods are new and have never been used — required where the destination restricts imports of second-hand goods.
- Packing DeclarationDeclares the timber packaging and container cleanliness of a consignment — required for Australian and New Zealand biosecurity clearance.
- DeclarationA blank declaration on letterhead, for the one-off statements a buyer, bank or customs authority asks for that have no standard form.
- Declaration of OriginA self-certified origin statement made by the exporter, used where a full chamber-stamped certificate of origin is not required.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe SOLAS VGM certificate. No container may be loaded to a vessel without a signed verified gross mass from the shipper.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionThe exporter's instructions to their freight forwarder, including the authority to act as agent for customs purposes.
- Shipping InstructionTells the carrier exactly how the bill of lading should read: parties, routing, cargo description and freight terms.
- Forwarding InstructionBooks a consignment with a freight forwarder: collection details, routing, cargo particulars and who pays which charges.
- Sales ContractThe agreement itself: goods, price, delivery terms, payment and the clauses both parties sign against.
Statutory & customs forms · 11
- CMR — Consignment Note (Sender)The sender's copy of the international road consignment note, retained as proof of what was handed to the carrier.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Carrier)The carrier's copy of the road consignment note, evidencing the contract of carriage.
- CMR — Consignment Note (Consignee)The consignee's copy of the road consignment note, travelling with the goods and signed on delivery.
- Bill of LadingThe carrier's receipt for the goods, evidence of the contract of carriage, and a document of title the consignee must surrender to collect the cargo.
- Certificate of OriginCertifies where goods were produced. Usually stamped by a chamber of commerce and required to claim tariff treatment or satisfy a letter of credit.
- Certification of Origin (USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC)The free-trade certification for US–Mexico–Canada shipments. Has no prescribed form, but must carry all nine required data elements.
- Importer Security FilingThe ten data elements a US importer must file with CBP at least 24 hours before cargo is laden aboard a vessel bound for the United States.
- Phytosanitary CertificateCertifies that a consignment of plants or plant products meets the importing country's phytosanitary requirements.
- Form 6 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document accompanying a transboundary shipment of hazardous waste, tracking it from exporter to disposal facility.
- Form 9 — Transboundary Movement DocumentMovement document for transboundary shipments of hazardous recyclable material, tracking custody through to the recovery facility.
- Bill of ExchangeAn unconditional written order requiring the drawee to pay a fixed sum on demand or at a stated future date — the instrument behind documentary collections.
+Do I charge tax on an export sale?
Usually not, but the rules depend on both countries and on the Incoterm. Exports are commonly zero-rated in the seller's country, with import tax charged at destination instead. Whether you can zero-rate typically depends on holding evidence that the goods actually left, so keep the transport documents.
+What is the difference between a tax invoice and a commercial invoice?
A commercial invoice supports customs clearance and valuation. A tax invoice supports the buyer reclaiming tax. They cover the same sale from two different regulatory angles and are often issued as separate documents.
+Does a tax invoice need my tax registration number?
In most systems, yes, and often the buyer's as well for business-to-business sales. It is the most common omission that causes a reclaim to be refused, because the authority cannot verify the supplier.
+Can I issue a tax invoice in a foreign currency?
Often, but many tax authorities require the tax amount to also be shown in the local currency at a specified exchange rate. Check the rule in your own country before invoicing abroad, since this is a frequent cause of rejected reclaims.
Judge it by the document, not the feature list.
The generator on this page is the product, prefilled and editable. Fill it in and download the finished PDF — then decide.
Create a tax invoice