Tax Invoice Template
Invoice showing the tax charged on a supply, in the form required for the buyer to reclaim input tax.
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About this document
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.
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. A tax invoice needs registration numbers and a tax breakdown. Trying to make one document satisfy both is how details get dropped.
Prefer to fill it in on screen? Use the tax invoice generator →
Not sure what goes in a box? How to fill out a tax invoice, field by field →
Keep building your document set
- Commercial InvoiceGoods, values and payment details.
- Packing List — DetailedPackages, weights and dimensions.
- Certificate of OriginThe declared origin of your goods.
- Bill of LadingShipper, consignee and cargo details.
- Shipper's Letter of InstructionInstructions for your freight forwarder.
- Verified Gross Mass DeclarationThe verified weight of a packed container.
Questions
+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.