Templates
GST invoice format for India: free Excel, Word and PDF download
A tax invoice format with every field the GST rules ask for, filled with a sample so you can see each one in use. The Excel file works out tax and totals for you.
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Filled with the sample shown. The Excel file has formulas for tax and totals.
In short
A GST tax invoice must carry the supplier's and buyer's GSTIN, a serial number, HSN codes, taxable value, CGST and SGST or IGST, and the place of supply. This format is a free download; SimpleERP fills these fields from the customer and product.
Lakshmi Steel Furnitures
GSTIN 33AAACL1234A1ZG
Tax invoice
INV-2026-27-0214
Bill to: Sri Murugan Traders
- Steel rack 4 shelf4 Nos
- Office chair mesh6 Nos
- LED panel 2×210 Nos
What this document is for
A tax invoice is the document a GST-registered business issues when it sells taxable goods or services. Your buyer claims input tax credit on it, and it is what you report in GSTR-1.
- Issue it for every taxable sale by a registered business, on or before delivery of goods
- Your buyer needs it to claim the GST you charged as input tax credit
- It feeds your returns: GSTR-1 lists each B2B invoice and the HSN summary
- Keep it for at least six years, in print or as a PDF
Rule 46
What a tax invoice must contain
Rule 46 of the CGST Rules sets the list. The full table with the reason for each field is further down; these are the ones people most often leave out.
- Your GSTIN and your buyer's GSTIN, both 15 characters
- A serial number unique for the financial year, at most 16 characters
- HSN for goods or SAC for services on every line
- Taxable value, then CGST and SGST or IGST with rate and amount
- Place of supply with the state name
- Whether tax is payable on reverse charge, and a signature
How to fill it
How to fill the template
The download comes filled with invoice INV-2026-27-0214 from Lakshmi Steel Furnitures, Coimbatore, to Sri Murugan Traders. Overwrite the sample with your own details; in Excel the amount, tax and totals recalculate.
Put your details in the header
Business name, address, GSTIN and state. Do this once and save the file as your own template.
Number and date the invoice
Use one series per financial year, such as INV-2026-27-0001, and never skip or reuse a number.
Fill in the buyer and the place of supply
Same state as yours means CGST and SGST at half the rate each. Another state means IGST at the full rate.
Add the lines
Description, HSN or SAC, quantity, unit, rate and GST rate. The template works out taxable value, tax and the line total.
Check the total and sign
Round off to the rupee, check the amount in words, then sign or add a digital signature.
| Description | HSN or SAC | Quantity | Rate | Taxable value | GST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steel rack 4 shelf | 9403 | 4 Nos | ₹4,990.00 | ₹19,960.00 | 18% |
| Office chair mesh | 9401 | 6 Nos | ₹6,450.00 | ₹38,700.00 | 18% |
| LED panel 2×2 | 9405 | 10 Nos | ₹1,850.00 | ₹18,500.00 | 18% |
| Total | How it is worked out | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable value | Sum of the lines | ₹77,160.00 |
| CGST | 9% of the taxable value | ₹6,944.40 |
| SGST | 9% of the taxable value | ₹6,944.40 |
| Round off | To the nearest rupee | ₹0.20 |
| Grand total | Taxable value plus GST, rounded | ₹91,049.00 |
SimpleERP
Make it in SimpleERP instead
A spreadsheet invoice is fine for a few a month. Once you raise them daily, numbering, tax splits and stock drift apart. SimpleERP fills each field from the customer and product, and posts the invoice to stock, books and GST together.
- Invoice numbers by financial year, assigned for you and never repeated
- CGST and SGST or IGST picked from the place of supply
- HSN or SAC carried from the product to every line
- A clean A4 print with amount in words, bank details and a UPI QR
- Reverse charge wording typed once in the invoice notes, since there is no reverse charge field
Illustration of GST tax invoice INV-2026-27-0213 to Ravi Stores with CGST 9% and SGST 9%, round off, a UPI QR code and the amount in words.
Fields
Every field on a tax invoice, and why
Rule 46 lists what a tax invoice must carry. HSN digits follow notification 78/2020: 4 digits up to ₹5 crore turnover, 6 above.
| Field | Required | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier name, address and GSTIN | Mandatory | Identifies who charged the tax and who must pay it to the government. |
| Invoice number | Mandatory | Consecutive serial number, unique for the financial year, at most 16 characters of letters, digits, hyphen or slash. |
| Date of issue | Mandatory | Fixes the tax period the invoice is reported in. |
| Recipient name, address and GSTIN | Mandatory | The buyer claims input tax credit against this GSTIN. Leave GSTIN blank only for an unregistered buyer. |
| Unregistered buyer's name, delivery address, state name and code | If applicable | Required when the buyer is unregistered and the taxable value is ₹50,000 or more. |
| HSN code (goods) or SAC (services) | Mandatory | 4 digits up to ₹5 crore turnover, 6 digits above. Drives the HSN summary in GSTR-1. |
| Description of goods or services | Mandatory | What was supplied, in words a tax officer can match to the HSN code. |
| Quantity and unit | Mandatory | Needed for goods, for example 2 Nos or 14.5 kg. |
| Taxable value | Mandatory | Value after any discount shown on the invoice; GST is charged on this. |
| Rate and amount of tax: CGST and SGST, or IGST | Mandatory | CGST and SGST when the place of supply is your state, IGST when it is another state. |
| Place of supply with state name | Mandatory | Required for inter-state supplies, and it decides which taxes apply on every invoice. |
| Delivery address, if different from the place of supply | If applicable | Shows where the goods actually went. |
| Whether tax is payable on reverse charge | Mandatory | A plain Yes or No; under reverse charge the buyer pays the tax. |
| Signature or digital signature | Mandatory | Of the supplier or an authorised person. |
| Amount in words | Good practice | Not in rule 46, but it stops a changed figure going unnoticed. |
| Bank details and UPI ID | Good practice | The customer pays faster when the account is on the invoice. |
| Due date and payment terms | Good practice | Makes ageing and follow-ups objective. |
Source: CGST Rules 2017, rule 46, verified 10 October 2026.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid on a tax invoice
- Restarting numbering on 1 January instead of 1 April, so two invoices in one financial year share a number
- Charging IGST to a buyer in your own state, or CGST and SGST to a buyer in another state
- Leaving out the place of supply, or writing only the state code without the state name
- Writing a 2-digit HSN chapter, or 4 digits when your turnover above ₹5 crore needs 6
- Showing GST on the gross amount instead of the value after discount
- Forgetting the reverse charge line, even when the answer is No
Honest limits
What this format does not cover
The template and SimpleERP make the tax invoice itself. These are separate steps.
- E-invoice IRN and signed QR code through the government API: if your turnover requires e-invoicing, generate the IRN on the IRP portal
- E-way bills: generate them on the e-way bill portal
- Cess on invoice lines
- Reverse charge indicator as a field: type "Tax payable on reverse charge: Yes" or "No" in the invoice notes
- Filing GST returns: SimpleERP prepares the registers, your filer files
Getting started
Start with your first invoice
Sign up with your phone
Name, phone number and a password. No card for the seven-day trial, and email is optional.
Tell us about the business
Type your GSTIN and the state fills itself. Accounts, GST rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for you.
Add what you sell
Add products with HSN, unit, price and GST rate, one at a time or from a CSV with opening stock.
Post your first GST invoice
Pick the customer, add lines and save. Your first GST invoice can be out within 10 minutes of signing up.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Is this GST invoice format valid?
Yes, if you fill every field marked Mandatory in the table above. GST law does not prescribe a fixed layout; it lists the details an invoice must carry in rule 46 of the CGST Rules, and this format has a place for each one.
Can I use it in Excel with formulas?
Yes. The Excel file has formulas for each line's taxable value, CGST, SGST and total, and for the round off and grand total. Change a quantity or rate and the totals follow. The Word and PDF versions are for printing or filling by hand.
What is the 16-character invoice number rule?
Rule 46 says the invoice number must be a consecutive serial number of at most 16 characters, using letters, digits, hyphen or slash, unique within the financial year. INV-2026-27-0214 is exactly 16 characters.
Do I need an e-invoice?
Only if your aggregate turnover is above the e-invoicing limit, currently ₹5 crore. Then B2B invoices need an IRN from the government portal, which neither this template nor SimpleERP generates. Below the limit, a tax invoice like this one is enough.
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