GST Invoice Template — Free Format & Auto-Generated Invoices

What Is a GST Invoice Template?

A GST invoice template is a pre-formatted billing document that includes every field required under India's Goods and Services Tax law, so a business owner does not have to design an invoice from scratch or risk leaving out a mandatory detail. Under the CGST Act, any registered business supplying taxable goods or services must issue a tax invoice for each sale, and that invoice has to follow a specific structure — not just any bill will do.

Using a proper GST invoice template matters for three reasons: it keeps you compliant during a GST audit, it lets your buyer claim Input Tax Credit (ITC) without disputes, and it gives you a consistent, professional record for your own books. A template — whether it's an Excel sheet, a Word file, or a screen inside billing software — simply pre-fills the required structure so every invoice you issue automatically meets these rules.

Mandatory Fields in a GST Tax Invoice (Rule 46)

Rule 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017 lays out exactly what a GST tax invoice must contain. Missing any of these fields can make an invoice non-compliant and put your buyer's Input Tax Credit claim at risk.

Field	Why It's Required
Invoice number & date	Unique, sequential serial number for the financial year
Supplier name, address, GSTIN	Identifies the registered seller
Buyer name, address, GSTIN (if registered)	Needed for the buyer to claim ITC
HSN/SAC code	Classifies the goods or service for tax purposes
Description & quantity	Line-item detail of what was sold
Taxable value	Value before tax, per line item
CGST/SGST or IGST rate & amount	Tax split depends on place of supply
Total invoice value	Final payable amount, tax included
Signature of supplier	Physical or digital, authorising the invoice

Types of GST Invoices You May Need

Not every sale uses the same invoice type. Depending on the transaction, a business typically issues one of the following:

• Tax Invoice (B2B) — standard GST-charged invoice between two registered businesses
• Retail Invoice (B2C) — simplified format for sales to unregistered consumers
• Export Invoice — issued in foreign currency for goods or services sold outside India, usually under LUT
• Bill of Supply — used by composition dealers or for exempt supplies, where no GST is charged
• Credit/Debit Note — issued to adjust a previously raised invoice for returns, discounts or corrections
• Receipt Voucher — issued against an advance payment received before the actual supply

See a GST Invoice Template in Action

Below is an actual domestic GST sale invoice screen from BizKhata — showing GST-compliant fields, GSTIN, HSN/SAC and the CGST/SGST/IGST breakup, generated automatically as you bill.

Domestic GST invoice screen — BizKhata auto-fills GSTIN, HSN/SAC and tax split

How to Create a GST Invoice (Step by Step)

1. Pick a compliant template — Excel/Word manually, or use billing software that already follows Rule 46.
2. Enter supplier & buyer details — including both GSTINs if the buyer is registered.
3. Add line items with HSN/SAC codes — quantity, rate and taxable value per item.
4. Apply the correct tax split — CGST+SGST for intra-state sales, IGST for inter-state or export.
5. Generate the final invoice number — must be sequential and unique for the financial year.
6. Share or print — as PDF, WhatsApp, or a printed copy for the buyer's records.

Free Template vs. GST Billing Software

A free Excel or Word GST invoice template works fine for a handful of invoices a month, but it doesn't scale — every field has to be typed manually, tax calculation is manual too, and there's no searchable record for GSTR filing. Here's what changes when you move to dedicated software like BizKhata:

GST Invoice Formats for Specific Businesses

Different trades need slightly different line items on their GST invoice — a restaurant bill looks different from an export commercial invoice. Explore GST-compliant templates built for your industry: