Invoice format
Invoice format: what goes where, with free Word and Excel files
An invoice has six parts: who it is from, who it is to, a number, dates, the work with amounts, and how to pay. Get those in a clear order and a client can pay it without writing back.
Download the format as Word or Excel below, or fill the same layout in online and get a PDF.
No signup · Free PDF download.
The template, as a file
The same layout as the example below. The Excel version works out line amounts and totals for you.
The format, top to bottom
- Your business name, address and email at the top.
- The word “Invoice”, the invoice number and the date it was issued.
- Bill to: your client’s name and address, and their PO or reference if they gave you one.
- A table of the work: description, quantity, rate, amount.
- Subtotal, any discount, tax with its rate, and the total.
- Due date and payment details: bank account, IFSC or sort code, or UPI ID.
Word, Excel or online
Word is easy to edit but you do the arithmetic yourself. Excel adds up the lines and the tax, but it is easy to break a formula and fiddly to export as a tidy PDF. The online generator does the sums, keeps the layout, and downloads a PDF with selectable text. There is no account to make.
Common mistakes
- Reusing an old invoice number. Each one should be new.
- “Due on receipt” when you meant a date. Write the date.
- Leaving out payment details, so the client has to ask.
- Descriptions like “Services”. Say what the work was and when.
A worked example
- From
- Rohan Iyer Design, Mumbai
- To
- Blue Kettle Foods Pvt Ltd, Mumbai
- Number
- INV-0042
- Issued
- 12 Sep 2026
- Due
- 27 Sep 2026
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Menu redesign, 3 layouts, 2 rounds of changes | 1 | ₹24,000.00 | ₹24,000.00 |
| Social media post templates | 6 | ₹1,500.00 | ₹9,000.00 |
- Subtotal
- ₹33,000.00
- Total
- ₹33,000.00
Payment instructions
- UPI
- rohan@examplebank
- Terms
- Due within 15 days
Questions
Is there a standard invoice format?
There is no single official layout, but every invoice needs the same parts: sender, recipient, number, dates, itemised amounts, total and payment details. Tax rules in your country may add fields, such as GSTIN in India.
Can I download the invoice format in Word?
Yes. The Word and Excel files on this page are free and need no signup.
Which is better, Word or Excel?
Excel, if you want the totals worked out. The online generator does that too and gives you a PDF, which is what most clients expect.
Is this a GST invoice format?
It is a general format. For the extra fields a GST tax invoice needs, use the GST invoice format page.
Related
- GST invoice formatGST invoice format: what goes on it, and how to make one
- Bill formatBill format for shops and services, free in Word and Excel
- How to write an invoiceHow to write an invoice, part by part
- Open the generatorStart typing your invoice. No account, free PDF.
- Invoira homeThe three layouts, and what an account adds.
Your turn
Turn this example into your invoice.
The line items are already there. Change the client, work, rates and dates, then download the PDF.
Updated 2026-09-26. Invoira formats what you enter; it does not give tax or legal advice.