A GST invoice needs a few things a plain invoice doesn’t: your GSTIN, the buyer’s GSTIN when they’re registered too, and the tax broken out as CGST+SGST or IGST rather than folded into one number. Get any of that wrong and the buyer’s accountant sends it back asking for a corrected copy before they’ll process payment.
Fill in your GSTIN, pick the right tax mode for your transaction, and the template below produces a properly formatted GST invoice, correct either way you’re billing.
CGST+SGST or IGST, pick based on where your client is
This is the one decision that actually changes the invoice, not just the numbers. If you and your client are registered in the same state, GST splits into CGST and SGST, each at half your total rate, an 18% invoice becomes 9%+9%. If you’re billing across states, the full rate goes as IGST with no split.
The template’s toggle handles this directly, so you’re not manually working out which line to fill in. Get the mode wrong and the invoice is technically incorrect for GST purposes, even if the total rupee amount is right, because CGST/SGST and IGST go to different tax heads and the buyer’s input tax credit claim depends on it matching their own registration.
What a GST-compliant invoice format actually needs
Beyond the standard invoice fields (invoice number, date, seller and buyer details, line items, total), a GST invoice specifically needs: your GSTIN displayed clearly, the buyer’s GSTIN if they’re registered, the tax rate and amount shown separately from the taxable value (not baked into a single “total” line), and ideally HSN or SAC codes against each line item for goods or services respectively. The template above covers the GSTIN and tax-split requirements directly, add HSN/SAC codes into the item description field if your business needs them recorded, since a single generic template can’t know your product catalog’s codes.
Small businesses under the GST threshold
If your turnover is below the GST registration threshold, you don’t need to charge GST at all, and shouldn’t show a GSTIN you don’t have. Use the same template with the tax toggle set to “No GST”, it produces a clean invoice without the GST fields cluttering it up.
Download format for GST invoices
Most accountants and clients are fine with a PDF for a GST invoice since it can’t be edited after the fact, which matters more for compliance documents than a regular bill. If you need to keep an editable record of invoices issued for your own GST return filing, the Excel export from the same generator keeps every invoice’s line items and tax breakdown in a spreadsheet you can total up at return time.