Bill Format: a Free Blank Bill to Print
A plain blank bill to print and fill in by hand. Print it and complete it by hand, or let the generator fill it in for you.
The fields a bill needs
- Your business name and contact details.
- A bill number and the date.
- The customer's name, if the bill is going to a business.
- Each item with quantity, rate and amount.
- The subtotal, tax if you are registered, and the total.
- How to pay, if it is not settled on the spot.
Keeping paper bills in order
Number the blanks before you start using them, and use them in order. A bill book with a missing number is the first thing an accountant or a tax inspector asks about.
Write in pen and keep a copy of every bill, either a carbon copy or a photograph taken before you hand it over.
A bill format in Excel or Word
If you would rather type bills, a table with description, quantity, rate and amount columns does the job. In Excel, make the amount a formula, quantity times rate, and total the column with SUM so the arithmetic cannot drift. Save each bill as a PDF before you send it.
With or without tax
If you are not registered for VAT or GST, leave the tax line out entirely rather than writing zero. If you are registered, show the rate and the tax amount separately, because a customer claiming the tax back needs to see both.
Questions
- What is the difference between a bill and an invoice?
- In everyday use, none: the seller calls it an invoice and the buyer calls it a bill. Use the word your customers recognise.
- Is a handwritten bill valid?
- Yes, as long as it carries the details required where you trade and is legible. Keep a copy.
- Can I print a bill book from this?
- Print the blank as many times as you need, and number each copy in sequence before you use it.