What fields does a valid Australian tax invoice need?
For an ordinary taxable sale, a tax invoice must contain enough information to clearly establish seven core details: that the document is intended as a tax invoice, the seller’s identity and ABN, the issue date, what was supplied (including quantity if applicable) and price, the GST payable, and the extent to which each sale is taxable.
| GST-inclusive total | Document requirement | Extra field |
|---|---|---|
| $82.50 or less | A tax invoice is generally not required to claim a GST credit, but documentary evidence should be kept. | None based solely on value. |
| More than $82.50 and under $1,000 | A valid tax invoice is generally required before the buyer claims a GST credit. | Seven core details. |
| $1,000 or more | A valid tax invoice is generally required before the buyer claims a GST credit. | The buyer’s identity or ABN must also be ascertainable. |
How to use the checker
- Enter the invoice total including GST.
- Choose whether every line is taxable or the invoice contains mixed taxable and non-taxable sales.
- Choose who issued the document. A recipient-created tax invoice has additional requirements.
- Tick each field you can locate. The result panel flags every missing requirement immediately.
Mixed invoices and recipient-created tax invoices
On an invoice containing taxable and non-taxable sales, each taxable sale must be clearly identified, the total GST payable must be stated, and the total amount payable must be shown. A recipient-created tax invoice must identify the buyer at every value, make clear that it is recipient-created and, where GST is payable, state that the GST is payable by the seller.
If information is missing
A buyer may sometimes treat a document as a tax invoice when the missing information can be clearly determined from other documents the seller has provided. Otherwise, ask the seller for a corrected tax invoice. A seller must generally provide a requested tax invoice within 28 days.
Scope: This tool covers ordinary Australian GST tax invoices. Special rules may apply to GST groups and branches, agents, margin-scheme sales and particular industries. It does not determine whether the underlying sale is taxable.