Free New Zealand tax invoice generator with 15% GST

How to create an invoice for New Zealand

1. Check the region and currency. The editor opens with New Zealand defaults: NZD, GST presets and the right date and number format. Change the currency in the settings if you bill in another one.
2. Add your business details. Enter your name, address and GST number and nzbn. Upload a logo if you have one. Save it as a business profile so you can reuse it next time.
3. Add the client. Fill in the customer’s name and address and their client gst / nzbn where it applies. Saved clients are stored in your browser for next time.
4. Add line items and tax. Describe each item, enter quantity and rate, and choose a GST preset or set your own rate. The totals update as you type, and you can switch between tax-exclusive and tax-inclusive prices.
5. Check the checklist and terms. Open the compliance checklist to see which required fields are still empty, then choose payment terms, add bank details and notes.
6. Pick a template and colour, then export. Choose one of the 15 templates and colour themes, then download the PDF, use Print / Save as PDF, or export a PNG. Everything is created in your browser.

Tax invoice or “taxable supply information”?

New Zealand’s Inland Revenue (IRD) no longer talks only about “tax invoices”. Its guidance now refers to taxable supply information, the details a GST-registered supplier gives a customer so the customer can claim back GST. Many businesses still call the document a tax invoice, and customers still search for it by that name, so this generator offers the familiar title while following the IRD’s details. Check the IRD page on how taxable supply information works if your case is unusual.

Not registered for GST? Then you cannot charge GST, and a plain “Invoice” is correct. Use the no-GST preset. Registered? Keep the GST number on every document above the small-amount limit.

The editor is set up with dates in day-month-year order, A4 paper, and a New Zealand bank-account placeholder (two digits for the bank, four for the branch, seven for the account and two or three for the suffix).

What taxable supply information must show

The IRD’s rules depend on the size of the sale, including GST:

The live checklist reflects these tiers and the extra buyer details light up when your total passes $1,000:

• Your name and GST number (for supplies over $200 incl. GST)
• Date of issue
• Description of the goods or services
• GST amount and total, or a statement that GST is included
• Buyer's name and one identifier for supplies over $1,000 incl. GST

Remember that these are the minimum for the buyer to claim GST. A really useful invoice also has an invoice number, due date and payment details. Those do not come from IRD law, they come from the fact that clients pay what they understand.

GST at 15%: registration and calculation

GST in New Zealand is 15% of the GST-exclusive price. You must register if your taxable turnover was, or is expected to be, $60,000 or more in a 12-month period. The IRD says to apply within 21 days of becoming liable, and the 12-month period is rolling rather than the tax year. Below the threshold you may register voluntarily. Exported services and goods are often zero-rated, meaning GST at 0%, but the conditions are strict, so check the IRD pages first.

GST-exclusive prices add 15%. GST-inclusive prices contain 3/23 of the total as GST. The generator switches between the two with the Tax inclusive toggle, and the GST calculator shows the arithmetic.

A worked example

Aroha runs a small landscaping business in Wellington and is GST registered. A client asks for a spring clean-up.

The total is between $200 and $1,000, so the invoice must show her name, GST number, the date, a description, and the GST amount with the total. She adds payment terms (due on the 20th of the month after invoice) and her bank account as the reference. She opens Customise labels to rename “Tax” as “GST” if needed; the preset already does that.

Common mistakes on NZ invoices

• Leaving out the GST number on a sale over $200.
• Not stating whether prices include GST. Customers assume the wrong one. Make it explicit on every line or total.
• Charging GST while unregistered. Not allowed, and it creates a liability.
• Missing a buyer identifier on large invoices. Over $1,000 you need the buyer’s name and one other identifier.
• Using the wrong bank format. A mistyped account number delays payment for weeks. Add the reference and check each digit.
• Not keeping records. New Zealand generally expects you to keep tax records for seven years. Check the IRD pages and our retention guide.

How to get paid sooner in New Zealand

1. Bank-to-bank transfers are the norm; put your account number on the invoice with the invoice number as the reference.
2. Many NZ businesses pay on the 20th of the month following the invoice. If you invoice by the 15th, you can often be paid the next month. State your terms clearly.
3. Invoice immediately after work; use the due date calculator to set a precise date.
4. For longer projects, ask for a deposit and progress payments. See the milestone guide.

Our guide to taxable supply information goes into more depth on the IRD rules.

Getting paid faster in New Zealand

Most New Zealand businesses pay by online bank transfer, so print your account number clearly in the format bank–branch–account–suffix (for example 12-3456-7890123-00) and put the invoice number in the reference field you ask the customer to use. A matching reference lets you reconcile payments in seconds, and lets the customer’s accounts team match the payment to the invoice without emailing you.

Send the invoice the day the work is done, state a specific due date rather than “net 14”, and agree terms before you begin. For larger jobs, take a deposit and invoice in stages; our deposit and milestone guide explains how to show a deposit as a payment on the invoice. If a customer is late, send a polite reminder the day after the due date, then a firmer one a week later, and keep a copy of every message. Interest and collection costs on late invoices are matters of your contract, so put them in your terms of trade before the job starts, and keep the non-payment guide handy.

Finally, remember GST timing: if you are on the payments basis you account for GST when you are paid, not when you invoice. Inland Revenue explains the accounting basis options, and your accountant can tell you which suits your cash flow.

Glossary

Taxable supply information

The details a GST-registered seller gives a buyer so GST can be claimed.

Zero-rated

A supply charged at 0% GST, such as many exports.

NZBN

New Zealand Business Number, a 13-digit identifier.

GST return

The periodic return that reports the GST you charged and claimed.

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