Bill format

A business uses a bill format to give each customer a clear, numbered record of what was supplied, what it cost and when payment is due.

The format holds the fields; it does not decide the document. A GST-registered supplier making a taxable supply issues a tax invoice with the particulars Rule 46 of the CGST Rules lists, and a payment receipt is a separate document issued after the money arrives.

• Issued by: The business supplying the goods or services
• Given to: The customer being billed, with a copy kept by the business
• Keep the source and approval with the final document.
• Confirm jurisdiction-specific requirements before issue.

A GST-registered supplier issuing a tax invoice should start from the GST bill format, which lists the Rule 46 particulars.

The Excel bill format suits a business that keeps its bills in spreadsheets: seller and customer details sit at the top, and the line table has columns for HSN or SAC code, quantity, unit, rate, taxable value, tax rate, tax amount and amount. The bill format in Word suits a bill you edit as a document and then print or send. Both files are free, open in Excel or Word and can be imported into Google Sheets or Google Docs.

Neither file calculates totals for you, so check each line and the total before you issue the bill. For a bill format PDF, complete the Word file and export it as PDF, or complete the printable version and save it as PDF from your browser's print dialogue.

• Excel bill format: line items, tax and totals in columns.
• Bill format in Word: edit, print or send as a document.
• Bill format PDF: export or print the completed bill, then keep that file as your copy.

To complete and download a single bill in the browser instead, use the invoice generator.

In everyday business use, a bill and an invoice are the same document: the request a supplier sends a customer for goods or services supplied. This invoice bill format keeps the fields a customer's accounts team looks for: who is billing, which bill this is, what was supplied, the tax shown separately and when payment is due.

If you searched for an invoice format in Excel, the Excel download above is that file. A GST-registered supplier issuing a tax invoice should check the Rule 46 particulars before issue, because a generic layout cannot confirm classification, rate or place of supply.

• Seller and customer identity, with GSTIN where registered.
• A controlled bill number and date that are never reused.
• Lines that a reviewer can tie to the order, delivery or accepted work.
• Payment terms and a due date the customer can act on.

For a general invoice layout without India-specific fields, see the invoice template.

The downloadable HTML provides a printable starting structure. Complete every field that explains the parties, document identity, commercial basis and resulting amount or movement. Remove irrelevant prompts only after confirming that they are not required for the transaction.

A field list cannot determine classification, tax, authority or legal effect. Those decisions come from the underlying agreement, actual event and current applicable rules.

• Seller name, address and GSTIN if registered
• Unique bill or invoice number and bill date
• Customer name, address and GSTIN if registered
• Place of supply where GST applies
• Description, HSN or SAC code, quantity, unit and rate
• Taxable value, tax rate and tax amount where applicable
• Subtotal, adjustments and total in figures and words
• Payment terms, due date and authorised signature

For the tax fields and the CGST, SGST and IGST components, start with what is GST.

Begin with the source record rather than typing from memory. Confirm the issuer, recipient, reference, date and currency or movement context, then complete the line detail and arithmetic. A second person should review material or regulated documents before release.

Keep the final issued version immutable in ordinary operations. If a fact changes, use the appropriate revision, cancellation, credit or replacement process instead of silently overwriting history.

• Confirm whether the bill is a tax invoice, a bill of supply or a plain bill.
• Use the next number in your bill sequence.
• Copy customer and line detail from the order or delivery record.
• Check the arithmetic and any tax fields.
• Send or print the bill and keep your copy.

When bills repeat, need approval or need follow-up, see GST billing in Invoicera.

The example below demonstrates how the fields relate. It is not a claim that the same tax, rate, wording or commercial treatment applies to another transaction.

Retain the calculation and evidence behind every total. A reader should be able to connect the final document to the authorised order, delivered item, accepted work or verified payment without reconstructing it from private messages.

• Service fee: ₹40,000
• Approved additional work: ₹5,000
• Taxable value: ₹45,000
• Tax: only the treatment verified for this supply
• Total: taxable value plus applicable tax

For what an invoice must establish between seller and customer, read what is an invoice.

Check identity, direction, date, reference, quantity, rate, amount, currency, tax treatment where applicable, delivery or payment evidence and authorised sign-off. Confirm that the document name matches the event it records.

A complete-looking template can still be wrong when it uses the incorrect issuer, duplicates an existing number, confuses a preliminary document with a final one or records intent as though the underlying event occurred.

• Reusing or skipping bill numbers
• Adding GST fields without confirming registration and supply
• Calling a payment receipt a bill
• Missing customer identity or payment terms
• Editing an issued bill instead of issuing a credit or debit note

Put this into practice with Templates.