GuidesTax invoices
GST on invoices for tradies
Updated October 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice.
GST is 10%. You add it only if you are registered. The invoice is a tax invoice only if it has the details the ATO expects, and those details change when the GST-inclusive total reaches $1,000.
This is general information from the public ATO rules, not advice for your business. If you are unsure whether to register, use the ATO’s GST pages or an accountant.
When you register
You must register for GST if your GST turnover is $75,000 or more ($150,000 or more for a non-profit). Taxi and ride-sourcing drivers register even if they are under that line. You can register earlier if you want.
Turnover here is gross income, not profit, and it excludes GST itself. The ATO explains the turnover test. Do not guess it from a busy month.
If you are not registered
Do not add 10%. Do not title the document Tax Invoice. You can still show your name, ABN, the date, the work and the total. An ordinary invoice is the right document.
A client who is registered cannot claim a GST credit on your invoice if you were not allowed to charge GST.
What a tax invoice must show
For a taxable sale, a tax invoice needs enough for the buyer to claim a credit. In practice that means:
- That the document is a tax invoice. The words Tax Invoice are the usual way.
- Your identity and your ABN.
- The date you issued it.
- A short description of what you sold, including the quantity and the price.
- The GST amount for the sale, or a statement that the total price includes GST. If some items are GST-free and some are taxable, show which are which.
- The buyer’s identity or ABN, when the GST-inclusive total is $1,000 or more. Under $1,000, the buyer’s name is not required on the tax invoice.
The $1,000 line, and small sales
The $1,000 threshold is the GST-inclusive total, not the ex-GST subtotal. A job at $950 plus GST is $1,045 and needs the buyer’s name.
For a sale of $82.50 or less including GST, the buyer can claim a credit without a tax invoice. You can still issue one. Above that, they need the tax invoice before they claim.
If a buyer asks for a tax invoice, issue it within 28 days of the request.
How Docket does the arithmetic
Unit prices are ex GST. With GST on, the PDF adds 10% of the ex-GST subtotal as its own line and titles the invoice Tax Invoice. With GST off, that line is omitted and the title is Invoice.
A tax invoice of $1,000 or more will not download until the client’s name is filled in. That matches the buyer-identity rule. It does not check whether you personally should be registered. That decision is yours.
Short answers
Does a tax invoice under $1,000 need the client’s name?
No. Under a GST-inclusive total of $1,000, the tax invoice needs your identity, your ABN, the date, a description with quantity and price, the GST, and the words that show it is a tax invoice. The buyer’s name or ABN is required when the GST-inclusive total is $1,000 or more.
Can I put GST on an invoice if I am not registered?
No. Only a GST-registered business charges GST and issues a tax invoice. If you are not registered, send an ordinary invoice with no GST added.
Is the $75,000 threshold profit or takings?
It is GST turnover, which is broadly your gross income excluding GST, not your profit. The figure is $75,000 for most businesses and $150,000 for non-profits. Check the ATO’s current turnover test before you rely on a single job to decide.
Use your own name on the next one.
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