Free invoice generator

Type in the details, download the PDF. Tax invoice format if you are a VAT vendor, plain invoice if you are not.

The PDF follows the layout SARS expects on a South African invoice: your details, the client, a numbered date-stamped document, each item with its amount, and VAT shown separately when it applies. Fill in what you have. Bank details and notes are optional.

Invoice details
From (your business)

Adds 15% VAT and turns this into a tax invoice. Leave it off if your business is not a VAT vendor.

Bill to (your client)

Needed on a tax invoice over R5 000 if the client wants to claim input VAT.

What you are charging for
Subtotal
R 0,00
Total due
R 0,00
How to pay you

Built in your browser. Nothing you type here is sent to Govchain or stored.

What a South African invoice has to show

For a business that is not registered for VAT there is no fixed legal format. Your name, the client’s name, a unique number, the date, what you supplied and the amount due is enough, and adding your bank details and payment terms saves a follow-up email.

Once you are a VAT vendor the rules tighten. Section 20 of the VAT Act says a tax invoice for more than R5 000 must carry the words “tax invoice”, your name, address and VAT number, the client’s name, address and VAT number if they have one, a serial number and date, a description and quantity of what was supplied, and either the VAT amount shown separately or a statement that the total includes VAT at 15%. Below R5 000 the client’s details can be left off. Under R50 no tax invoice is needed at all. The generator covers all of this when you tick the VAT box.

A client can only claim the VAT you charge if your invoice meets those requirements, so a missing VAT number is the usual reason a tax invoice gets sent back. You can check a supplier’s number with the VAT number check.

When to stop using a generator

A one-off invoice is fine to build by hand. By the fifth one you are retyping the same client and chasing which numbers you have used. That is the point to move to Govchain invoicing, which is also free: it keeps your clients and items, numbers invoices for you, emails them with a card or EFT payment link, and records the payment against the invoice. Quotes convert to invoices in one click.

Common questions

Do I need to be registered for VAT to send an invoice?
No. Any business or freelancer can invoice. Only a registered VAT vendor may add VAT or call the document a tax invoice. If you are not registered, leave the VAT box unticked and the PDF says "Invoice".
Can I invoice without a registered company?
Yes. A sole proprietor invoices in their own name or trading name. Some larger clients and government departments only pay registered companies, which is the usual reason people register a Pty Ltd.
How do I number my invoices?
Any sequence works as long as each number is unique and you do not skip or reuse one. SARS expects an unbroken series. The generator suggests a number in the form INV-YYYYMM-001; carry on from there.
Does this store my invoice?
No. The PDF is built in your browser and nothing you type is sent to Govchain. If you want invoices saved, numbered automatically and sent with a payment link, use the free Govchain invoicing product.