Free VAT Invoice Template (UK & EU): Sales Invoice With VAT — PDF, Word & Excel
A blank VAT/GST sales invoice you can download right now: seller and buyer VAT numbers, invoice number, date issued and tax point date, a VAT % column on every line, a VAT-by-rate block, a field for the reverse-charge or exemption mention, and a totals block that separates net from tax. One document, three formats — pick the one you will actually work in. A filled sample and the EU Article 226 mentions are further down.
Download the blank VAT invoice template
Print-ready blank — ruled lines to fill in by hand, fixed layout, nothing to install.
Download DOCXWord (DOCX)
Editable Word document (tested in Microsoft Word) — type into it and save your own copy.
Download XLSXExcel (XLSX)
Working formulas (tested in Microsoft Excel): line net amounts, net total, VAT by rate (SUMIF), VAT and total.
DownloadFree for personal and commercial use. No signup, no email, no attribution required.
These files were generated on from one source configuration, and every format is regenerated together whenever we revise the layout — so the PDF, Word and Excel versions never drift apart.
What's inside this template
- Document title and three header fields: Invoice no., Date issued and Tax point date — the tax point gets its own field because it is not always the day you issued the invoice.
- From (seller — incl. VAT number): a party block for your business name, address and VAT registration number — four ruled lines in the PDF and Word files, three input cells in Excel.
- To (buyer — VAT number if B2B): the same block for the customer, with room for their VAT number on business-to-business sales.
- Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption): a field beside the party blocks (two ruled lines in the PDF, one in the Word file, an input cell in Excel) for “Reverse charge” or the exemption reference, when one applies.
- Line-item table with the columns Description, Qty, Unit price, VAT % and Net amount, so each line carries its own VAT rate — six blank rows in the PDF, seven in the Word file, ten formula rows in Excel.
- VAT BY RATE block with the columns VAT rate %, Taxable amount (net) and VAT: one row per rate used on the invoice — three rows in the PDF and the Word file, four in Excel, where the taxable amount and the VAT are formulas.
- Totals block: Net total, VAT and TOTAL, with the total emphasized.
- Notes area in the PDF and Word versions: two blank lines for payment details or terms.
- A printed reminder at the foot of all three files: “For intra-EU B2B with a valid buyer VAT number the reverse charge may apply — if so, the invoice must say so.”
In the Excel file the outlined cells are the ones you fill in. Each line's Net amount is quantity × unit price, and you type the line's rate in VAT % as a plain number (20, not 20%). In the VAT BY RATE block, type each rate you used once: a SUMIF formula adds up the net amounts of the lines at that rate, and the VAT for that rate is rounded to two decimals. The VAT line adds up the rates and the TOTAL adds net and VAT together. Every rate cell starts blank — no rate is ever pre-filled for you.
VAT invoice sample (filled example)
Here is the same template filled in for a UK sale at the 20% standard rate (GOV.UK / HMRC). The businesses, VAT numbers and figures are fictional; the arithmetic is real.
VAT INVOICE
From (seller — incl. VAT number)
Example Studio Ltd (fictional)
1 Sample Street, Anytown AB1 2CD
VAT reg. no. GB 000 0000 00 (example)
To (buyer — VAT number if B2B)
Sample Client Ltd (fictional)
2 Specimen Road, Othertown CD3 4EF
VAT number: left blank (not on HMRC's list for a UK sale)
Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption): left blank (no reverse charge or exemption on this sale)
| Description | Qty | Unit price (£) | VAT % | Net amount (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logo design — fixed fee | 1 | 750.00 | 20 | 750.00 |
| Brand guidelines document | 1 | 400.00 | 20 | 400.00 |
| Design consultation (hours) | 6 | 60.00 | 20 | 360.00 |
| VAT rate % | Taxable amount (net, £) | VAT (£) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 1,510.00 | 302.00 |
| Net total | 1,510.00 |
|---|---|
| VAT | 302.00 |
| TOTAL | 1,812.00 |
Notes: Payment by bank transfer within 30 days. Please quote INV-0042.
Need more than one VAT rate, or an exempt line, on the same invoice? Give each line its own rate in the VAT % column and use one VAT BY RATE row per rate; the Excel file adds up each rate for you. The guide's VAT breakdown example shows how to set out the net amount and VAT for each rate.
EU VAT invoice template: the extra mentions EU law requires
Article 226 of the VAT Directive (2006/112/EC) lists the only details Member States may require for VAT purposes on a full invoice. Which Member State's invoicing rules apply is set by Article 219a. Here is each item of Article 226 of Directive 2006/112/EC and where it goes on this template. Items marked for special cases apply only when that case applies.
| Article 226 item | When | Where it goes on this template |
|---|---|---|
| (1) the date of issue | Full invoice | 'Date issued' field in the header |
| (2) a sequential number, based on one or more series, which uniquely identifies the invoice | Full invoice | 'Invoice no.' field in the header |
| (3) the supplier's VAT identification number | Full invoice | 'From (seller — incl. VAT number)' block |
| (4) the customer's VAT identification number, where the customer is liable for the VAT or receives an intra-Community supply of goods (Art. 138) | Reverse charge or intra-EU supply of goods | 'To (buyer — VAT number if B2B)' block |
| (5) the full name and address of the taxable person and of the customer | Full invoice | 'From' and 'To' blocks |
| (6) the quantity and nature of the goods supplied or the extent and nature of the services rendered | Full invoice | Line-item table: Description and Qty columns |
| (7) the date of supply (or of a payment on account), where it can be determined and differs from the date of issue | Full invoice | 'Tax point date' field in the header (fill it when it differs from the date issued) |
| (7a) the mention 'Cash accounting' | Cash accounting scheme | Notes lines, only if you use a cash accounting scheme |
| (8) the taxable amount per rate or exemption, the unit price exclusive of VAT and any discounts or rebates if they are not included in the unit price | Full invoice | Unit price column; the 'Taxable amount (net)' column of the VAT BY RATE block, one row per rate |
| (9) the VAT rate applied | Full invoice | 'VAT %' column on each line, and the 'VAT rate %' column of the VAT BY RATE block |
| (10) the VAT amount payable (unless a special arrangement excludes it) | Full invoice | 'VAT' column of the VAT BY RATE block and the 'VAT' line of the totals |
| (10a) the mention 'Self-billing' | Invoice issued by the customer | Notes lines (or the title), when the customer issues the invoice |
| (11) a reference to the exemption provision, or any other reference indicating that the supply is exempt | Exempt supply | 'Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption)' field |
| (11a) the mention 'Reverse charge' | Customer liable for the VAT | 'Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption)' field: write “Reverse charge” |
| (12)-(15) new means of transport details, margin-scheme mentions, tax representative's details | Special cases only | Notes lines, only in those special cases |
Invoicing follows the rules of the Member State where the supply is made, with exceptions set out in Article 219a (for example when the customer pays the VAT under the reverse charge). The VAT invoice checklist puts the EU list next to the UK and Australian ones. Item wording verified 2026-09-25 against the EUR-Lex consolidated text.
Sales invoice with VAT, VAT bill, tax invoice: the same document
A sales invoice with VAT, a VAT bill and a tax invoice are names for the same document: the invoice a VAT-registered seller issues for a taxable sale. HMRC's own example in VAT Notice 700/21 is headed “A tax invoice” and numbered “Sales invoice no 174”, and GOV.UK calls an invoice a bill: you “need to give them an invoice (bill) by law if both you and the customer are registered for VAT” (GOV.UK, Invoicing and taking payment from customers). Australia's tax office uses “tax invoice” for the GST version.
Whatever you call it, the content is what matters, and this template's title (“VAT INVOICE”) can be changed in the Word and Excel versions if your customer expects “Tax invoice”.
VAT invoice format: PDF, Word or Excel (VAT bill format in Excel)
- PDF — if you print invoices and complete them by hand, or you just want a fixed, unchangeable layout to look at before committing. Nothing to install, nothing to edit.
- Word (DOCX) — if you want to type into the document, drop in your logo and keep a reusable file. We tested it in Microsoft Word.
- Excel (XLSX) — the VAT bill format in Excel, if you want the arithmetic handled. Enter quantities, unit prices and each line's VAT rate, then list the rates in the VAT BY RATE block; the line amounts, net total, VAT per rate, VAT and total calculate themselves and recalculate when the file is opened.
When to use a VAT invoice
A VAT (or GST) invoice is the version of an invoice you issue when the sale is taxable and you are registered for the tax. It exists so both sides can account for the tax properly: you record the VAT you charged, and a registered business customer has the document it needs to reclaim it. That is why the layout insists on the seller's VAT number, the rate applied, and a visible split between net and tax.
If you are not registered for VAT or GST, you should not be adding a VAT line at all — a plain invoice is the right document, such as our non-GST invoice template. On cross-border business-to-business sales the treatment can shift again: under the reverse charge the buyer accounts for the tax instead of you, and the invoice has to say so — which is what the “Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption)” field is for.
Which rate applies, when the tax point falls, how invoices must be numbered and what wording is mandatory are all jurisdiction-specific. For the country-by-country detail, read the VAT/GST invoicing guide.
General information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm your obligations with your tax authority or accountant.
Frequently asked questions
Are these VAT invoice templates really free, including for commercial work?
Yes. All three files are free for personal and commercial use — no signup, no email wall, no watermark and no attribution requirement — so you can bill your own clients with them. Each file carries one small credit line for this site; in the Word and Excel versions you can select that line and delete it, and in the PDF it sits quietly in the page footer.
Does the Excel file calculate the VAT for me?
Yes. In the XLSX, each line's NET AMOUNT is quantity multiplied by unit price, and you type that line's rate in its VAT % column. In the VAT BY RATE block you type each rate you used once; for each rate a SUMIF formula adds up the net amounts of the lines at that rate and works out the VAT on them (rounded to two decimals). The Net total adds up the lines, the VAT line adds up the VAT of every rate, and the TOTAL adds the two together. Every rate cell starts blank: we never pre-fill a tax rate, because the correct rate depends on your country and on what you are selling. We tested the formulas in Microsoft Excel.
What is the format of a VAT invoice?
A header with the invoice number, the date of issue and the time of supply (tax point); the seller's name, address and VAT registration number; the customer's name and address; a line for each item with its description, quantity, unit price and net amount; a totals block with the net total and the VAT rate and amount; plus the rate of any cash discount you offer. That is the list HMRC gives in VAT Notice 700/21, section 4.1. This template has a place for each of those details (a cash discount goes in the Notes lines) and also adds a TOTAL line with the amount payable.
Is there a VAT invoice template for EU cross-border sales?
Yes, this one covers it: it has fields for both VAT numbers (Article 226(3) and (4) of the EU VAT Directive), a tax point date for the date of supply (Article 226(7)), a VAT % column and a VAT BY RATE block for the taxable amount, rate and VAT per rate (Article 226(8) to (10)), and a 'Legal mention (reverse charge / exemption)' field for the mention 'Reverse charge' (Article 226(11a)) or an exemption reference (Article 226(11)). The table on this page shows where each Article 226 item goes.
Can I use this template if I'm not VAT registered?
Not as a VAT invoice: GOV.UK says 'Only VAT-registered businesses can issue VAT invoices.' Use a plain invoice with no VAT line instead, such as our non-GST invoice template, and see the zero-rated invoice guide for invoices that show 0% or no VAT.
Is a blank template enough to make my invoice VAT compliant?
The layout carries the fields most VAT and GST regimes ask for — seller VAT number, buyer VAT number for B2B, invoice number, date issued, tax point date, the rate applied, and a clear split of net, VAT and total. What each tax authority additionally requires (invoice numbering rules, reverse-charge wording, invoice language, currency, issuing deadlines) differs by jurisdiction, so check the rules that apply to you before you send. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice.