GST invoice for Indian freelancers
A GST tax invoice is a defined document: your name and GSTIN, a consecutive invoice number, the client (and their GSTIN if they’re registered), a description of the service with its SAC code, the taxable value, and the tax — split as CGST + SGST for clients in your own state, or a single IGST line for clients in another state. The builder below is preset for services at the standard 18%, formats amounts in ₹ with Indian lakh-crore grouping, and prints “TAX INVOICE” as the title.
None of your details go anywhere: the PDF is generated in your browser, which matters when the invoice carries your GSTIN, your client list and your rates.
Preset: GST tax invoice — 18% services · use CGST 9% + SGST 9% for same-state clients
How it works
- Open this page — the invoice builder is already set up for “GST invoice for Indian freelancers”.
- Fill in your details, the client, and your line items. The preview updates as you type.
- Everything is computed on your own device — totals, tax, the PDF itself. Nothing is uploaded.
- Click “Download PDF” and send the invoice to your client. Your details stay saved on this device for next time.
Who needs GST invoices at all
Registration is mandatory once your turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a financial year (₹10 lakh in special-category states); below that, registration is voluntary — some freelancers register anyway because corporate clients prefer vendors whose invoices carry input tax credit. Unregistered? Then you must not charge GST or issue a “tax invoice”; you issue a plain invoice (this builder with the tax rate at 0 and the title set to “Invoice” does exactly that).
Exporting services — the common case of Indian freelancers billing US or EU clients — is zero-rated: no GST is charged on the invoice, subject to conditions (LUT filing, foreign-currency receipt) that your CA will insist on getting right. For those invoices, switch the currency to USD or EUR here and set tax to 0; the “export of services” compliance happens in your GST filings, not on the invoice face.
Required fields on a GST tax invoice (services)
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supplier identity | Your name, address and GSTIN |
| Invoice number & date | Consecutive numbering within the financial year; issue within 30 days of the service |
| Recipient | Client name and address; their GSTIN if registered |
| Service description | What was supplied, with the SAC code (e.g. 998311 in the consulting family) |
| Values | Taxable value, rate and amount of tax |
| Tax split | Same state: CGST + SGST (9% + 9% at the 18% slab) · other state: IGST (18%) |
| Place of supply | State name (drives the CGST/SGST vs IGST decision) |
Compiled July 2026 from practitioner GST guides. Slabs, SAC classifications and invoicing rules are set by CBIC notifications and do change — confirm against cbic-gov.in or your CA before relying on this table.
Good to know
- Find your exact SAC code once and reuse it — the common freelance families are 9983 (professional/technical) and 9973 (licensing); your CA or the CBIC SAC list settles yours.
- Same-state clients need the tax shown as two components: set the tax label here to “CGST 9% + SGST 9%” at 18% total, and itemize the split in the notes — or invoice inter-state clients with IGST only, as preset.
- The ₹ symbol renders in the on-screen preview; in the PDF the amounts print as “Rs.” because the PDF’s standard fonts can’t encode ₹ — both are accepted forms on Indian invoices.
Frequently asked questions
I’m below ₹20 lakh — can I still send this invoice?
Yes, as a plain (non-GST) invoice: keep the tax rate at 0, title it “Invoice”, and don’t mention GST amounts — charging GST without a GSTIN is illegal. Many unregistered freelancers add a line like “GST not applicable — supplier under threshold” in the notes so corporate clients stop asking.
CGST/SGST or IGST — which do I charge?
It follows the place of supply: client in your state → CGST + SGST (halves of the rate); client in another state → IGST (the full rate). For most freelance services the place of supply is the client’s location. Cross-border exports are zero-rated with conditions — that one is worth your CA’s sign-off.
Does this tool file anything with the GST portal?
No — it builds the invoice document only, on your device. E-invoicing (IRN/QR via the government portal) applies above turnover thresholds that most freelancers don’t hit; if you’re at that scale, your accounting software handles it. This page is for producing a correct, clean invoice to send to the client.