Guides · Invoices & documents
Invoices & documents guides
Tax invoices, quotations, proforma invoices, challans and notes: formats, rules and good practice.
30 guides2 h of readingFree to read
InvoicesTax invoice format under GSTA GST tax invoice is valid when it carries a fixed set of details: your GSTIN, a unique serial number, the buyer's details, HSN or SAC, taxable value,4 min read
InvoicesInvoice numbering rules under GSTA GST invoice number must be consecutive, no longer than 16 characters, use only letters, digits, a hyphen or a slash, and be unique within the financ3 min read
InvoicesProforma invoice vs tax invoiceA proforma invoice is an advance bill that tells the buyer what they will pay; it creates no GST liability and gives no input tax credit. A tax invoic3 min read
QuotationsQuotation format and best practicesA good quotation tells the buyer exactly what they get, what it costs including GST, how long the price holds and how to say yes. Most lost orders are3 min readQuotationsHow to convert a quotation into an invoiceConverting a quotation means carrying the agreed items, rates and terms into a sales order or tax invoice, then adding what only the invoice can have:4 min read
Delivery challansDelivery challan under GSTA delivery challan is the document that moves goods when there is no sale at that moment: job work, goods on approval, stock sent to a branch, or a su3 min read
Delivery challansWhen is a delivery challan required?Use a delivery challan when goods leave your premises but no sale is being made at that moment, or the invoice cannot be finalised at removal. If the 3 min readPurchase ordersPurchase order formatA purchase order is your written instruction to a supplier: what to send, how much, at what rate, by when and on what terms. It is not a GST document,4 min readOrdersSales order vs purchase orderA purchase order is issued by the buyer to say what they want to buy. A sales order is created by the seller to record what they have agreed to supply3 min readCredit notesCredit note format under GSTA GST credit note is issued by the supplier to reduce the value or tax of an invoice already raised: for goods returned, an overcharge, or a deficient3 min readDebit notesDebit note format under GSTUnder GST, a debit note is issued by the supplier when the invoice charged less value or tax than it should have. In everyday trade the term is also u4 min read
InvoicesBill of supply formatA bill of supply is the GST document you issue instead of a tax invoice when you cannot charge GST: as a composition dealer, or when the goods or serv4 min readExportsExport invoice format under GSTAn export invoice is a GST tax invoice with extra details: a printed endorsement saying whether IGST is paid or the export is under LUT, the buyer's f4 min readInvoicesSending invoices on WhatsAppSending an invoice on WhatsApp is normal practice in Indian trade and perfectly acceptable, as long as the invoice itself is complete and you send a c4 min read
PaymentsUPI QR code on invoicesA UPI QR printed on an invoice lets the buyer pay by scanning, without typing your account number. A dynamic QR that carries the exact amount and invo4 min read
PaymentsInvoice payment termsPayment terms tell the buyer when and how to pay, and what happens if they are late. Clear terms on every invoice, with a due date written as a date, 4 min readInvoicesRecurring invoicesA recurring invoice is one you raise on a fixed cycle for the same customer: monthly rent, an annual maintenance contract, equipment hire or a retaine3 min readInvoicesInvoice vs receiptAn invoice records a sale and asks for payment. A receipt confirms that payment was received. Under GST there is also a special receipt voucher, issue4 min readRetail billingCash memo vs tax invoiceA cash memo is a simple bill for an on-the-spot cash sale. If your business is registered under regular GST, a cash memo for a taxable sale must still3 min readRetail billingRetail invoice vs tax invoiceUnder the old VAT system, a retail invoice went to consumers and a tax invoice to dealers who wanted credit. Under GST that split has gone: a regular 3 min readInvoicesCancelling an invoice under GSTYou can cancel an invoice cleanly only before it is reported in GSTR-1, and for e-invoices only within 24 hours on the IRP. After that, the correct ro4 min readInvoicesRevised invoice under GSTIn GST law, a revised invoice has a narrow meaning: an invoice issued for sales made between the effective date of registration and the date the regis3 min readService billingInvoices for repair and service jobsA repair invoice usually mixes two things: spare parts (goods) and labour (a service). Showing each line with its own HSN or SAC, and agreeing the est3 min read
Service billingJob card and service invoiceA job card is the internal record of one repair or service job, from intake to delivery. The service invoice is the bill at the end. When the two are 4 min readQuotationsEstimate vs quotationA quotation is a firm price for a defined job or set of goods, valid for a fixed period. An estimate is your best guess of the cost when the final fig3 min readInvoicesDigital signature on invoicesA GST invoice must carry the signature or digital signature of the supplier or an authorised person, but an invoice issued electronically under the In4 min readDocumentsInvoice branding: logo and letterheadA well-branded invoice looks trustworthy, gets paid faster and is easy to find in a buyer's files. GST does not regulate design, so you are free to br3 min read
RecordsHow long to keep invoices and recordsUnder GST, books and records must be kept for 72 months from the due date of the annual return for that year, which works out to roughly seven years f4 min readDistributionInvoice templates for distributorsA distributor's invoice has to satisfy GST and also answer the retailer's questions: what scheme did I get, which batch is this, what is the MRP and h4 min readDispatchPacking list vs invoiceAn invoice tells the buyer what they owe. A packing list tells everyone handling the shipment what is inside each package. The invoice is a tax and pa3 min readCashflow OS · works with TallyPrime
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