Question 1

What should a service business invoice include?

Accepted Answer

Your business name and contact info, the customer's name and address, a unique invoice number, issue date, due date, itemized line items with quantity and rate, subtotal, tax, total, and payment terms. A short 'thank you' line in the notes lifts on-time payment rates by a small but measurable amount.

Question 2

Do I need to charge tax on my invoices?

Accepted Answer

Depends on your jurisdiction and revenue threshold. In Ontario, charge 13% HST once your trailing 4-quarter revenue crosses $30,000. US varies by state and whether you sell taxable services. Check with an accountant when unsure — the tool lets you set any rate or zero.

Question 3

How do I number invoices?

Accepted Answer

Sequential is the cleanest — INV-0001, INV-0002, and so on. Some shops prefix with the year (2026-001, 2026-002) to make year-end reconciliation easier. Never skip or reuse numbers — that creates audit headaches.

Question 4

Can I send this invoice as a PDF to my customer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Click 'Print / Save as PDF' — in the print dialog, choose 'Save as PDF' as the destination. Your browser generates a clean PDF you can email as an attachment.

Question 5

What's a reasonable due date?

Accepted Answer

Net 14 is standard for residential service. Net 30 for commercial or repeat customers. 'Due on receipt' is reasonable for smaller first-time jobs where you want the money before the emotion of the fix wears off.

Free invoice generator for service businesses

Want invoices that send + follow up on their own?

More free tools

Invoicing manually? There's a shortcut.

Want invoices that send + follow up on their own?