On this page
The short version
- Your business details, your client’s, a unique number and two dates: the day you issue it and the day it is due.
- One line per thing you charge, with a quantity, a unit and a price.
- Tax on its own line, the total, and exactly how to pay you.
- Send it the day the work is done, and follow up on the due date.
What goes on an invoice
An invoice is a request for payment for work you have done or goods you have delivered. A client should be able to read it once and know who it is from, what it is for, how much it is, and by when. Everything on the page serves one of those four questions.
- Your business name and contact details. The name you trade under, an email or phone number, and your address if you have a business address.
- Your tax registration number, if you are registered for GST/HST in Canada or for sales tax in a US state.
- The client’s name (the business or the person paying) and their email or address.
- An invoice number that you never use twice.
- The issue date and the due date, written as real dates.
- One line per item: a short description, the quantity with its unit (hours, visits, square feet), the price per unit and the line amount.
- The subtotal, each tax on its own line, and the total.
- How to pay you: the methods you accept and the details each one needs.
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call1 visit × CA$95.00 | 1 visit | CA$95.00 | CA$95.00 |
| Replace kitchen faucet2.5 hr × CA$110.00 | 2.5 hr | CA$110.00 | CA$275.00 |
| Faucet cartridge1 ea × CA$48.50 | 1 ea | CA$48.50 | CA$48.50 |
HST 123456789 RT0001. Due within 14 days. Pay by Interac e-Transfer to pay@northline.example or by check to Northline Plumbing.
A logo is optional. A clear number, two dates and a total your client can check line by line are not. Our free invoice template has every part in place, and there is one filled in for each trade, like plumbing and cleaning.
Tax and the details your client may need
In Canada, a business client registered for GST/HST needs certain details on your invoice to claim back the tax it paid you (an input tax credit). The Canada Revenue Agency sets them by the size of the sale:
| Total of the sale | What the invoice shows |
|---|---|
| Under $100 | Your business name, the invoice date and the total. |
| $100 to $499.99 | All of the above, plus your GST/HST registration number and the GST/HST charged (or a statement that the total includes it, with the rate). |
| $500 or more | All of the above, plus the buyer’s name, a brief description of the work and the terms of payment. |
The simplest habit is to put all of it on every invoice, whatever the amount. Our guide to GST and HST on invoices covers rates by province and how to show them. In the US, sales tax on services depends on the state; see do you charge sales tax on services.
Numbers, dates and payment terms
Give every invoice a number that never repeats. It is how you and your client refer to it, and how you or your accountant match a payment to it later. Start anywhere and count up by one. More in how to number your invoices.
Put the due date on the invoice as a date, like Dec 1, 2026, not only as "net 14". A client scanning a pile of bills sees a date at once; a term makes them count. Shorter terms get paid sooner, so pick the shortest your clients will accept. What net 30 means, and which terms to use goes through the options.
In Sumocat, numbers count up on their own, and you set default payment terms once (on receipt, 7, 14 or 30 days, or your own number) and per client, so the due date fills in for you.
Tell them exactly how to pay
An invoice that says "payment due" without saying how is an invoice that waits. List each method you accept with what the client needs to use it: the email for an Interac e-Transfer, who to make a check out to, your bank details for a transfer.
The fewer steps, the faster you get paid. With Sumocat Pro PRO you can add a Pay button to every invoice through your own Stripe account, so a client pays by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay from the invoice itself. Sumocat takes no cut; Stripe charges its usual fees.
Make this invoice now, free
Fill it in your browser, add your taxes, and download a clean PDF. No sign up.
Send it the day the work is done
The clock on your payment terms starts when the client has the invoice, so every day you wait to send it is a day added to when you get paid. Send it while the job is fresh in your client’s mind, ideally before you leave the site.
- Send a PDF or a link. A PDF is easy to file; a link always shows the current version. Both are free in Sumocat, and you see when your client opens it.
- Write a short message. One line with what it is for, the total and the due date.
- Send it to the person who pays. In a larger company that may be accounts payable, not the person who hired you.
With Sumocat Pro PRO you can email the invoice from the app or schedule it to go out at a day and time you pick.
Follow up on the due date
Most late invoices are forgotten, not refused. A short, polite note on the due date, then a few days after, recovers most of them. Keep it factual: the invoice number, the amount, the due date and a link to pay.
Sumocat Pro PRO sends these for you with payment reminders: an email on the due date, then 3, 7 and 14 days after, until the invoice is paid. If a client still does not pay, read what to do when a client won’t pay. If you charge interest on late payments, say so on the invoice before it is late; how to charge late fees explains how.
Keep a copy
Your invoices are tax records. The CRA asks Canadian businesses to keep records for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to. In the US, the IRS lists invoices among the supporting documents to keep and says the general period is 3 years, with longer periods in some situations. Keep every invoice, including ones you cancel, so your numbering has no unexplained gaps.
Questions
What is the difference between an invoice and a receipt?
An invoice asks for payment and shows when it is due. A receipt confirms a payment was made. Many businesses send the invoice first, then mark it paid or send a receipt when the money arrives.
Do I need to charge GST/HST on my invoices?
Only if you are registered or must register. In Canada a small supplier, with $30,000 or less in taxable sales over four calendar quarters in a row, does not have to register, but may choose to. Once you are registered you charge GST/HST on taxable sales. Check with the CRA or an accountant for your situation.
Can I write an invoice before the work is finished?
Yes, for a deposit or a stage of a larger job. Say on the invoice what it covers, like "50% deposit" or "Stage 2 of 3", so the final invoice adds up.
What should I write in the notes?
Your payment details, your terms, and anything the client needs to file the invoice, like a purchase order number. Keep it short.
Sources
The official pages this guide relies on, with the date we last checked each one. Rules and rates change, so check the page itself before you rely on it.
- Canada Revenue Agency, Input tax credits: records you need to support your claim. www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/calculate-prepare-report/input-tax-credit.html Checked .
- Canada Revenue Agency, When to register for and start charging the GST/HST. www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/businesses/topics/gst-hst-businesses/when-register-charge.html Checked .
- Canada Revenue Agency, RC188, Keeping records. www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/forms-publications/publications/rc188/keeping-records.html Checked .
- Internal Revenue Service, What kind of records should I keep. www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep Checked .
- Internal Revenue Service, How long should I keep records?. www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records Checked .