Excel is a flexible option for making an invoice if you're comfortable with formulas and formatting — though dedicated invoice tools are faster and reduce the risk of errors. The key is to set up a reusable template with your branding and formulas for totals, GST, and amounts due.
To make an invoice in Excel: 1. Open Excel and start a fresh sheet 2. Add your business name, ABN, and contact details in the top rows 3. Insert your logo and adjust formatting (font, colours, borders) 4. Add labels for "Invoice Number", "Issue Date", "Due Date", and "Bill To" 5. Create a line items table with columns: Description, Quantity, Unit Price, Amount 6. Use formulas: Amount = Quantity × Unit Price; Subtotal = SUM(Amount column); GST = Subtotal × 0.10; Total = Subtotal + GST 7. Add a payment section with bank, BPAY, or PayID details 8. Save the file as a template (.xltx) so you can reuse it without overwriting 9. For each new invoice, open the template, fill in the details, then export as PDF (File → Export → Create PDF) 10. Never send the Excel file itself — clients can edit it
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