How to Make an Invoice in Excel

You make an invoice in Excel by setting up a blank sheet (or opening a built-in template), adding your business header, a client block, and an itemised table, then using simple formulas to total the line items and add GST. The whole thing takes about 15-20 minutes the first time and can be saved as a PDF to send.

Here is the full step-by-step.

1. Start your sheet. Open Excel and either choose File then New and search "Invoice" for a built-in template, or start from a blank workbook. For a clean look, go to the Page Layout tab and untick Gridlines so the printed invoice has no grey lines.

1. Add the header. At the top, type your business name, your contact details, and your ABN (if you are registered for GST in Australia). In a large, bold cell add the word "Invoice". Below that add an invoice number (for example INV-0001), the issue date, and the payment due date.

1. Add a client block. In a separate area, add a "Bill To" section with your client's name, business name, address, and email so it is clear who owes the money.

1. Build the itemised table. Create a table with column headers: Description, Quantity (Qty), Rate, and Amount. Put one product or service on each row.

1. Calculate each line. In the Amount cell of the first row, multiply quantity by rate. If Qty is in C12 and Rate is in D12, type =C12*D12 and copy that formula down every row. Each line total now updates automatically.

1. Add a subtotal. Below the table, add a Subtotal row and use the SUM function across your Amount column, for example =SUM(E12:E20). This adds up all your line totals in one cell.

1. Add GST and the total. On the next row add a GST line. For Australia's 10 per cent GST, reference your subtotal cell, for example =E21*0.1. Then add a Total Due row that sums the subtotal and the GST, such as =E21+E22. Change 0.1 to your own rate if you use a different tax.

1. Format as currency. Select your Rate, Amount, Subtotal, GST, and Total cells, then apply the currency format (Home tab, then the currency button or Ctrl+1) so every figure shows clean dollars and cents.

1. Add payment details and save. Include your bank or payment instructions and any notes. Save the file, then export it for sending: go to File, then Save As or Export, and choose PDF. Sending a PDF keeps your formatting locked and stops the client editing the numbers.

Excel works, but it has real drawbacks. You have to update the invoice number by hand every time, formulas break if you insert a row outside the SUM range, formatting drifts as you copy the file, and there is no record of which invoices were paid. One wrong cell reference can quietly throw off the total.

An online generator avoids all of that. With InvoiceSonic (a free invoice generator) you just fill in a form, the maths and GST are calculated for you with no formulas to break, numbering is handled automatically, and you download a clean PDF in seconds. If you still prefer spreadsheets, InvoiceSonic also offers a free Excel invoice template you can download and reuse.