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Freelance Invoice Template Australia: ABN Checklist for Solo Operators

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Australian freelancers lose days — and sometimes the invoice — because the PDF is missing an ABN, the entity name is wrong, or GST is handled as a vibe instead of a line. This guide is a practical invoice template checklist for AU solos, not tax advice. Use it to ship clean invoices the same day you deliver.

What every AU freelance invoice should include

Your business name as clients know it (and the legal name if different)
ABN — 11 digits, clearly labelled
Client legal entity name (not just a trading name AP will reject)
Invoice number and issue date
Description of work with dates / milestone (AP-friendly, not poetry)
AUD amount, GST treatment if you are registered, and total payable
Due date (Net 7 / Net 14 beats vague “asap”)
Payment methods — PayID, BSB/account, and overseas rails if needed
Your email for AP queries
PO number when the client’s process requires one

ABN on the invoice — common mistakes

Leaving ABN off “small” invoices — AP teams still ask
Using a personal name when the engagement is with your business name
Copy-pasting an old PDF and forgetting to bump the invoice number
Putting GST on invoices when you are not GST-registered (confirm with your accountant)

Keep an operational flag in Notion for GST-registered: yes/no. Do not invent a tax engine — see our ABN & GST lite admin guide.

A simple Notion / PDF workflow

Duplicate a master invoice template (PDF or Google Doc → PDF)
Fill from a Notion Client + Project page (entity name, ABN of theirs if relevant, PO, rates)
Issue the same day as delivery or milestone
Log Issued / Due / Paid / Next follow-up on an invoice board
Attach the PDF to Reminder 1 automatically when due date passes

Full chase sequence: How to stop chasing invoices.

GST lines without becoming an accountant

If you are GST-registered, your invoice layout should make the GST amount obvious. If you are not, do not add a fake GST line “because it looks professional.” Wrong GST treatment creates cleanup work for you and your bookkeeper. This site does not calculate your BAS — it helps you not lose the document.

Ready-made templates (owned product)

If you would rather not design the PDF and late-payment emails from scratch:

Freelance Cashflow Pack (A$29) — invoice template, Day 1/7/14 late-payment emails, pricing one-pager
30-Day Cash Runway Tracker (A$14) — when invoices are late and you need a calm buffer view
Client Onboarding Pack (A$19) — capture entity name + deposit before work starts