Free Invoice Template (Excel)

A professional invoice gets you paid faster than an email with a dollar amount in it. This free template calculates your subtotal, tax, and total automatically as you enter line items — just fill in your business info once and duplicate it for every client.

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No email required · Works in Excel or Google Sheets · Includes a built-in AI prompt

Who this is for

Freelancers and consultants billing clients directly
Small business owners who don't want to pay for invoicing software
Contractors who need a clean, professional-looking invoice fast
Anyone tired of recreating an invoice from scratch every time

What's included

Editable business info and client info fields
Line-item table with automatic Subtotal, Tax, and Total Due calculations
Clear payment terms section
Built-in AI prompt to help tighten your invoicing and follow-up process

Why use a template instead of starting from scratch?

A generic invoice — or worse, an email with a dollar figure in it — signals that you're not running things professionally, and it can genuinely slow down payment. A clean, consistent invoice format builds trust and gives clients everything they need to pay you without a follow-up email asking for missing details.

How to Use This Template

Download and open in Excel or Google Sheets

Works identically in either — no macros or add-ins needed.

Fill in your business name and contact info once

Save a copy as your master template so you're not retyping this every time.

Add your client's info and this invoice's line items

Amount calculates automatically once you enter quantity and rate.

Set your payment terms and due date

Net 15 or Net 30 are the most common — clear terms get you paid faster.

Save as PDF and send

File > Save As > PDF (or File > Download > PDF in Google Sheets) keeps the formatting locked for the client.

Built-in AI prompt

Once you've filled this template in, it includes a ready-to-use prompt at the bottom of the sheet. Attach your saved file to ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI chat tool and paste it in — you'll get plain-English feedback on patterns that suggest collection risk and one change to your invoicing process that would get you paid faster, no accounting background required.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Leaving off a due date or payment terms

"Please pay when convenient" gets paid last, every time. Always state clear terms.

Forgetting an invoice number

Makes it harder for you — and your client's accounts payable team — to track and reference the invoice later, which can itself delay payment.

Sending an editable file instead of a PDF

Always convert to PDF before sending so the numbers can't be accidentally, or intentionally, changed on the client's end.

Waiting too long to send it

The sooner you invoice after finishing the work, the sooner the payment clock actually starts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should every invoice include?

Your business name and contact info, the client's info, a unique invoice number, the date, a clear line-item breakdown, the total due, and payment terms. This template includes all of it.

How do I make sure I get paid faster?

Clear, short payment terms (Net 15 instead of Net 30 where possible), invoicing immediately after the work is done instead of batching it, and following up politely a few days before the due date all measurably speed up payment.

Can I use this for recurring clients?

Yes — save a filled-in copy as a template per client, then just update the date, invoice number, and line items each time.

Is this template really free?

Yes, completely free, no email required. iLuvAccounting also has a paid Tools Club with 70+ templates, including recurring invoice and retainer invoice variations.

Should I charge sales tax on my invoices?

It depends on what you sell and where. Many services are exempt in most U.S. states, while physical products usually aren't. Check your state or provincial requirements — this template has a Tax line you can use or leave at zero.

What payment terms should I use?

Net 15 or "due on receipt" get you paid fastest. Net 30 is common with larger companies whose accounts payable process is slower, but it's worth asking for shorter terms if you have any leverage to negotiate.

How do I handle a client who hasn't paid an overdue invoice?

Send a short, polite reminder as soon as it's overdue, referencing the invoice number and original due date. iLuvAccounting's AI Prompt Library has a ready-to-use overdue-payment follow-up prompt if you want a starting draft.

Related Resources

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