Contents of Tax Invoices

The required content of tax invoices were relaxed for determining amounts in tax periods commencing on or after 1 July 2010. These changes were designed to overcome practical difficulties that could sometimes arise where documents did not strictly comply with the former requirement.

The requirements for a tax invoice are as follows:

1.     It must be in the approved form and issued by the supplier,

2.     It must contain enough information to enable it to be "clearly ascertained":

• The supplier's identity and ABN
• If the total price of the supplies is $1,000 or higher, the recipients identity or ABN
• What is supplied, including quantity and price
• The extent to which each supply to which the document relates is taxable
• Date of issue
• The amount of GST payable in relation to each supply to which the documents relates, and

3.     It must be clearly ascertainable from the documents that it was intended to be a tax invoice (s29-70).

The tax invoice may cover more than one supply, provided that it meets the requirement for each of the supplies. If it meets the requirements for some supplies but not others, it qualifies as a tax invoice in relation to the former supplies, but not the later.