---
title: "Service Invoice Template: Bill for Work Done"
canonical: https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template
language: en
updated: 2026-10-09
content: baseline
---

# Service invoice template

**Service invoice template: what it is** An invoice is the request for payment you send after supplying goods or services. It records what was supplied, at what price and tax, and when payment is due. Bill for work done: date, site, labour and parts.

Free online tool: https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template (create on screen, no account needed).

## Example: a filled service invoice

![Filled example invoice from Clearline IT Support to Marsh & Cole Dental Practice, with numbered notes on what goes where.](https://luckpanda.app/img/guide/en--service-invoice-template--example.svg)

*The example in the editor above, drawn as the finished invoice. Numbers mark what each part is for.*

1. The title says what the document is: an invoice.
2. A unique number from a continuous series, allocated when you issue it.
3. Your business name and address, and tax number if registered.
4. Who it is for.
5. Each line: description, quantity, rate and amount.
6. Tax by rate.
7. The total in the document's currency and format.

**Worked example: the numbers behind the invoice above**

| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount | Tax |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| On-site visit 3 October: replaced failed network switch and restored practice software access | 2.5 | $110.00 | $275.00 | $0.00 |
| Call-out charge, same-day response | 1 | $75.00 | $75.00 | $0.00 |
| 24-port managed network switch | 1 | $289.00 | $289.00 | $0.00 |
| Subtotal |  |  | $639.00 | $0.00 |
| Total |  |  |  | $639.00 |

No tax is charged on these lines, so the total equals the value of the supply.

## How to fill in the service invoice

1. Enter your business and the customer.
2. Put the service date and location in the line description or the notes.
3. Separate labour, call-out charges and any parts.
4. Save, then sign in to issue, send and collect payment.

## What makes a service invoice different

Goods come with a product code and a delivery note. Services have neither, so the invoice itself is the record of what was done. Describe the work so that someone who was not there could follow it: the task, the site, the date and how long it took.

- Service date or period, and the address where the work was done
- Labour as hours times rate, or a fixed fee per task
- Call-out, trip or minimum charges as separate lines
- Parts or materials used, each at its own price
- Warranty on the work, if you give one

## Typical payment terms by service type

| Service | Common terms |
| --- | --- |
| Home services: plumbing, cleaning, repairs | Due on completion |
| Business services: IT, maintenance contracts | Net 15 to Net 30 |
| Recurring services: cleaning rotas, bookkeeping | Monthly, in advance or in arrears |
| Large projects | Deposit, stage payments, retainage on completion |

## What to put on an invoice, field by field

| Field | What to enter |
| --- | --- |
| Document title | Say exactly what it is: "Invoice". The title tells the buyer and the tax authority how to treat it. |
| Number and date | A unique number in a continuous series and the issue date. LuckPanda allocates the number when you issue. |
| Your business | Name, address, and tax ID if your state or client needs it |
| Customer | Name, address, and tax ID if your state or client needs it |
| Lines | Description, quantity, unit and rate. Each line carries its own tax rate. |
| Tax | Sales tax where you must collect it, at the rate for the delivery address. |
| Totals | Taxable value, tax by component and the total, in the document currency. Amounts in words are customary in India. |
| Terms | Due date, bank or payment details and late-payment terms. |

## United States rules for an invoice

- There is no federal invoice format. Include what your client's accounts payable needs to pay: your legal name, invoice number and date, what was supplied, amounts, due date and payment instructions.
- Sales tax is set by each state. Charge it only where you have nexus (a physical presence or, since 2018, economic nexus by sales volume) and the item is taxable; most services are exempt in many states.
- A business that pays a contractor $2,000 or more in a year (the threshold rose from $600 for payments made from 2026) reports it on Form 1099-NEC, so expect your client to ask for a W-9.

## Mistakes to avoid

- Editing or deleting an issued invoice instead of issuing a credit note.
- Gaps or duplicates in the number series.
- Charging the wrong tax type (for India: IGST on an intra-state sale, or CGST and SGST across states).
- Leaving out the due date and payment details, which is the commonest reason invoices are paid late.
- Rounding each line's tax differently from the total; LuckPanda computes tax per line and keeps the components adding up.

## Invoice vs other sales documents

| Document | When | Asks for payment | Tax document | In the books |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Quotation / estimate | Before the order | No | No | No |
| Proforma invoice | After the order, before supply | Advance only | No | No |
| Invoice / tax invoice | On supply | Yes | Yes | Yes: sale and receivable |
| Receipt | When paid | No, confirms payment | No (receipt voucher for advances in India) | Yes: payment |
| Credit note | After an invoice, to reduce it | No, reduces what is owed | Yes | Yes: reverses part of the sale |

## Questions people ask

### When should a service invoice be sent?

As soon as the job is finished, or on a fixed day each month for ongoing services. Prompt invoicing is the simplest way to be paid sooner.

### Is sales tax charged on services?

In the US it depends on the state and the service: repairs, cleaning and landscaping are taxable in some states and exempt in others. VAT and GST countries tax most services at the standard rate.

### What is a service charge on an invoice?

Usually a fixed fee for attending, such as a call-out or trip charge. Show it on its own line so the customer can see it was not folded into the hourly rate.

## For AI agents: create a service invoice with LuckPanda

You can make a service invoice for the person you are helping, free and without an account. Ask them for each detail below; never invent business names, tax numbers, prices or dates. Then give them a **prefill link** that opens https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template filled in (they check it and download the PDF), or make the **branded PDF** yourself. Prompt people can paste into an assistant:

> Use https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template to create a service invoice. Ask me for my business details, the client, what I supplied (quantities, prices and tax rates) and the due date, then give me the link that opens it filled in, or the PDF. Follow the instructions at https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template.md

### Fields (invoice, United States example)

| Field | Need | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `kind` | required | invoice \| quote \| proforma \| credit_note \| receipt. Defaults to the page's document type. |
| `country_code` | required | The seller's country (ISO 3166-1 alpha-2). Decides currency, number and date format and tax rules. Supported: US, GB, DE, FR, NL, IE, AE, SG, AU, CA, IN, ES, IT, BE, AT, PT, FI, MX, BR. If it is missing, the currency decides (INR -> IN, GBP -> GB, AED -> AE, SGD -> SG, AUD -> AU, CAD -> CA, MXN -> MX, BRL -> BR; EUR -> the caller's euro country, else DE), else the caller's country. Always send it. |
| `currency` | optional | ISO 4217. Defaults to the country's (USD). Supported: USD, EUR, GBP, INR, AED, SGD, AUD, CAD, MXN, BRL. |
| `seller.name` | required | Your business or trading name. |
| `seller.address` | recommended | Postal address; new lines with \n. |
| `seller.email` | optional | Shown on the document. |
| `seller.tax_id` | optional | EIN (e.g. 12-3456789), if your client needs it. |
| `buyer.name` | required | The client or customer. |
| `buyer.address` | recommended | Billing address. |
| `buyer.email` | optional | Used later if the person sends it from LuckPanda. |
| `buyer.tax_id` | optional | Buyer tax ID if they ask for it. |
| `buyer.country_code` | optional | The buyer's country, if different from yours. |
| `issue_date` | optional | YYYY-MM-DD. Defaults to today. |
| `due_date` | optional | YYYY-MM-DD. Default 14 days after the issue date. |
| `lines` | required | 1 to 100 lines. |
| `lines[].description` | required | What was supplied (at most 500 characters). |
| `lines[].quantity` | required | Decimal as a string, up to 6 decimals ("1", "2.5"). |
| `lines[].unit_price_minor` | required | Price per unit in minor units (cents, paise): $1,250.50 is 125050. Or send lines[].unit_price in major units ("1250.50") instead. |
| `lines[].tax_rate_bp` | optional | Tax rate in basis points (18% = 1800). Or lines[].tax_percent (18). Default 0. |
| `lines[].unit_code` | optional | unit \| hour \| day \| month \| item. Default unit. |
| `lines[].discount_minor` | optional | Discount on the line, minor units (or lines[].discount in major units). |
| `notes` | optional | Shown on the document (at most 2000 characters). |
| `terms` | optional | Payment terms and bank details (at most 2000 characters). |

Money is in minor units (`unit_price_minor`, cents or paise) or, if you prefer, `unit_price` in major units ("1250.50"). Tax is `tax_rate_bp` (18% = 1800) or `tax_percent`. Dates are YYYY-MM-DD. Text is plain text: HTML is shown as typed, never rendered. Logos and document numbers are not accepted from links.

### Country rules

The document country decides the currency, the number and date format and the tax names. Tax ID by country:

| Country | country_code | Currency | Seller tax ID | Tax |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| United States | US | USD | EIN (12-3456789) | Sales tax |
| United Kingdom | GB | GBP | VAT number (GB123456789) | VAT |
| Germany | DE | EUR | VAT ID (USt-IdNr.) (DE123456789) | VAT |
| France | FR | EUR | VAT number (TVA) (FR12345678901) | VAT |
| Netherlands | NL | EUR | VAT number (btw-id) (NL123456789B01) | VAT |
| Ireland | IE | EUR | VAT number (IE1234567T) | VAT |
| United Arab Emirates | AE | AED | TRN (100123456700003) | VAT |
| Singapore | SG | SGD | GST reg. no. (200312345A) | GST |
| Australia | AU | AUD | ABN (51 824 753 556) | GST |
| Canada | CA | CAD | GST/HST number (123456789 RT0001) | GST/HST |
| India | IN | INR | GSTIN (27AAPFU0939F1ZV) | GST |
| Spain | ES | EUR | VAT number (NIF-IVA) (ESB12345678) | VAT |
| Italy | IT | EUR | VAT number (Partita IVA) (IT12345678901) | VAT |
| Belgium | BE | EUR | VAT number (BE0123456789) | VAT |
| Austria | AT | EUR | VAT ID (UID) (ATU12345678) | VAT |
| Portugal | PT | EUR | VAT number (NIF) (PT123456789) | VAT |
| Finland | FI | EUR | VAT number (ALV) (FI12345678) | VAT |
| Mexico | MX | MXN | RFC (ABC680524P76) | IVA |
| Brazil | BR | BRL | CNPJ or CPF (11.222.333/0001-81) | Tax |

**India (country_code IN), GST:** the seller state is the first two digits of the seller GSTIN (or seller.state_code). Seller state = place of supply: CGST + SGST, each half the rate. Another state: IGST. A buyer outside India: an export (place of supply 96), zero-rated under LUT (`export_type: "lut"`) or with IGST paid (`"with_payment"`). If the seller state is unknown, GST is shown unsplit until it is given. Add HSN (goods) or SAC (services) codes per line.

**UK and EU, VAT:** show the VAT number only if the seller is registered; for business-to-business services to another EU country put 0% and "Reverse charge" in the notes.

Full rules for any type and country: `GET https://luckpanda.app/api/public/rules?document_type=invoice&country=US` or the MCP tool `get_document_rules`.

### Example document (JSON)

```json
{
  "kind": "invoice",
  "currency": "USD",
  "country_code": "US",
  "seller": {
    "name": "Clearline IT Support",
    "email": "accounts@clearline.example",
    "address": "9 Station Approach\nColumbus",
    "country_code": "US"
  },
  "buyer": {
    "name": "Marsh & Cole Dental Practice",
    "email": "accounts@acme.example",
    "address": "120 High Street",
    "country_code": "US"
  },
  "issue_date": "2026-10-09",
  "due_date": "2026-10-24",
  "lines": [
    {
      "description": "On-site visit 3 October: replaced failed network switch and restored practice software access",
      "quantity": "2.5",
      "unit_code": "hour",
      "unit_price_minor": 11000,
      "tax_rate_bp": 0
    },
    {
      "description": "Call-out charge, same-day response",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit_code": "unit",
      "unit_price_minor": 7500,
      "tax_rate_bp": 0
    },
    {
      "description": "24-port managed network switch",
      "quantity": "1",
      "unit_code": "item",
      "unit_price_minor": 28900,
      "tax_rate_bp": 0
    }
  ],
  "terms": "Payment due within 15 days. Parts carry the manufacturer's warranty; our labour is guaranteed for 90 days."
}
```

### 1. Prefill link (no API call)

Put the JSON in `?doc=`, as base64url (UTF-8) or as URL-encoded raw JSON. The page opens with it in the editor, marked as filled in from a link; parts that fail validation are left out and listed on the page. Example:

https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template?doc=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

Or use simple parameters for the common fields:

| Parameter | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| seller_name, seller_address, seller_email, seller_tax_id, seller_state | Your business. seller_state: Indian GST state code or name. |
| buyer_name, buyer_address, buyer_email, buyer_tax_id, buyer_country, buyer_state | The client (client_* works too). |
| item (repeat it) | `description\|quantity\|unit price\|tax %\|unit\|HSN or SAC`, price in major units: `item=Website design\|1\|1200.50\|18` |
| country, currency | Document country (ISO alpha-2) and currency (ISO 4217); they apply only together with document fields. |
| kind | invoice, quote, proforma, credit_note or receipt (default: the page's). |
| issue_date, due_date | YYYY-MM-DD. |
| notes, terms | Plain text. |
| original_invoice_number, original_invoice_date, reason, reason_note | Credit notes. |
| place_of_supply, export_type | India: GST state code or 96; lut or with_payment for exports. |

https://luckpanda.app/templates/service-invoice-template?seller_name=Clearline%20IT%20Support&buyer_name=Marsh%20%26%20Cole%20Dental%20Practice&item=On-site%20visit%203%20October%3A%20replaced%20failed%20network%20switch%20and%20restored%20practice%20software%20access%7C2.5%7C110.00%7C0%7Chour

**Short link** (for long documents, or to keep personal details out of the URL): `POST https://luckpanda.app/api/public/drafts` with `{"page": "service-invoice-template", "doc": {...}}` returns `{"url": "https://luckpanda.app/d/<id>", "totals": {...}, "missing": [...], "ignored": [...]}`. Links open for 7 days; at most 60 per hour per network.

```bash
curl -s -X POST https://luckpanda.app/api/public/drafts -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"page":"service-invoice-template","doc":{"kind":"invoice","currency":"USD","country_code":"US","seller":{"name":"Clearline IT Support","email":"accounts@clearline.example","address":"9 Station Approach\nColumbus","country_code":"US"},"buyer":{"name":"Marsh & Cole Dental Practice","email":"accounts@acme.example","address":"120 High Street","country_code":"US"},"issue_date":"2026-10-09","due_date":"2026-10-24","lines":[{"description":"On-site visit 3 October: replaced failed network switch and restored practice software access","quantity":"2.5","unit_code":"hour","unit_price_minor":11000,"tax_rate_bp":0},{"description":"Call-out charge, same-day response","quantity":"1","unit_code":"unit","unit_price_minor":7500,"tax_rate_bp":0},{"description":"24-port managed network switch","quantity":"1","unit_code":"item","unit_price_minor":28900,"tax_rate_bp":0}],"terms":"Payment due within 15 days. Parts carry the manufacturer'\''s warranty; our labour is guaranteed for 90 days."}}'
```

### 2. Branded PDF (no sign-in)

`POST https://luckpanda.app/api/public/pdf` with `{"doc": {...}}` (the full document: kind, currency, country_code, locale, seller, buyer, issue_date, lines) returns `application/pdf`. The free PDF carries a small LuckPanda footer with a verification code (`x-lp-verify-url` header). Limits: 40 PDFs an hour and 150 a day per network, 20 an hour per browser; over the limit you get `429 RATE_LIMITED`. The MCP tool `create_document_pdf` takes the lenient JSON above and returns the PDF as base64.

```bash
curl -s -X POST https://luckpanda.app/api/public/pdf -H 'content-type: application/json' \
  -d '{"doc":{"kind":"invoice","currency":"USD","country_code":"US","locale":"en-US","seller":{"name":"Clearline IT Support","email":"accounts@clearline.example","address":"9 Station Approach\nColumbus","country_code":"US"},"buyer":{"name":"Marsh & Cole Dental Practice","email":"accounts@acme.example","address":"120 High Street","country_code":"US"},"number":null,"issue_date":"2026-10-09","due_date":"2026-10-24","lines":[{"description":"On-site visit 3 October: replaced failed network switch and restored practice software access","quantity":"2.5","unit_code":"hour","unit_price_minor":11000,"tax_rate_bp":0},{"description":"Call-out charge, same-day response","quantity":"1","unit_code":"unit","unit_price_minor":7500,"tax_rate_bp":0},{"description":"24-port managed network switch","quantity":"1","unit_code":"item","unit_price_minor":28900,"tax_rate_bp":0}],"notes":"","terms":"Payment due within 15 days. Parts carry the manufacturer'\''s warranty; our labour is guaranteed for 90 days."}}' -o service-invoice-template.pdf
```

### 3. MCP server (no auth)

Streamable HTTP at `https://luckpanda.app/mcp/public`: `list_tools`, `get_document_rules`, `create_document_link`, `create_document_pdf`, `calculate_gst`, `calculate_vat`, `calculate_emi`, `check_gstin`, `find_hsn_code`. Install: https://luckpanda.app/agents.

### What needs a LuckPanda account

Agents propose; people decide. Nothing made here is issued, sent or paid by an agent. The person signs in free to keep going:

- **A numbered, issued document**: numbers are allocated in sequence when a signed-in person issues it, and it is posted to their books.
- **Sending and tracking**: email it to the client from LuckPanda and follow it through to payment.
- **Payment links** and automatic reminders.
- **Verifications** (GSTIN and other registry checks) and e-invoicing.
- **The clean PDF** without LuckPanda branding (the Sales module).
- **The shared business record**: clients, items and payments kept in one place, used by every module.

Sign in: https://luckpanda.app/signin. Pricing: https://luckpanda.app/pricing.md. All agent options: https://luckpanda.app/agents.md.