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Towing 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. Hook-up, loaded miles, winching, storage and after-hours fees.
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Example: a filled towing invoice
- The title says what the document is: an invoice.
- A unique number from a continuous series, allocated when you issue it.
- Your business name and address, and tax number if registered.
- Who it is for.
- Each line: description, quantity, rate and amount.
- Tax by rate.
- The total in the document's currency and format.
Worked example: the numbers behind the invoice above
| Item | Qty | Rate | Amount | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light-duty tow, hook-up; call received 11:40 pm on 2 October | 1 | $125.00 | $125.00 | $0.00 |
| Loaded miles: I-10 near exit 571 to our storage yard | 14 | $4.50 | $63.00 | $0.00 |
| Winch-out from roadside ditch | 1 | $95.00 | $95.00 | $0.00 |
| After-hours surcharge | 1 | $50.00 | $50.00 | $0.00 |
| Storage, 3 and 4 October (first 24 hours free) | 2 | $45.00 | $90.00 | $0.00 |
| Subtotal | $423.00 | $0.00 | ||
| Total | $423.00 | |||
No tax is charged on these lines, so the total equals the value of the supply.
How to fill in the towing invoice
- Enter your company, with USDOT and state towing license numbers where required.
- Record the vehicle, the pickup and drop-off points and the time of the call.
- Bill hook-up, loaded miles, winching and any after-hours fee separately.
- Add storage days if the vehicle stayed in your yard, then save and issue.
What a towing invoice should include
- Company name, address, phone, USDOT number and any state or city tow license
- Invoice number, date, and the dispatch, claim or police report number
- Vehicle year, make, model, colour, plate and the last digits of the VIN
- Pickup location, drop-off location and loaded miles
- Time of call, arrival and completion
- Each service: hook-up, mileage, winching, dollies, cleanup, after-hours
- Storage dates and the daily rate
- Who authorised the tow: owner, police or property owner
Common towing charges
| Charge | Typical basis |
|---|---|
| Hook-up or base rate | Flat, by class: light, medium or heavy duty |
| Mileage | Per loaded mile, sometimes after the first few miles |
| Winching or recovery | Flat or per half hour |
| Dollies, flatbed or special equipment | Flat |
| After-hours, weekend or holiday | Flat surcharge |
| Storage | Per day, often after 24 hours free |
| Gate or release fee | Flat, for release outside office hours |
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
Are towing rates regulated?
For non-consent tows, such as police-ordered or private-property tows, many states and cities set maximum fees for hook-up, mileage and storage. Tows the owner requests are usually priced freely, but the price should be agreed first. Check the rules where you operate.
How do motor clubs and insurers pay?
Usually against their own dispatch or claim number at their agreed rates. Put that number on the invoice, and bill the vehicle owner only for anything outside the cover, such as extra miles.
When does storage start?
Commonly after the first 24 hours, charged per calendar day or per 24-hour period. State which in your terms and show the dates on the invoice.