Invoice Generator

Sending an invoice is the most quietly consequential business operation a freelancer or small business owner does. The document determines when (and whether) you get paid, becomes part of your tax record, and sits in a client's accounting system for years afterwards as documentary evidence of your relationship. Most freelancers in their first year either use a generic Word template (no tax tracking, no client-facing professionalism) or sign up for a paid SaaS like Xero/QuickBooks/Wave (overkill if you send three invoices a month, and your client data lives on their servers). A simple browser-based generator hits the sweet spot — professional output, no monthly cost, and your client details never leave your laptop.

What makes an invoice legally valid

Across most APAC jurisdictions, a valid commercial invoice needs the same six elements: (1) unique invoice number, (2) date of issue, (3) seller name and address, (4) buyer name and address, (5) description of goods/services with prices, and (6) total amount payable. Tax-registered businesses need to add their tax registration number (GST/SST/PPN/VAT/JCT) plus the tax breakdown. Some jurisdictions require additional fields — Singapore requires the words "Tax Invoice" if you're GST-registered, India requires HSN/SAC codes for each line item, and Australia requires the ABN. This tool covers the universal six; if your country has extra requirements, add them in the Notes field.

Singapore raised GST from 8% to 9% on 1 January 2024. Invoice dates before that use 8%; from 1 Jan 2024 onwards, 9%. The tool defaults to 9% under the SG preset.

The APAC tax landscape — why presets matter

Sales tax rates across APAC are surprisingly varied — and they change. Singapore GST is 9% (was 7% until 2023, 8% in 2023, 9% from 2024). Malaysia uses Sales Tax (SST) at 5/10% on goods plus Service Tax at 8% (raised from 6% in March 2024) on selected services. Indonesia PPN is 11% (raised from 10% in 2022; planned rise to 12% has been delayed). Philippines VAT is 12%. Thailand VAT is 7% (reduced rate since 1997, originally meant to be 10%). Vietnam VAT is 10% (with reduced 8% applying to some sectors temporarily). India GST is the most complex in the world: 5%, 12%, 18%, or 28% depending on HSN code — most professional services land at 18%. Japan JCT is 10% (8% for food). South Korea VAT is 10%. China VAT ranges from 6% (services) to 13% (most goods). Australia GST is 10%. Hong Kong, Taiwan mostly use simpler systems (Taiwan VAT 5%, Hong Kong no sales tax). Pick the right preset — undercharging tax means you owe the difference; overcharging means refunding the client.

Why two export formats (PDF and PNG)

PDF is the universal business document format — accountants want PDF, banks accept PDF for proof of payment, government tax filings accept PDF. Use PDF for the official invoice you send via email. PNG is for the modern reality that a lot of APAC business communication happens in chat apps: WhatsApp for SMEs across Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Philippines; WeChat in China; LINE in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan; KakaoTalk in South Korea. PDF attachments in chat apps often render as a tiny icon — the recipient has to tap, wait, then open in a separate viewer. A PNG renders inline, looks professional, and works on every device with zero friction. For client-facing chat, the PNG copy is what gets your invoice actually noticed. Most invoice users in our analytics download both.

What's NOT included (intentionally)

This tool doesn't manage clients, store invoices, send email reminders, track payments, or sync to accounting software. For one or a few invoices a month — most freelancers, side-hustlers, and small consultants — those features are overhead, not benefit. If your business needs CRM-level client management and automated payment reminders, Xero (~SGD 35/month) and QuickBooks (~SGD 30/month) do that well. If you just need to send a clean invoice today, this does it in 2 minutes, free, with zero data leaving your laptop.