Bill Format
A simple bill or cash memo for a shop or small business, with the total, discount and amount in words worked out.
Details
bill formatRed highlights mark what is still blank. Everything stays on this device.
| Bill no. | [bill no.] |
| Date | 25 September 2026 |
| No. | Item | Qty | Rate (₹) | Amount (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [one line per item — item | quantity | rate] |
Paid in cash.
What is a Bill Format?
A bill, or cash memo, is the note a shop or small business hands a customer to record what was sold, at what price and for how much in total. It gives the buyer proof of purchase for a return, a warranty claim or an office reimbursement, and gives the seller a numbered record of the sale. Without one, a disputed sale comes down to memory, and the seller's own sales figures have nothing to check them against.
Kirana and general stores, stationers, hardware shops, tailors, caterers, repair workshops, tutors and home businesses issue bills every day, often from a printed, numbered bill book. Customers ask for one when they will claim the cost from an employer, return or exchange goods, rely on a warranty, or simply want a record. A seller who gives credit uses the bill to show what is owed; a seller paid on the spot hands over a cash memo. Either way, the duplicate stays in the book as the seller's own record of sales.
In India, GST status decides the document. A seller not registered under GST gives a plain bill or cash memo and charges no GST. A registered supplier issues a tax invoice for taxable supplies under rule 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017, and a bill of supply for exempt supplies or under the composition scheme, under rule 49; rule 46 also has a relaxation for supplies below ₹200 to unregistered buyers who do not ask for an invoice. Check which applies to you. Elsewhere, VAT, GST or sales tax rules from HMRC, the ATO, the CRA, EU member states or US states decide what a sales document must show.
A plain bill is not a tax invoice. A registered buyer cannot use it to claim input tax credit, and a GST-registered seller who issues one for a taxable sale has not met the invoicing rules. It records what was sold and what is owed; it does not by itself prove payment, so mark it paid and note the method, or give a separate receipt. And a line at the foot such as ‘goods once sold will not be taken back’ cannot override the rights consumer protection law gives the buyer.
What to put in a Bill Format
These are the details this template asks for. Anything left blank is marked in red on the preview so you can see what is still missing.
| Field | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Business name | For example: Barton Supply Co. |
| Your address | For example: Unit 7, Barton Road, Columbus, OH 43212 |
| Phone optional | For example: +91 863 222 0000 |
| GSTIN optional | Only if you are registered — a registered seller of taxable goods issues a tax invoice instead |
| Bill no. | For example: 1047 |
| Customer optional | For example: Mrs. K. Padmavathi |
| Customer address optional | For example: Brodipet, Guntur |
| Items | One per line: Item | Quantity | Rate |
| Discount optional | For example: 50 |
| Payment | Free text |
| Note at the foot optional | For example: Goods once sold will be exchanged within 7 days with this bill. |
How to write a Bill Format
Put your details at the top
Start with the business name as customers know it, the full address and a phone number, so a customer can find you for an exchange or a warranty claim. Add your GSTIN only if you are registered under GST — and if you are, check whether this sale needs a tax invoice under rule 46 or a bill of supply under rule 49 rather than a plain bill.
Number and date every bill
Give each bill a number in one unbroken series and write the date of sale. Keep a carbon or duplicate copy of every bill in the book, including any you spoil: mark a spoiled bill ‘cancelled’ and leave it in place rather than tearing it out. A missing number looks like a sale kept off the books, and gaps are easy for anyone checking your records to spot.
Name the customer when it matters
For a walk-in cash sale the customer's name is optional. Add it, with the address, when the sale is on credit, when goods are to be delivered, when the customer will claim the cost from an employer, or when a warranty is involved. A bill with no name on it is little help to someone who later has to prove the purchase was theirs.
List items with quantity, rate and amount
Describe each item so it can be identified later: ‘ceiling fan, white, with regulator’ rather than ‘fan’. Give the quantity, the rate per unit and the amount, which is quantity times rate. Subtotal the amounts, then show any discount as a separate line: three notebooks at ₹60, two pens at ₹25 and a geometry box at ₹120 make ₹350, and a ₹20 discount leaves ₹330.
Total it, add words and sign
Write the total in figures and in words, ending with ‘Only’ — ‘Rupees Three Hundred and Thirty Only’ — because words are far harder to alter than digits. Note how the customer paid: cash, UPI, card or cheque, or ‘credit’ if payment is still due. Sign the bill. A short note at the foot can thank the customer or state your exchange policy.
Common mistakes
- Showing GST on a bill when you are not registered collects a tax you have no right to collect and invites questions from the tax department.
- Skipping, repeating or tearing out bill numbers leaves gaps that look like unrecorded sales and makes the bill book useless as a record.
- Writing the total only in figures lets ₹330 become ₹830 or ₹3,330 with one stroke of a pen, and the customer has no way to prove what was agreed.
- Handing over the only copy of a bill leaves the seller with no record of the sale when the customer returns with a complaint or the books are made up at the year end.
- Issuing a plain bill for a taxable sale when you are GST-registered breaks the invoicing rules and leaves a registered buyer unable to claim input tax credit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the format of a bill?
At the top: the seller's name, address, phone and, if registered, GSTIN. Then the bill number, date and customer's name. The body is a table with serial number, description, quantity, rate and amount. Below it come the subtotal, any discount, the total in figures and in words, the payment method and the seller's signature. A short note at the foot, such as a thank-you or an exchange policy, is optional.
What should a bill include?
For a seller not registered under GST: the seller's name and address, a bill number from one unbroken series, the date, the customer's name where relevant, each item with quantity, rate and amount, the total, the amount in words and a signature. A GST-registered seller has a longer list, set by rule 46 or rule 49 of the CGST Rules, 2017 depending on the supply, so check which applies before using a plain bill.
What is the difference between a bill and an invoice?
In everyday speech they are the same thing: a document stating what was sold and what is payable. Under GST in India the words matter. A tax invoice is the specific document a registered supplier issues for a taxable supply under rule 46; a bill of supply is used for exempt supplies or by composition dealers under rule 49; and a plain bill or cash memo is what an unregistered seller gives.
Do I need GST on my bill?
Only if you are registered under GST. An unregistered seller gives a plain bill and cannot charge GST. A registered supplier making a taxable supply issues a tax invoice that shows the tax, while a composition dealer or a seller of exempt goods issues a bill of supply with no tax charged. Whether you must register depends on your turnover, what you sell and where, so check the GST portal or ask a tax practitioner.
How do I write the amount in words on a bill?
Use the Indian system of lakhs and crores, start with ‘Rupees’ and end with ‘Only’ so nothing can be added. ₹330 becomes ‘Rupees Three Hundred and Thirty Only’, and ₹1,25,450 becomes ‘Rupees One Lakh Twenty-Five Thousand Four Hundred and Fifty Only’. Add any paise after the rupees, before ‘Only’. Make sure the words and the figures agree, because a bill where they differ invites a dispute.
This page explains general practice and is not legal advice. Requirements differ between countries and, in some cases, between states — check what applies where the document will be used.