Worked example · Painters
Painter invoice example: what a correct one looks like
The example is a standard interior repaint: three rooms, walls and ceilings, prep included as its own line, paint supplied at cost-plus. Colour and product noted in the description; future-you (and the homeowner) will thank you.
Note the deposit shown as received against the total. Painters get burned on final payments more than most trades; showing the running balance on the invoice is cheap insurance.
The example
Example invoice for a painter
TAX INVOICE
Two Coats & Co.
| Description | Qty | Unit (ex GST) | GST | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prep: patch, sand & prime, 3 rooms walls/ceilings | 1 | $680.00 | $68.00 | $748.00 |
| Two top coats low-sheen acrylic, walls (per room) | 3 | $420.00 | $126.00 | $1,386.00 |
| Ceilings flat white, two coats (per room) | 3 | $240.00 | $72.00 | $792.00 |
| Supply paint: Dulux Wash&Wear 'Natural White' 15L + ceiling 10L | 1 | $520.00 | $52.00 | $572.00 |
| Subtotal (ex GST) | $3,180.00 | |||
| GST | $318.00 | |||
| Total (inc GST) | $3,498.00 | |||
Colours: walls Dulux Natural White, ceilings Vivid White. Deposit $500 received 01/08; balance due on completion.
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Trade-specific rules
GST notes for painters
Painting Services: quoted by room, by square metre or by the job, with paint either included in the rate or supplied as its own line.
- Paint supplied to the customer is a taxable line at your charged price. Record brand, line and colour codes in the description; it doubles as the customer's colour record.
- Prep as a separate line protects your quote: when a wall needs triple the patching, the variation has somewhere honest to live.
- Deposits are normal (10–20% residential): issue a deposit invoice, then show 'less deposit received' on the final Tax Invoice so the balance is unambiguous.
Related
Before you send it
- Not registered for GST, or not sure? The sole trader invoice template has a no-GST version of this layout, and invoicing without GST in Australia explains what changes on the page.
- Invoicing a builder as a subbie? Read the subcontractor invoice guide for progress claims, variations and retention.
- Tired of retyping your details? The best invoice app for tradies and sole traders compares the apps Aussie painters actually use, with current prices.
Fair questions
FAQ
Per room or per square metre?
Residential interiors read best per room; commercial and exteriors per m². The ATO doesn't care which; it cares that the description identifies the work.
The owner supplied the paint. What changes?
Your invoice simply has no paint line. Don't list owner-supplied paint at $0; describe the labour as 'labour only, paint supplied by owner' instead.
Touch-ups after handover: chargeable?
Genuine defects you fix free under your workmanship warranty. New damage or scope creep is a new (small) invoice. The distinction is easier to hold when your original invoice described the scope precisely.
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