An invoice missing the customer’s GSTIN costs them input credit – and costs you the customer. GST tax invoices have legally mandatory fields, and paper bill books remain the daily reality for clinics, salons, workshops and retailers. Here are the fields every bill must carry, invoice versus bill-of-supply rules, numbering discipline, and the printing specs for duplicate books.
Pillar: stationery checklist. Service: stationery printing with GST bill books. Salon specifics: salon GST billing.
What fields must a GST tax invoice carry?
Every GST tax invoice needs: supplier name, address and GSTIN; a consecutive serial number (unique for the financial year); date of issue; customer name, address and GSTIN/UIN where registered; HSN code or SAC code for the goods or services; description, quantity and taxable value; tax rate with CGST/SGST (intra-state) or IGST (inter-state) amounts split out; total value with tax; place of supply for inter-state transactions; and signature or authorised signatory. Miss the customer GSTIN and their credit claim fails – the single most expensive field to get wrong.
Tax invoice or bill of supply – which do I issue?
Registered suppliers making taxable supplies issue tax invoices. Composition dealers and suppliers of exempt goods or services issue bills of supply (no tax charged, clearly headed as such). Get this wrong and notices follow – composition dealers charging GST on invoices is a classic audit trigger. When in doubt, your CA decides in five minutes; the printer prints what the CA approves.
How should invoice numbering and copies work?
One consecutive series per financial year, never restarting monthly or reusing cancelled numbers (mark cancellations clearly and retain all copies). Paper books print duplicate (supplier/customer) or triplicate (adding transporter/office) with perforation and sequential pre-printing. Digital billing (including our salon billing app) auto-numbers, but the discipline is identical – gaps invite questions.
What are the bill-book printing specs?
Standard A5 or 8×6 inch formats, 100-set books (100 originals plus duplicates) with board backing and sequential numbering, your GSTIN, HSN/SAC starter entries and terms pre-printed, perforation for clean tear-off, and optional carbonless (NCR) paper eliminating interleaves. Send logo, details and starting serial; approve the proof against the field list above before bulk.
FAQs
Can I handwrite GST invoices? Yes if all mandatory fields are present and legible – but digital or pre-printed books prevent the errors handwriting invites.
What if I cross the registration threshold mid-year? Register immediately and switch invoice formats from that date; consult your CA on transitional billing.
Can DeskBees print compliant books? Yes – contact us with GSTIN, logo and starting number. Verify current GST rules with your CA – rates and e-invoicing thresholds change.
Last updated: 20 September 2026.