What this template includes
- Your details: company or legal name, address, contact, GST/HST number and QST number.
- The customer: name and address, plus the invoice date, payment terms and due date.
- The load: load or reference number, BOL number, pickup and delivery.
- Charges: a line for each charge, in the column with tax or the column without. Demurrage payments and penalties, for example, aren't subject to GST/HST.
- Totals: subtotal, GST or HST, QST for moves inside Quebec, and the total. State CAD or USD.
- Payment details: your remit-to, or your factoring company's.
What a Canadian invoice has to show
Your customer needs certain details to claim input tax credits, and the list grows with the total. From $100 you need your GST/HST number and the tax charged. From $500 you also need the customer's name, a brief description and the payment terms. Show the GST/HST rate, and if HST applies, show the total rate rather than the federal and provincial parts.
Which tax goes on the invoice
For a move inside Canada, the rate follows the delivery point, not your customer's address. A load from Calgary to Toronto takes 13% HST, while the same load back to Calgary takes 5% GST. Cross-border moves are generally zero-rated, which you still show as 0%. Use the freight GST/HST calculator to check a route.
How to use the Excel file
Enter each charge in the column with tax or without, then the GST or HST rate, such as 13%. For a move inside Quebec, enter 5% and a QST rate of 9.975%. The subtotal, tax and total update by themselves, and tax is rounded to the cent on each line. Change the rates for each invoice, because they depend on the route.
Tips for getting paid on time
See the full checklist in how to invoice a freight broker.
- Put the load or reference number your customer uses on the invoice.
- Attach the rate confirmation and the signed POD if your customer asks for them.
- If you use a factoring company, put its remit-to details and any notice of assignment on the invoice.
This template is general information, not tax advice. Ask your accountant about anything unusual.