UAE VAT Invoice Template (Tax Invoice)
This free UAE invoice template is built for VAT-registered businesses and freelancers who need to issue a proper Tax Invoice for standard-rated supplies. In the UAE, a compliant document is not just any invoice — three things make it a tax invoice the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) recognises: the words "Tax Invoice" shown clearly, your 15-digit Tax Registration Number (TRN), and the VAT amount stated in AED. Get those right and you have a bill your client can use to reclaim input tax, and one that stands up if your records are ever reviewed. Get them wrong and it comes back from the customer's accounts team, unpaid, with a request to reissue.
The generator below is already pre-filled with a realistic AED sample — 5 percent VAT calculated on the lines, a TRN on the supplier details, everyday service items — so you can edit it in place: change the names, the TRN, the amounts, and the payment terms to match your own job, then download the finished PDF. Underneath the sample is a step-by-step walkthrough of every field, notes on simplified tax invoices, the reverse charge and record-keeping, and the full checklist of what a tax invoice has to carry. With e-invoicing being phased in across the UAE through 2026 and 2027, clean and clearly structured invoices matter more than ever, and this template covers the everyday PDF case you need to bill a client today.
What this template looks like
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office deep cleaning — monthly contract | 1 | AED 2,800.00 | AED 2,800.00 |
| Window cleaning — external | 1 | AED 950.00 | AED 950.00 |
A sample invoice — every field, from the line items to the tax and notes, is yours to edit in the free generator.
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How to fill out an invoice in the UAE
Head the document "Tax Invoice"
This is the one field people forget. A document only counts as a tax invoice when it clearly displays the words "Tax Invoice" — not "Invoice," not "Bill," not "Statement." Set the title before you touch anything else. If you are issuing the shorter format allowed for retail and low-value sales, it still has to carry those same words.
Add your details and your TRN
Enter your legal trading name as it appears on your trade licence, your address in the UAE, and your contact details. Then add your 15-digit Tax Registration Number, labelled TRN, in the supplier block. Without a TRN you are not registered, and a document without one is not a tax invoice no matter what the heading says.
Add the customer, with their TRN if they have one
Give the customer's registered name and address exactly as they gave it to you — accounts teams reject invoices made out to a trading name that does not match their licence. If the customer is VAT-registered, add their TRN too, because they need it to reclaim the input tax on this supply. Ask for it before you invoice, not after.
Number it and set the dates
Use a sequential or otherwise unique number in one unbroken series, so the FTA can follow your invoicing without gaps. Enter the date of issue. If the date of supply — when the goods changed hands or the service was performed — is different, show that as well, because it is the date that decides which tax period the sale belongs to.
Describe each supply on its own line
Write what you actually supplied, one line per item or service, in enough detail that someone who was not there can tell what was bought. "Office deep cleaning — monthly contract" beats "services rendered." If different lines carry different VAT treatment — standard-rated, zero-rated, exempt — keep them on separate lines so the tax on each is clear.
Show quantity, unit price, and any discount
Each line needs the unit price, the quantity, and the VAT rate that applies to it. If you gave a discount, show it rather than quietly netting it off the unit price — the FTA checklist asks for any discount offered. Everything on the line side should be stated excluding VAT, so the tax calculates cleanly on the subtotal.
State the VAT and the totals in AED
Set the rate to 5 percent and let it calculate, so the client sees the net, the VAT, and the gross as three separate figures. Both the gross amount payable and the VAT amount must be shown in AED. If you agreed the price in another currency, convert using the Central Bank exchange rate for the date of supply and show the AED VAT figure.
Close with terms and bank details
Say when payment is due — 14 or 30 days by bank transfer is the norm — and include your account name, IBAN, and bank so nobody has to email you for them. Add a note about the reverse charge if it applies to the supply. Then check the TRNs once more before you send, because a wrong digit holds up the whole payment.
Billing tips for invoicing in the UAE
VAT at 5 percent — the basics
VAT in the UAE is charged at a standard rate of 5 percent on most goods and services. On your invoice, show the VAT as its own separate line rather than folding it into the totals, so the client can see the net amount, the 5 percent, and the gross. The VAT amount must be payable in AED, even when you quoted the work in another currency.
When you must register for VAT
Registration is mandatory once your taxable supplies and imports pass AED 375,000 in a year. Below that, you can register voluntarily once you are over AED 187,500, which some freelancers do so they can reclaim input VAT. Until you are registered you have no TRN, so you issue a normal invoice without VAT — only registered businesses may issue a tax invoice and charge the 5 percent.
Tax invoice vs simplified tax invoice
There are two formats. A full tax invoice carries every required field and is what you send business to business. A simplified tax invoice is allowed when the customer is not VAT-registered, or when the consideration is AED 10,000 or less — think retail and walk-in sales. It needs fewer fields, but still shows the words Tax Invoice, your TRN, the date, and the VAT.
Getting paid across the UAE
Spell out your payment terms clearly — 14 or 30 days by bank transfer is common — and include your bank details so the client can pay without chasing you. Double-check that your TRN and the client's details are correct before you send; an invoice with a wrong or missing TRN can be rejected by a customer's accounts team and hold up your payment.
Zero-rated, exempt, and the reverse charge
Not every supply carries 5 percent. Zero-rated supplies, such as qualifying exports, are still taxable — just at 0 percent — so you issue a tax invoice and can still recover input tax. Exempt supplies sit outside the VAT charge and do not carry that recovery, which changes what you can claim back. And where the reverse charge applies, the recipient accounts for the VAT instead of you: you show no VAT on the line and the invoice must carry a statement that the reverse charge applies.
Keep your records, and watch the e-invoicing phase-in
Keep a copy of every tax invoice you issue and every one you receive. VAT records in the UAE have to be retained for years rather than months — longer again for real estate — so filing them as clean, searchable PDFs now saves a scramble later. The FTA's e-invoicing programme is rolling out in phases through 2026 and 2027, so building the habit of consistent, fully populated invoices is worth doing before the format is mandated for your business.
What a UAE tax invoice must include
- The words "Tax Invoice" clearly displayed
- Supplier name, address, and Tax Registration Number (TRN)
- Customer name and address (plus their TRN if they are registered)
- A sequential or unique invoice number
- Date of issue, and the date of supply if it differs
- A description of the goods or services supplied
- Unit price, quantity, VAT rate, and amount payable for each line
- Any discount offered
- The gross amount payable in AED
- The VAT amount payable in AED
- A statement of reverse charge where the mechanism applies
A simplified tax invoice — used for retail, for a consideration of AED 10,000 or less, or where the recipient is not VAT-registered — may omit some of these fields, and e-invoicing requirements are being phased in across the UAE from 2026 to 2027.
Frequently asked questions
Is this template FTA-compliant?
It gives you the full tax invoice layout with the fields the FTA asks for — the words Tax Invoice, your TRN, the VAT in AED, and the rest of the checklist below. Compliance also depends on what you type in, so you are responsible for the accuracy of your own TRN, amounts, and dates. Use the checklist on this page to double-check each invoice before you send it.
Do I need a TRN to issue a tax invoice?
Yes. A tax invoice is a document issued by a VAT-registered business, and it must show your Tax Registration Number. If you are not registered you do not have a TRN and cannot charge VAT, so you issue a regular invoice without it. Once you register and receive your TRN, you switch to issuing tax invoices and charge the 5 percent.
What is a simplified tax invoice?
It is a shorter version of a tax invoice that the FTA allows in specific cases — mainly when the customer is not VAT-registered, or when the total consideration is AED 10,000 or less. It carries fewer required fields than a full tax invoice but still shows the words Tax Invoice, your TRN, the date, and the VAT. Full business-to-business invoices should use the complete format.
Can I invoice in a currency other than AED?
You can agree and quote your prices in another currency if you and the client prefer, but the VAT amount on the invoice must be shown in AED. To keep things simple, this template's sample is all in AED so the net, VAT, and total line up without any conversion. If you do bill in another currency, add the AED VAT figure clearly.
When do I have to issue the tax invoice?
The UAE VAT law sets a deadline: a tax invoice must be issued within 14 days of the date of supply. That is the date the goods were handed over or the service was performed, not the date you got round to the paperwork. Invoicing promptly also keeps the sale in the right tax period, which matters when a job straddles the end of a quarter. Do not let completed work sit unbilled for weeks.
What is the reverse charge, and does it go on my invoice?
Under the reverse charge, the customer accounts for the VAT on a supply instead of the supplier. It commonly applies to imports of goods and services, and to a few specific categories of domestic supply. When it applies, you do not charge the 5 percent — but your invoice has to state that the reverse charge applies, which is why it appears on the FTA checklist below. If you are not sure whether it covers your supply, take advice before you bill.
How long should I keep copies of my tax invoices?
Longer than you think. UAE VAT record-keeping is measured in years, and real estate records have to be kept longer still, so treat every tax invoice you issue and receive as something to archive rather than delete. Save each one as a PDF named with the invoice number and the client, and keep the input invoices too — they are what support the VAT you reclaim on your return.
Is this UAE invoice template really free?
Yes — fill it in and download the PDF with no signup and no watermark. Use it for a single client or for every job you invoice this year. If you later want to store your clients, reissue repeat invoices without retyping, and track who has paid, the Paid app on iPhone adds saved clients, repeat invoices, and payment tracking on top of this free template.
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