Free template
Bill format: a simple cash bill in Word and Excel
A bill is the document a seller gives a customer at the point of sale, showing what was bought, how much it cost and that it was paid for. A usable bill carries the shop name and address, a bill number and date, the items with quantity and rate, the total, and the payment mode. If the shop is registered for GST, the bill is a tax invoice and must also show the GSTIN, HSN codes and the tax split.
Download the bill format
Free, no sign-up, no email. Opens in Excel, Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc; the spreadsheet in Word, Google Docs and LibreOffice.
The Excel file does the arithmetic: type a quantity and the line total, the tax and the bill total follow. The Word file is laid out to print on A4 or to be cut in half for a bill book. Both hold the same sample, so pick whichever you will actually keep up to date.
A filled-in sample
A paint and hardware shop in Nashik billing a walk-in customer who paid by UPI. The shop is registered, the customer is not, and both are in Maharashtra — so the 18% GST splits into 9% CGST and 9% SGST. Note the ₹80 discount on the emulsion: the tax is worked out on ₹1,100, not on ₹1,180.
BILL
Customer copy
Ambad Paints & Hardware
Shop 2, Sample Market, Ambad Link Road
Nashik, Maharashtra 422010
GSTIN: 27JKLDM9012N1Z2
Customer
Walk-in customer
Name and phone taken at the counter
Nashik, Maharashtra
GSTIN: Unregistered
State: Maharashtra (27)
Payment
Paid in full at the counter
Mode: UPI
Ref: 62XXXXXXXX41
| # | Description | HSN/SAC | Qty | Rate | Taxable | CGST | SGST | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wall putty, 20 kg bag | 3214 | 2 Bag | 620.00 | 1,240.00 | 111.60 @9% | 111.60 @9% | 1,463.20 |
| 2 | Interior emulsion, 4 litre less discount ₹80.00 | 3209 | 1 Nos | 1,180.00 | 1,100.00 | 99.00 @9% | 99.00 @9% | 1,298.00 |
| 3 | Paint roller with tray | 9603 | 1 Set | 340.00 | 340.00 | 30.60 @9% | 30.60 @9% | 401.20 |
| 4 | Masking tape 24 mm | 3919 | 4 Nos | 65.00 | 260.00 | 23.40 @9% | 23.40 @9% | 306.80 |
| 5 | Sandpaper sheets, pack of 10 | 6805 | 2 Pack | 95.00 | 190.00 | 17.10 @9% | 17.10 @9% | 224.20 |
| Total | 3,130.00 | 281.70 | 281.70 | 3,693.40 | ||||
Taxable value₹3,130.00
CGST₹281.70
SGST₹281.70
Round off−₹0.40
Bill total₹3,693.00
In words: Indian Rupees Three Thousand Six Hundred Ninety Three Only
There is no purchase order, no delivery address and no credit terms, because a counter sale has none of those. That is the difference between a bill and the GST invoice format, which is built for billing another business.
What each field is for
| Field | What to write | Needed |
|---|---|---|
| Shop name and address | The name the customer will come back to if something is wrong. Add a phone number: most warranty calls start with this bill. | Always |
| Bill number | A running series with no gaps, e.g. B/26-27/1184. Gaps are the first thing an inspection asks about, and they make your own day-end total impossible to check. | Always |
| Date | The date of sale, not the date you wrote it up. Returns, warranty and your day-end cash count all depend on it. | Always |
| Customer name | Optional for a small cash sale. Required with a full address once a bill to an unregistered customer reaches ₹50,000. | If over ₹50,000 |
| Item, quantity, rate | One line per item. "Sundries ₹400" is the line that causes returns arguments and hides your own margin. | Always |
| Discount | As a rupee amount on the line it applies to. Tax, where charged, is worked out after the discount. | If any |
| GSTIN and HSN | Only if you are registered. The HSN code identifies the goods; the sample uses real codes for paint and hardware. | If registered |
| GST split | Customer in your own state: CGST + SGST. Another state: IGST. The total is the same either way. | If registered |
| Total and round off | Round to the rupee and show the round-off, so the cash in the drawer matches the bill. | Always |
| Payment mode | Cash, UPI, card. With UPI, keep the reference: it settles "I already paid" disputes in seconds. | Advised |
| Return terms | Two lines is enough. A shop that prints its return rule argues about it far less. | Advised |
If you are not registered for GST
Most small shops and service providers below the registration threshold do not charge GST, and their bill is simpler. Starting from the sample, three changes make it yours:
- Delete the GSTIN line and the HSN column. Printing a GSTIN you do not hold is not a formatting slip; charging tax without registration is not allowed.
- Delete the CGST, SGST and IGST columns. The line total becomes quantity × rate, and the bill total is the sum of the lines. In the Excel file, clear the GST rate cell on each row and the tax columns fall to zero on their own.
- Keep the bill number, the date and the item lines. These are what make it a bill rather than a note, and they are what your own accounts are built from at the end of the year.
Everything else on the page — the numbering, the return terms, the payment reference — applies whether or not you are registered.
Bill, invoice, cash memo: the same thing?
In everyday Indian use, bill, cash memo and retail bill all mean the document handed over at the point of sale, and this format covers all three. Under GST the vocabulary is narrower:
- Tax invoice — what a registered seller must issue for a taxable sale. It needs the GSTIN, HSN, the tax split and a consecutive number. The sample on this page is a tax invoice that happens to be a counter sale.
- Bill of supply — what a registered seller issues when no tax is charged, such as exempt goods or the composition scheme. Same document, no tax columns.
- Bill from an unregistered seller — not a GST document at all. Nothing stops you issuing it, and you should.
Invoice vs estimate vs quote covers where a quotation and an estimate sit alongside these.
Numbering a bill book so it survives a check
The single most common problem with handwritten bill books is the numbering, and it is also the easiest to fix.
- One series, running consecutively, restarting each financial year. B/26-27/0001 onwards tells you the year at a glance and satisfies the consecutive-numbering rule that applies to registered sellers.
- A cancelled bill stays in the book. Write "cancelled" across it and keep both copies. A missing serial number looks worse than a mistake.
- One book per counter, with the counter in the number. Two people writing into one series at a busy till is how duplicates happen.
- Keep the shop copy. The customer copy walks out of the door; your copy is the only record of the sale.
Using the files
- Both open in Microsoft Office, Google Docs and Sheets, LibreOffice, and Office or WPS on a phone.
- In Excel, the blue cells are sample data. Type over them. Rows without a quantity stay blank, so a bill with three items prints as three lines.
- Save or export as PDF before sending on WhatsApp. A spreadsheet opens differently on every phone; a PDF does not.
- For a bill book, print the Word file two to a page and have it bound in duplicate at any local press.
Rather do it on your phone? EstimateBill writes this bill on your phone at the counter, with no internet and no account, and sends it as a PDF on WhatsApp. Bill numbers run by themselves, so the series never has a gap, and the day's bills add up without a calculator. The current version prints GST as one line rather than a CGST/SGST split; use the Excel file when a customer needs the split.
Get EstimateBill, free · Or use the browser invoice generator
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a bill and an invoice?
In everyday use, none — both are the document that says what was sold and for how much. Under GST the word that matters is "tax invoice", which is what a registered seller must issue for a taxable sale, with GSTIN, HSN and the tax split. A bill from an unregistered seller is not a GST document, but it is still a valid record of the sale.
How do I make a cash bill format?
Take the file above and change five things: your shop name and address, your bill number series, the date, the item lines, and the payment mode. That is a complete cash bill. If you are not registered for GST, delete the GSTIN line and the tax columns as described on this page.
Is a simple bill without GST valid?
Yes, if you are not registered for GST. An unregistered seller must not charge GST, so the bill simply shows the items and the total. It remains valid proof of sale for the customer and a valid record for your own accounts.
Do I need a bill number on every bill?
You should have one on every bill, and if you are registered for GST it is required: invoice numbers must run consecutively within a financial year. Even unregistered, the number is what lets you find a sale again when a customer comes back with a warranty claim.
Can I write a bill by hand?
Yes. A handwritten bill book is perfectly valid as long as it carries the same details: shop, number, date, items, total and — if you are registered — GSTIN, HSN and the tax break-up. Print the Word file two to a page and have it bound in duplicate.
When does a bill need the customer's full address?
Once a bill to a customer without a GSTIN reaches ₹50,000, the rules require their name, address and the delivery address including the state. Below that, a name and phone number are enough for a counter sale.