Creating Invoices with Microsoft Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

create-invoice-in-excel

To begin billing clients for their services, small businesses can use Microsoft Excel to create their own invoices. You can either use an Excel invoice template that you can customize or create your own professional invoice from scratch.

In this article, we’ll cover the following topics:

How to Make an Invoice from an Excel Template (Windows)?

Customers can be invoiced using Excel templates that can be customized. Follow these steps on a Windows PC to create an invoice from an Excel template:

Open Microsoft Excel

To begin creating an invoice from an Excel template, open Microsoft Excel on your computer.

Search for an Invoice Template 

Once Excel is open on your computer, enter “invoice” in the search bar at the top of the window to find invoice templates. 

To conduct the search, ensure that you are connected to the internet.

Choose your Template

Browse the various invoice template options to find one that works for your company. Excel has a variety of invoice templates, including sales invoices, service invoices, and shipping invoices. 

Choose a template that meets your requirements and has a design that complements your company’s branding.

Open the Invoice Template 

When you’ve found a template that works for you, click it to preview it, then click the “Create” button to open the Excel template in a new window.

Customize the Invoice 

After you’ve created a new spreadsheet with your chosen template, you’ll need to modify the invoice to reflect the specifics of your project. 

Make sure to include the following details:

  • If you have a logo, please include it.
  • Your company’s contact information, such as your name, address, phone number, and email address
  • Contact information for your client
  • The date of the invoice
  • A distinct invoice number
  • The payment deadline
  • An itemized list of your services, including brief descriptions, the number of hours worked, or the quantity worked, and the rate.
  • Each service has its own subtotal.
  • Payment terms, including payment methods and late fees, are outlined.
  • The total amount owed on the invoice, including any applicable taxes.

Save the Invoice 

Save the completed spreadsheet to your computer once you’ve added all the necessary information to your invoice. Save it as a .xlxs file so you can edit it later if necessary. You should also save it as a PDF and send it to your client so that it cannot be changed.

Send the Invoice 

Send the completed invoice to your client via email or regular mail. Include a brief cover note that highlights important details, such as the invoice due date and the total amount owed.

How to Make an Invoice from an Excel Template (Mac)?

Follow these steps to create an invoice on a Mac computer using an Excel template:

Open Microsoft Excel

Open Microsoft Excel first. On the menu bar, select File, then New from Template. A page with a list of available templates will appear.

Search for an Invoice Template 

Click the search bar in the upper right-hand corner of the page, type “invoice,” and hit enter to search the template results.

Choose your Invoice Template 

There are many Excel invoice templates to choose from, including business invoice templates and templates that use formulas to calculate taxes automatically. 

Choose one that contains all of the information you require and has a design that complements your company’s branding.

Download the Template 

When you’ve found an Excel template that meets your needs, click on it to open a preview page. Then, to open it as a new spreadsheet, click the “Create” button.

Customize your Invoice 

Adjust the invoice template to include specific project information. Don’t forget to include the following information:

  • If you have a logo, please include it.
  • Your company’s contact information, including your name, address, phone number, and email address
  • Contact information for your client
  • A distinct invoice number
  • The date of the invoice
  • An itemized list of the services you provided to the client, including the number of hours worked and your pay rate.
  • Each of your services has a subtotal.
  • Your payment terms, including payment methods accepted and late fees
  • The payment deadline
  • The total amount owed (including any applicable taxes).

Save the Invoice 

Save the spreadsheet to your computer in both .xlxs and PDF format once you’ve filled out all of the project details on your invoice. 

Use the PDF version of the invoice when sending it to your client so it can’t be changed after it’s been sent.

Send the Invoice 

Send your invoice to your customer via email or regular mail. Include a brief note highlighting the key invoice details, such as the payment deadline and total amount due.

How to Create an Invoice in Excel from Scratch?

Follow these simple steps to learn how to make an invoice from scratch in Excel:

Open a blank Excel Workbook

Open Microsoft Excel on your computer and click Open a Blank Workbook to create a new invoice. A new blank spreadsheet will appear on the screen.

Create an Invoice Header

Your invoice should have a header. Include key billing information in the header, such as:

  • Your business’s logo
  • Contact information for your business
  • The date of the invoice
  • A unique invoice number.

Add the Client’s Information 

Include your client’s contact information, including the appropriate contact person’s name, address, email, and phone number.

List the Payment Due Date

Make a note of the payment deadline on your invoice. Instead of using more ambiguous terms like “Payment Due in 30 Days,” which can lead to confusion and missed payments, write out the full due date, i.e., “Payment Due December 31, 2020.”

Add an Itemized list of Services 

Make a detailed list of the services you offer. Create a column for each service’s description, a column for the number of hours worked, and a column for your hourly rate. After that, add a final column with a subtotal for each service.

Add the Total Amount Owing

One advantage of using Excel to create invoices is that the spreadsheet can do the math for you. To calculate the total due, use Excel’s SUM function and add it to the bottom of the invoice. 

To calculate the total due, enter the following formula in cell C9:

=SUM(C4:C8)

Include your Payment Terms

Add your payment terms to the bottom of the invoice, including the payment methods accepted and the details of your late fee policy.

For more useful information, browse the resources guide today!

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