Invoice Maker

What goes on a professional invoice

An invoice is a formal request for payment, and a few elements make it both clear and businesslike: who is billing (your company details), who is being billed (the client), a unique invoice number, an issue date and a due date, an itemized list of what is being charged, and a clearly calculated total. Invoice Maker assembles all of these into a clean, print-ready document directly in your browser. You fill in the fields on the left and a styled preview updates live on the right; when you are happy, you print it or save it as a PDF. Nothing is uploaded — every field, the logo, and the math stay on your device.

How the totals are calculated

Getting the arithmetic right is the whole point of an invoice, and the order of operations matters. The tool computes the figures in this sequence:

1. Subtotal = the sum of every line item's quantity × unit price.
2. Discount is applied to the subtotal: discount amount = subtotal × (discount% / 100).
3. Tax is applied after the discount: tax amount = (subtotal − discount) × (tax% / 100).
4. Total = subtotal − discount + tax.

This ordering — discount first, then tax on the reduced amount — is the conventional approach, and it usually produces a lower tax than taxing the full subtotal. The discount and tax lines only appear on the invoice when their rates are above zero, so a simple invoice with no discount stays uncluttered.

A worked example

Suppose you bill two line items: "Website design" at 1 × 1,000 and "Hosting setup" at 3 × 100. The subtotal is 1,000 + 300 = 1,300. Apply a 10% discount and you subtract 130, leaving 1,170. Now apply 8% tax on that: 1,170 × 0.08 = 93.60. The total becomes 1,300 − 130 + 93.60 = 1,263.60. Had the tax been applied before the discount, the figures would differ — which is exactly why the sequence is worth understanding when you reconcile an invoice later.

Currency formatting

The currency selector covers USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CAD, AUD, CHF, CNY, INR, BRL, KRW, MXN, SGD, HKD, and SEK. Choosing one swaps the symbol shown beside every amount (for example $, €, £, ¥, ₹, ₩). Amounts are formatted with two decimal places and locale-aware thousands separators, so a four-figure total reads cleanly. Note that the tool formats the symbol and digits only — it does not convert between currencies, so enter your prices in the currency you intend to bill.

Practical tips

• Save as PDF through the print dialog. Clicking Print / Download PDF opens your browser's print dialog; choose "Save as PDF" as the destination to get a file you can email. The editor panels are hidden in print, so only the polished invoice appears on the page.
• Add a logo for credibility. Upload an image to the logo area and it appears in the top-left of the invoice. A logo makes a freelance invoice look established rather than improvised.
• Use a consistent invoice numbering scheme. Sequential numbers like INV-001, INV-002 make your records auditable and help both you and your client track payments. The field starts at INV-001 by default.
• State payment terms in the notes. The Notes / Payment Terms field is the right place for "Net 30," accepted payment methods, or bank details. A clear due date plus terms reduces late payments.
• Add as many line items as you need. Use Add Item for each distinct charge; each row has a description, quantity, and unit price, and its amount updates automatically.

Common mistakes

• Confusing the discount and tax order. Because tax is calculated on the post-discount amount, a client who expects tax on the full subtotal may query the total. The breakdown lines make the calculation transparent — leave them visible by keeping the rates set.
• Forgetting the due date. An invoice without a due date invites indefinite delay. Always set one; the tool leaves it optional, but a clear deadline is what prompts payment.
• Expecting the data to persist. Everything lives in the current browser session and is not saved to an account. Generate and save the PDF before closing the tab, or you will have to re-enter the details.
• Leaving placeholder text. If you do not fill in the company or client name, the preview shows "Your Company" or "Client Name." Replace these before printing so they do not end up on the final document.

Who this is for

Invoice Maker suits freelancers, consultants, small businesses, and anyone who occasionally needs to bill someone without subscribing to accounting software. It is equally usable as a quote maker — change the heading mindset and the same line-item structure works for estimates. Because there is no account, no watermark, and no data leaving your machine, it is a fast, private way to produce a clean billing document whenever you need one.