How to invoice in Canada
What makes a Canadian invoice work for your buyer is the 9-digit GST/HST number: without it they cannot claim input tax credits. Alongside it, show your business name and address, the invoice date, and a description and total for each line. The federal Goods and Services Tax (GST) is 5%, but the total tax depends on the customer's province: HST provinces combine it into a single 13–15% rate, while Quebec, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba add a separate PST/QST. Show each tax that applies on its own line with the rate charged.
| Canada at a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Currency | CAD ($) |
| Standard GST/HST | 5% |
| Tax ID | GST/HST number (BN) |
| Paper size | US Letter |
| Typical terms | Net 30 |
| E-invoicing | Not mandated |
Tax ID format: 9-digit Business Number plus the GST/HST program identifier and reference, e.g. 123456789 RT0001.
What Canadian invoices must include
- The word “Invoice” and a unique, sequential invoice number
- The issue date (and the supply date if it differs)
- Your business name, address and GST/HST number (BN)
- The client's name and address (and their GST/HST number (BN) where the local rules require it)
- A clear description and quantity for each line
- The net amount per GST/HST rate, the rate(s) applied and the GST/HST amount
- The total payable, in CAD
- Payment terms, the due date and how to pay (bank name and account number or IBAN)
- GST/HST registration number (required on invoices once you are registered)
- Applicable provincial tax (HST / PST / QST) shown as a separate line
GST/HST notes
Invoice Forever offers ready-made Canadian GST/HST notes such as:
- GST/HST charged at the rate applicable to the customer's province; our GST/HST registration number is shown above.
- Zero-rated export — no GST/HST charged on goods or services supplied outside Canada (0%).
- Supply exempt from GST/HST — no tax charged.
E-invoicing in Canada
As of September 2026 Canada has no B2B e-invoicing mandate, and neither the CRA nor the Department of Finance has announced one; invoices may be issued as PDF or paper. Federal procurement runs through the CanadaBuys e-procurement system (SAP Ariba).
Invoice Forever can export a structured EN 16931 (UBL) e-invoice alongside the PDF (beta) — the format most of these mandates are built on. You still send it via your own access point, and some countries require their own national format.
Verified 11 September 2026 against the source. E-invoicing rules are changing quickly, so always confirm the current position with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) before you rely on it. This page is general guidance, not tax advice.
Payment terms in Canada
Net 30 is the common default for Canadian B2B invoices; larger clients and government often run net 45–60, while freelancers frequently use net 15 or due on receipt. State the due date and any late-payment interest explicitly.
Questions about invoicing in Canada
The federal GST is 5%. In HST provinces (Ontario, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador) you charge a single harmonized rate of 13–15% instead; in Quebec, BC, Saskatchewan and Manitoba you add a separate PST or QST on top of the 5% GST. The rate follows the customer's province.
Yes, once you are registered. You must register after your taxable revenue exceeds CAD 30,000 over four quarters, and registrants must show their GST/HST number on invoices so business customers can claim input tax credits.
No. There is no B2B e-invoicing mandate as of September 2026, and none has been announced — a compliant PDF or paper invoice is fine.
Make an invoice for Canada, free.
CAD and 5% GST/HST already set, on US Letter paper. No signup, no watermark.