What the invoice can carry
Text invoice with tax calculation
Put a tax rate on the invoice and let the total include it. Say in the text whether the number you quoted was before tax or after.
Show tax as tax, not as a round-up
A text that says “plus tax” and a page that does not show tax will not be paid by anyone with a bookkeeper. When you use the API you can send tax_rate as a percentage up to 40, and the invoice stores the tax and the total. On the page, tax is its own row. The typed demo line on this site is pre-tax. If you work tax-inclusive, say that in the message so the customer is not surprised that the page matches a number they already heard. This page is not tax advice. The rate you charge is the rate your rules require, which may be none.
Strategy invoice, tax added on the page as agreed. Due in 14 days: https://invoicetxt.com/i/your-link
Decide inclusive or extra before you type
The text has to use the same convention as the quote.
Put the rate on the invoice, not only in the SMS
A row labelled tax is what gets filed.
Do not invent a rate to look official
Zero is the right number when you do not charge tax.
Use the API when the rate repeats
tax_rate on each create call keeps the maths off your thumb.
What to put on this invoice
- The pre-tax lines
- The rate you actually charge
- A total that includes that tax
- A text that says if the quote was inclusive
Questions about this job
Can the demo line calculate VAT by itself?
The public preview totals the lines. A tax rate is applied when you set it on the invoice, including through the API.
What if the customer is in another country?
The rate may change. Do not copy a domestic rate onto a foreign bill without knowing the rule. Ask your accountant.
Should the SMS show the tax maths?
One phrase is enough: “tax included” or “tax added on the invoice”. The rows are on the page.
Tax belongs in a row the customer can point at. A rounded-up total with no row is not a tax calculation.
Related guides
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Open guide →Track who opened your text invoice
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Open guide →Schedule a text invoice for later
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Open guide →