GST Guide for NZ Tradies
A plain-English breakdown of what goes on a GST invoice, how to calculate GST correctly, and how to get it right every time — without the accountant jargon.
Updated August 2026 · Based on current IRD rules and the April 2023 TSI changes
A valid NZ GST invoice needs: your business name and GST number, the date, a description of work done, the subtotal, GST amount (15%), and the total. For jobs over $1,000 you also need your customer's name and address. That's it.
First things first — you can only charge GST if you're registered for it. And you must register once your turnover hits $60,000 in any rolling 12-month period (that's revenue, not profit, and it's GST-exclusive).
Most full-time tradies hit this fast. If you're unsure, check your last 12 months of invoices. If they add up to $60k or more, you need to register via myIR immediately.
Below $60k you can still register voluntarily — often worth it if you're buying significant materials, since you can claim the GST back.
If you're not GST registered, do not put a GST number or GST line on your invoice. Charging GST when you're not registered is a serious IRD offence.
What you need depends on the value of the job. IRD uses three tiers:
| Job value | What you need on the invoice |
|---|---|
| Under $200 | Basic record that the sale happened — receipt with date, your name, and amount is fine. No GST breakdown required. |
| $200 – $999 | Your name and GST number, date, description of work, and the GST-inclusive total. Customer name/address not required. |
| $1,000 + | Everything above plus your customer's name and address, and the GST shown separately from the subtotal. |
For most tradie jobs the full list applies. Here's what to include:
Want the full breakdown of required fields, including the difference between a full tax invoice and a simplified invoice under $1,000? See our NZ tax invoice requirements guide.
Here's what a complete tradie invoice looks like for a job over $1,000:
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replace consumer unit — 14 Rata St, Auckland | 3.5 hrs | $95/hr | $332.50 |
| Schneider 12-way consumer unit | 1 | $285.00 | $285.00 |
| RCBOs × 8, MCBs × 4 | 12 | $28.50 | $342.00 |
Snap a photo of your job notes, or just say them out loud. TradieNotes builds this exact invoice, GST worked out, within seconds. You see the full preview before you pay a cent.
Try it free with your own job →The maths
NZ GST is 15%. Here's the maths for a typical job:
To add GST: multiply your subtotal by 1.15. To extract GST from a GST-inclusive total: divide by 1.15, then subtract. TradieNotes does all of this automatically.
On 1 April 2023, IRD replaced the old "tax invoice" requirement with something called Taxable Supply Information (TSI). The old rule said all required information had to be on one specific document. The new rule says IRD just needs the required information to exist somewhere in your records.
In practice, for tradies issuing standard invoices: nothing changed. Your invoice just needs the right fields for the job value. You can still call it a "Tax Invoice" — the label doesn't matter, the information does.
If you were issuing correct invoices before April 2023, you were already compliant with the new rules. The TSI change mostly affects larger businesses. For a tradie issuing invoices job by job, keep doing what you were doing.
A quote is a price offer before the job starts. It's not a request for payment and doesn't need to be a GST document — though showing the GST-inclusive total on a quote is good practice.
An invoice is issued after the work is done and is a formal, legally binding request for payment. If a GST-registered customer asks for a tax invoice for a supply over $200, you must provide one within 28 days.
IRD requires you to keep all business records — including invoices — for a minimum of 7 years. Digital records are absolutely fine. PDFs in your email inbox count. Records must be in English or Māori.
Your invoices saved in TradieNotes count as valid digital records. You don't need to print and file paper copies.
Writing a compliant GST invoice comes down to five things, in this order:
Rather than build a GST invoice template from scratch in Word or Excel, TradieNotes generates a fully IRD-compliant one for you — describe the job, and the correct fields, GST calculation and layout are filled in automatically every time. It's invoicing software for sole traders and tradies who'd rather pay $1 an invoice than a monthly fee.
If a GST-registered customer requests a tax invoice for a supply over $200, you must provide one within 28 days. Failing to do so is a technical breach of GST requirements.
Common questions
Free preview · Only pay $1 if you use it · IRD compliant · NZ made
This guide is general information for NZ tradies and is updated to reflect current IRD rules. It is not legal or tax advice. For advice specific to your situation, speak to your accountant or visit ird.govt.nz.
