Most free invoice templates come with a hook: an email signup, a product tour, then a workbook with fourteen tabs and a macro you are told not to touch. This one is a single file of plain comma-separated text. One tab, 35 rows, four formulas, no macros, no add-ons, and the same behaviour in Google Sheets and Excel.
It sits in the free template library next to the expense tracker, which covers the other half of the same routine.
What is in the download
The file is invoice-template.csv, and it holds five blocks on one sheet: your business details, the client’s details, invoice metadata (number, date, terms, calculated due date), ten line-item rows, and a totals block. Every cell is a normal cell. Nothing is hidden, locked, or doing quiet work on a second sheet.
The cell map
| Block | Cells | What goes in |
|---|---|---|
| Business details | A1:B5 | Name, street, city and ZIP, email |
| Client details | A7:B10 | Client name, address, email |
| Invoice metadata | B12:B14, D15 | Number, date, terms, calculated due date |
| Line items | A17:D27 | Description, quantity, rate, amount |
| Totals | A29:D31 | Subtotal, tax, total due |
Ten item rows is the deliberate number: enough for a normal month of freelance work, short enough to print on one page. Insert a row above row 27 to add more, and the subtotal still catches it because the total sums the whole D18:D27 range.
The four formulas
Amount per line item (D18, filled down to D27):
=IFERROR(B18*C18,"")
Quantity times rate. The IFERROR wrapper leaves the cell empty instead of showing a #VALUE! error in rows you have not filled in yet, as documented on the IFERROR page.
Subtotal (D29):
=SUM(D18:D27)
One range covering all ten item rows. Nothing to extend when you add a line. The SUM function reference covers variations such as summing scattered cells.
Total due (D31):
=D29+D30
Subtotal plus tax. Tax is a cell you type into, not a rate the sheet guesses. If you always bill at one rate, replace the typed figure with =ROUND(D29*0.0825,2) so the cents behave, which is what the ROUND function is for.
Due date (D15):
=IFERROR(B13+14,"")
Invoice date plus a 14-day term. Change the 14 to 7 or 30 and the due date follows. The date in the file is an example, so replace it with the day you issue the invoice.
Set it up in Google Sheets in five minutes
- Download the CSV from the template library.
- In Sheets, open File, then Import, then Upload, and pick the file. Set the import location to Replace spreadsheet.
- Check two cells: D18 should read 1200 and D29 should read 1650. If they do, the formulas arrived intact.
- If a formula shows up as text instead of a number, click the cell and paste it again from the block above.
- Select D18:D31, apply the currency format, fill in your details, and clear the two sample line items.
Sheets saves the copy to your own Drive, so the invoice belongs to you rather than to this site. The import help page shows the same steps with screenshots if the menu wording differs in your account.
Set it up in Excel
Excel opens the file directly: double-click it, or use Data, then From Text/CSV. Keep the original download untouched so you still have a blank copy.
The reliable route is to type the four formulas in by hand from the block above: amount into D18 and D19, subtotal into D29, total into D31, due date into D15. Five cells, about 30 seconds, and the workbook behaves normally afterwards. Save as .xlsx so any formatting you apply survives. If you are still weighing the two apps up, the Excel vs Google Sheets comparison covers where each one stops being pleasant for this kind of work.
Making it hold up for real invoices
- Keep a number series. Start at INV-0001 and increment it every time. Note the last number inside the file so you never issue one twice.
- Match your real terms. If you bill Net 30, the formula should say 30. A due date that disagrees with your contract is the kind of detail clients notice.
- Use a terms dropdown if clients are on different schedules, so you pick from a list instead of retyping. Our data validation guide walks through it.
- Send a PDF, file by year. Export to PDF (File, Download, PDF in Sheets), send that, and keep one file per invoice in a folder named for the year. At tax time you sort one folder.
The money coming in is only half of it. The expense tracker template covers the going out.
What it does not do
- No recurring invoices, no automatic sending, no late-payment reminders.
- No client database. The bill-to block is typed per invoice.
- No automatic tax rate. Tax is a number you enter.
- No payment links, card processing, or accounting integration.
That list is deliberate. Each of those features turns a five-minute file into a subscription. When the manual step starts costing real money, the automated email reports guide and the Zapier and Google Sheets workflows show the pattern for wiring up a sheet like this one.
FAQ
Is this invoice template really free, and do I need an account?
Yes. You download one CSV file and import it into your own Google Sheets or Excel. No account is created here, and the copy lives in your Drive or hard drive.
Does the same template file work in both Excel and Google Sheets?
Yes. It is plain comma-separated text with four standard formulas. If your import shows a formula as text, click the cell and paste it again.
How do I change the payment terms from 14 days?
Open the due-date cell and change the 14 in the formula to 7, 30, or whatever you actually work with.
Can the template send invoices or collect payments on its own?
No. It calculates and formats the invoice, then you send the PDF. Automatic sending and card payments need a billing service or an automation tool.