Industry template
Creative & Agency Invoice Template — Australia
A practical invoice template for creative agencies, designers, copywriters, photographers and freelancers — covering project phases, licensing and IP terms. ATO-compliant.
Creative and agency invoicing has specific challenges: scoped projects that expand in delivery, licensing fees on third-party assets, milestone-based billing and the important question of intellectual property ownership. A well-structured invoice that addresses these clearly — and that explicitly states when IP transfers — protects both the agency and the client.
Use our free invoice generator to create your invoice, then apply the structure below.
Creative agency invoice — template structure
Invoice header
TAX INVOICE [Your Agency / Studio Name] ABN: [XX XXX XXX XXX] [Your Address] [Your Phone] | [Your Email] [yourwebsite.com.au] Invoice No.: [INV-001] Invoice Date: [DD Month YYYY] Due Date: [DD Month YYYY] To: [Client Business Name] ABN: [Client ABN] [Client Address] Attention: [Contact name / Marketing Manager] Project: [Project name] Brief Ref.: [Brief or proposal reference] PO No.: [Client PO number if applicable]
Line items — project phases & deliverables
Description Amount (ex GST) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Phase 1: Discovery & strategy Brand audit, competitor analysis, stakeholder interviews $2,400.00 Creative brief development $800.00 Phase 2: Brand identity design Logo design — 3 concepts, 2 revision rounds $3,200.00 Brand guidelines document (PDF + editable files) $1,600.00 Phase 3: Collateral production Business card, letterhead & email signature design $1,400.00 Social media profile and cover image set (6 platforms) $900.00 Copywriting Brand voice guide and messaging framework $1,200.00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Creative fees subtotal (ex GST) $11,500.00 Licensing & third-party costs ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Stock photography — 4 images (commercial licence) $280.00 Font licence — [Font Name], web + print (1 year) $220.00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Licensing subtotal (ex GST) $500.00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Total ex GST $12,000.00 GST (10%) $1,200.00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Total inc GST $13,200.00 Less: deposit received [DD Month YYYY] inc GST ($2,000.00) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Balance owing $11,200.00
Milestone invoice (partial billing)
Milestone 2 of 3: Creative concepts delivered Description Amount (ex GST) ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Milestone 2 — brand identity concepts and presentation $5,000.00 Deliverable: 3 x brand identity concepts presented [DD Month YYYY] at [Location / via Zoom] Approved by: [Client signatory] ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Subtotal (ex GST) $5,000.00 GST (10%) $500.00 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Total inc GST $5,500.00 Project total (3 milestones): $22,000.00 inc GST Milestone 1 paid: ($7,700.00) This invoice: ($5,500.00) Remaining balance (Milestone 3): $8,800.00
IP & payment footer
Payment details: Bank: [Your Bank] BSB: [BSB] Account No.: [Account number] Account name: [Your Agency Name] Reference: [INV-001] Payment terms: [14] days from invoice date. Intellectual property: All creative work remains the intellectual property of [Your Agency Name] until payment is received in full. On receipt of full payment, [Your Agency Name] grants [Client Business Name] a perpetual, royalty-free licence to use the deliverables as specified in the project brief, unless otherwise agreed in writing. Third-party licences: Fonts and stock imagery are licenced to the client as specified above. Responsibility for ongoing licence renewal rests with the client from the date of this invoice. This is a tax invoice for the purposes of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999.
Scope creep and variations
Creative projects are particularly vulnerable to scope creep — additional revision rounds, new deliverables or changed briefs. Protect your income by:
- Defining in the proposal exactly how many rounds of revisions are included
- Using a written variation approval process — email confirmation from the client is sufficient
- Issuing a variation invoice promptly when additional work is agreed, rather than accumulating it to the final invoice
- Including a clear out-of-scope clause in your terms of trade
Payment terms guidance for creative businesses
- Deposit upfront (25–50%)
- Always take a deposit before starting work. This covers your initial costs and confirms client commitment. The deposit is taxable when received — issue a tax invoice for it.
- Milestone payments
- For projects over $5,000, tie payment to delivery milestones. This limits your exposure if the client delays approval or becomes difficult.
- 14 days on balance
- The balance invoice (after deposit) should be on 14-day terms. Avoid net 30 for creative work — by then, the work is long delivered and the client's attention has moved on.
- IP retention
- Retaining IP ownership until full payment is received is a powerful lever. State this clearly on every invoice and in your terms.
Related tools and guides
- Invoice Generator — ATO-compliant tax invoices, free
- Statement Generator — track deposits and milestone payments
- Australian Tax Invoice Requirements
- Setting Payment Terms for B2B
- Recurring Invoices & Retainers
- Chasing an Overdue Invoice
- Refer a debt to Merion
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