To invoice tutoring clients in Australia, send each family a dated invoice with your name, ABN, a unique invoice number, the lessons you taught (dates, length, rate), the total, a due date and how to pay. Only charge GST and call it a "tax invoice" if you're registered for GST. Send invoices on a regular cycle, such as weekly or monthly.
This guide covers what an invoice needs, the ABN and GST basics, how often to bill, sensible payment terms and what to do when a family pays late.
What to include on a tutoring invoice
A clear invoice gets paid faster because the parent doesn't have to ask you anything. Include:
- The word "Invoice" at the top (or "Tax invoice" if you're registered for GST).
- Your details: your name or business name, ABN, email and phone number.
- The family's details: the parent's name (the person paying) and the student's name.
- Invoice number: unique and in sequence, for example INV-0042.
- Invoice date and due date.
- One line per lesson: date, subject or description, length and price. "Maths, Year 10, 60 min, $70.00" is enough.
- Any adjustments: a late cancellation charge, a credit or a discount, on its own line.
- Total amount due. If you're registered for GST, show the GST amount or state that the total includes GST.
- How to pay: account name, BSB and account number, plus a payment reference (the invoice number works well). Add a card payment link if you accept cards.
- Short terms: for example "Payment due within 7 days".
If you want a ready-made layout, our free tutoring invoice template has a copy-paste version plus filled-in examples for tutors who are and aren't registered for GST.
Do tutors need an ABN to invoice?
If you're tutoring as a business (as a sole trader or through your own company), you should have an Australian Business Number. Applying is free through the Australian Business Register, and most sole traders get their number quickly.
Put your ABN on every invoice. Parents paying a private tutor don't usually withhold tax, but businesses and schools that engage you may be required to withhold tax from payments if you don't quote an ABN. Having it on every invoice also makes your records tidy at tax time.
If you work for a tutoring company as an employee, you don't invoice families at all: the company bills them and pays you wages. This guide is for independent tutors who bill families directly.
Do tutors need to charge GST?
You must register for GST once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year, measured over the current 12 months or what you expect over the next 12. Below that, registration is optional.
If you're not registered for GST:
- Don't add GST to your prices.
- Don't call your invoice a "tax invoice". Just "Invoice" is right.
- You can add a line such as "No GST has been charged" so parents aren't left wondering.
If you're registered for GST:
- Your invoice should say "Tax invoice" and show your ABN, the date, a description of what you supplied, and the GST amount (or a statement that the total includes GST).
- Private one-to-one tutoring generally isn't GST-free. The ATO's GST-free education rules cover things like accredited courses, and individual tuition is generally excluded, so most registered tutors charge GST on their lessons. Check your own situation on the ATO website or with a tax agent.
A quick way to work out GST from a GST-inclusive price is to divide by 11. A $77 lesson includes $7 GST; the price before GST is $70.
| Lesson price (incl. GST) | GST (÷ 11) | Price before GST |
|---|---|---|
| $55.00 | $5.00 | $50.00 |
| $77.00 | $7.00 | $70.00 |
| $99.00 | $9.00 | $90.00 |
If you're close to the $75,000 threshold, keep an eye on your rolling 12-month total. Registering late can mean owing GST on lessons you've already been paid for without charging it.
How often should you send tutoring invoices?
There's no rule. Pick a cycle and stick to it so families know what to expect. The common options:
| Billing cycle | Works well for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| After each lesson | Casual or one-off students | Lots of small invoices and bank transfers |
| Weekly | Families who like small, regular amounts | More admin for you |
| Fortnightly | Many weekly students | Keep the day consistent |
| Monthly | Regular students on a set timetable | Larger amounts can feel heavier for some families |
| Per term, in advance | Established students, school-term programs | Needs a clear cancellation and refund policy |
Monthly invoicing is the most common choice for regular weekly students: one invoice, one payment, easy to track. Billing in arrears (after the lessons happen) is simple because you only bill what was actually taught. Billing in advance, such as a term upfront or prepaid lessons, protects your income but means you need clear rules for missed lessons. Your tutoring cancellation policy should cover that before you start.
Whatever you choose, send on the same day each cycle, for example the first business day of the month.
What payment terms should tutors use?
Payment terms are how long the family has to pay. For tutoring, short terms work best:
- 7 days is the most common and suits most families.
- 14 days is reasonable for monthly or term invoices with larger totals.
- Due on receipt suits casual, one-off lessons.
Avoid 30-day terms. A month of lessons plus 30 days to pay means you could be waiting up to two months for money you earned on the first lesson.
Put your terms in writing before the first lesson, in a short welcome email or policy document, and repeat them on every invoice. If you plan to charge a late fee, say so upfront: a fee that appears for the first time on an overdue invoice tends to cause arguments. Our guide on getting parents to pay tutoring invoices on time covers late fees and reminder wording in detail.
How parents can pay a tutor
Most Australian families are happy paying by bank transfer, and it costs you nothing. Make it easy:
- Put your account name, BSB and account number on every invoice.
- Ask parents to use the invoice number as the payment reference so you can match payments quickly.
- If you have a PayID, you can add it too.
Card payments cost you a processing fee but get paid faster by some families, because they can pay in a few taps from the email. If you offer cards, decide whether you'll absorb the fee or build it into your rates. Our guide on how much to charge for tutoring has more on setting prices that leave room for costs like this.
Step by step: invoicing a family
- Check what was taught. Go through your calendar for the billing period. Note completed lessons, any cancellations you're charging for and any make-up lessons.
- Create the invoice. Use the next invoice number in your sequence and today's date.
- Add one line per lesson. Date, description, length and price.
- Add adjustments. Credits for lessons you cancelled, charges for late cancellations under your policy.
- Check the total. If you're registered for GST, check the GST figure.
- Add payment details and the due date.
- Send it as a PDF by email. Use a clear subject line, such as "Invoice INV-0042 for Mia's tutoring, March".
- Record it. Note the invoice number, amount and due date somewhere you'll check.
- Mark it paid when the money arrives, and follow up if it doesn't.
This takes a few minutes per family by hand. With 15 or 20 students it becomes a monthly chore, which is why many tutors move to software once they're past a handful of students. TutorFlow, for example, builds invoices from your completed lessons, lets you generate a draft for every student for a period at once, and emails each one with a PDF and a secure link once you've checked them. Invoice numbers are assigned automatically.
What to do when a tutoring invoice isn't paid
Most late payments are forgetfulness, not refusal. A calm, routine process sorts out nearly all of them:
- On the due date or the day after: a friendly reminder with the invoice attached.
- About a week overdue: a second reminder, still friendly, mentioning the amount and due date.
- Two weeks or more overdue: a short phone call or message, and pause new lessons until the account is up to date, if your policy says you will.
Keep every message polite and factual. If reminders are a job you'd rather not do by hand, TutorFlow can send automatic overdue reminders and add an optional late fee once, the day after the due date.
For stubborn debts that run to a few hundred dollars, your state's small claims process is an option, but it's rarely worth it for tutoring. Stopping lessons until payment is usually the more practical step. business.gov.au has general guidance on managing late payments.
Keeping invoicing records for tax time
Keep a copy of every invoice you send and a record of when it was paid. The ATO generally expects business records to be kept for five years. A simple spreadsheet with invoice number, family, date, amount, GST (if any) and date paid is enough for many sole traders, alongside your bank statements.
If you're registered for GST, these records feed into your Business Activity Statement. Your invoicing tool or spreadsheet won't lodge it for you, so share the totals with your tax agent or enter them yourself.
Frequently asked questions
Can I invoice tutoring clients without an ABN?
If you're running your own tutoring business, you should get an ABN, which is free from the Australian Business Register. Without one, businesses or schools paying you may need to withhold tax from their payments. Families paying privately usually won't withhold, but an ABN on your invoices still looks professional and keeps your records in order.
Should my tutoring invoice say "tax invoice"?
Only if you're registered for GST. A tax invoice is a specific document that lets a GST-registered buyer claim credits, so calling an invoice a tax invoice when you aren't registered is misleading. If you're not registered, title it "Invoice" and don't add GST. Check the ATO website if you're unsure about your registration status.
Is private tutoring GST-free in Australia?
Generally, no. The ATO's GST-free education rules cover things like accredited courses, and individual private tuition is generally excluded. That means if you're registered for GST, you'll usually need to charge it on your lessons. If your turnover is under $75,000 a year and you haven't registered, you don't charge GST at all.
How long should parents have to pay a tutoring invoice?
Seven days is the most common choice and suits most families. Fourteen days is reasonable for larger monthly or term invoices. Avoid 30-day terms, because combined with monthly billing they can leave you waiting up to two months for money from early lessons. State your terms before the first lesson and on every invoice.
Should I invoice tutoring in advance or after lessons?
Both work. Invoicing after lessons is simplest because you bill only what was taught. Invoicing in advance, by the term or through prepaid bookings, protects your income from no-shows and late payers, but you need a clear cancellation and refund policy first. Many tutors bill regular students monthly in arrears and ask new or casual families to prepay.