How to invoice as a freelancer in Canada
Freelance invoicing is simple once you have a system: describe the work, show the math, state when you expect to be paid. Every invoice should carry your business name and contact details, the client’s name, a unique sequential invoice number (INV-2026-001, INV-2026-002 — no gaps), the invoice date, and a due date. For hourly work, list each block of work as its own line with hours × your rate, exactly as the template below is set up. For fixed-fee projects, list the deliverable and the agreed fee instead — but still itemize, so the client sees what they are paying for.
The Canadian tax question trips up more freelancers than anything else. You must register for GST/HST once your taxable revenue passes $30,000 over four consecutive calendar quarters; below that, registration is voluntary, though many freelancers register early so they can claim input tax credits on business expenses. Once registered, charge GST at 5% in Alberta, BC, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan (the template default below), HST at 13% in Ontario, or HST at 15% in the Atlantic provinces — and print your GST/HST number on every invoice.
On getting paid: send the invoice the day the work is done, not at month-end. Net 15 or Net 30 terms are standard; state them — plus any late fee — on the invoice so they are agreed upfront, and follow up politely the day after the due date. When invoicing becomes a weekly chore, dedicated invoicing software with automatic reminders pays for itself. Until then, the free generator below produces the same professional document.