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Invoicing NDIS participants:who gets the invoice

Whether a participant is plan-managed, self-managed or NDIA-managed decides who gets your invoice, whether you can be paid at all if you are unregistered, and which maximum prices apply. This guide follows the NDIS's own pages for each type, then shows how to set each one up in Invio.

No credit card required - 5 free invoices a month. Read from ndis.gov.au and ato.gov.au on 12 October 2026. General information, not tax or legal advice.

Three ways a plan is managed, and what each means for you

Ask the participant which budget your support is paid from. The NDIS says a plan can mix types: a participant can self-manage part of it and have the rest plan-managed or NDIA-managed.

How the plan is managedSelf-managedWho gets your invoiceThe participant. When they have paid, you send a receipt so they can acquit the expense against their plan.Can you be unregistered?Yes. The participant can choose registered or unregistered providers.Do the maximum prices apply?No. The participant can agree a price with you above or below the NDIS maximum prices.
How the plan is managedPlan-managedWho gets your invoiceThe participant's plan manager, who enters your claim. The invoice must include a valid ABN, unless you are exempt from having one.Can you be unregistered?Yes. The participant can choose registered or unregistered providers.Do the maximum prices apply?Yes. The Pricing Schedule 2026-27 sets them.
How the plan is managedNDIA-managedWho gets your invoiceA payment request in the myplace provider portal, made by the provider.Can you be unregistered?No. The NDIS says a participant can't use unregistered providers for NDIA-managed funding.Do the maximum prices apply?Yes. The Pricing Schedule 2026-27 sets them.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, What is self-managed funding, What is plan-managed funding, What is NDIA-managed funding, Pricing arrangements, checked 12 October 2026.

Unregistered, and the funding is NDIA-managed?
You cannot be used for those supports. Whether to change how a plan is managed is the participant's decision with the NDIA: the NDIS says a participant can ask for a change at any time. Registration rules are changing too, and our NDIS invoicing page keeps a dated list of what is changing.

What to put on the invoice

These are the details the NDIS itself says a claim or a participant's records need. They are the minimum, not a full checklist: a plan manager can ask for more, so ask yours what they need before the first invoice.

The participant
The claim is made against the participant's plan, and the NDIA needs the participant's name and their NDIS number (it calls it the participant reference number). Make the invoice out to the participant, with their NDIS number beside their name.
Your name and ABN
A self-managed participant's records must show your name and your ABN, or the reason you are exempt from quoting one. For plan-managed work the NDIS says the invoice must include a valid ABN unless you are exempt. The ATO says a supplier who is operating a business, or is entitled to register for an ABN, cannot use its Statement by a supplier form. Ask the ATO or your adviser if you are unsure which side you are on.
The date of each support
The claim needs the dates of support, and a self-managed participant's records need the start and end dates. One line per support, each with its own date, is the clearest way to show them. Ask your plan manager whether they want a single date on each line.
The support item number
The claim needs the support item reference number from the NDIS Support Catalogue, written as the catalogue writes it. In the 2026-27 catalogue (version 1.1), 01_011_0107_1_1 is "Assistance With Self-Care Activities - Standard - Weekday Daytime", and the Saturday version of the same support has its own number, 01_013_0107_1_1. Check each number against the current catalogue rather than copying an old invoice.
What it was, how much, and the price
A short description, the amount of support (hours or quantity), the price per hour or unit and the total. For plan-managed and NDIA-managed supports the Pricing Schedule 2026-27, effective 24 September 2026, sets a maximum price for each support item, and the NDIS says providers can't charge more than it. The schedule says each maximum already includes any GST. For a self-managed participant, you agree the price with them.
GST
Whether you charge GST depends on whether you are registered for it and, if you are, on the ATO's four conditions. Our guide to NDIS supports and GST goes through them.
A receipt or tax invoice
The NDIS lists "a receipt or tax invoice" among the records a participant keeps. The ATO sets out what a tax invoice for a taxable sale must show; Australian tax invoice requirements is our summary of it. If you are not registered for GST, ask your plan manager what they want to see.
What else the plan manager wants
A plan manager can ask for more than the NDIA does, for example how they should pay you and how you number your invoices. Ask before the first invoice, and keep their answer.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, How to self-manage your funding, Support Catalogue 2026-27, Pricing arrangements, Pricing Schedule 2026-27, ATO, Statement by a supplier, checked 12 October 2026.

Where the invoice goes

Self-managed

To the participant

Send the invoice to the participant. The NDIS says they pay it, and that you then send a receipt: the participant acquits the expense against their plan by entering your receipt or paid invoice into the participant portal.

Plan-managed

To the plan manager

Send the invoice directly to the participant's plan manager. The participant tells you who that is: the NDIS says they "let your providers know who your plan manager is to send their invoices to". The plan manager enters your claim into the provider portal and must keep the invoice.

NDIA-managed

A payment request

A provider makes a payment request in the myplace provider portal within 90 days from the end of the service booking, and must first be recorded as a "my provider". An unregistered provider cannot be used.

To check which type applies, ask the participant: their plan describes which of their budgets are plan-managed. The NDIS says a participant can change how their plan is managed at any time, so confirm before each invoice if a plan has recently changed.

Sources: Guide to getting paid, How to plan-manage your funding, How to self-manage your funding, What is NDIA-managed funding, checked 12 October 2026.

Service agreements

A service agreement is a signed agreement between the participant and the provider. The NDIS describes it as covering how the supports are delivered, what they are, what they cost, how the provider gets paid and how to make changes.

You do not need one in most cases. The NDIS says: "You aren't required to create a written service agreement, in most cases. We recommend creating one every time you start working with a new provider. Written service agreements are only mandatory for specialist disability accommodation (SDA) supports."

The NDIS lists what a good one includes: the supports and where and when they happen, the price, any costs for materials, the cost of travel for the provider, other fees, whether GST is payable, how the provider will be paid, the provider's cancellation policy, and what to do if there is a disagreement.

Two other rules lean on a written agreement. For a support to be GST-free, the ATO requires a written agreement, which can be several documents; our GST guide explains what it must say. And the NDIA's 2025-26 pricing arrangements say a participant should have agreed provider travel in advance and that cancellation terms should be written into the service agreement; see travel and cancellations.

Invio does not provide a service agreement template. Use the NDIS's list, and ask an adviser if you want a document checked.

Sources: What is a service agreement, ATO, GST-free NDIS supplies, NDIA pricing arrangements 2025-26, checked 12 October 2026.

Doing this in Invio

Invio is invoicing software. Here is where each piece above goes.

Switch on the option
Settings, then Business, then Your industry, then Support worker invoicing. Nothing changes on your invoices until you do.
Add the participant
Add them as a client. The name field reads "Participant", and their NDIS number (nine digits) prints under their name on every invoice and quote.
Self-managed: invoice the participant
Send the invoice to the participant as you would to any client. When they pay, mark it paid.
Plan-managed: invoice the plan manager
On the participant's record, under "Send invoices to someone else", add the plan manager. The invoice goes to their email address, the participant stays the named client, and the plan manager's name prints as "c/o". Their email address never prints.
One dated line per support
Each line can carry its own date, a unit (hour, km or each) and a support item number. "Duplicate for next day" copies a line forward one day at a time. A recurring invoice starts with its line dates cleared, so last week's dates are never repeated.
Import the supports you use
Download the Support Catalogue from the NDIS website, save the sheet as a CSV, and import it under Settings, then Item Library, then Import. Invio reads the support item number as the code and the unit for you. Invio does not bundle the catalogue: the file you import is your own download.
NDIA-managed
Invio plays no part. A payment request is made in the myplace provider portal by a provider who is registered.

Invio does not submit claims, and it does not check item numbers, dates or prices against the NDIA. It checks only that an NDIS number is nine digits. Before you send, it shows short notes, for example a participant with no NDIS number or a priced line with no date; they never stop you sending.

Questions about invoicing NDIS participants

Can I invoice the NDIS directly?
Only for NDIA-managed funding, and only as a provider who is registered. Then you make a payment request in the myplace provider portal instead of sending an invoice. For a plan-managed participant you invoice the plan manager, and for a self-managed participant you invoice the participant.
Do I have to be registered with the NDIS to work with a plan-managed or self-managed participant?
No. The NDIS says participants with plan-managed or self-managed funding can choose providers who are registered or unregistered. NDIA-managed funding is different: a participant can't use unregistered providers for it.
Who is the invoice made out to when the participant has a plan manager?
The claim is made against the participant's plan, so make the invoice out to the participant and send it to the plan manager. The NDIS says you send invoices directly to the plan manager, and the participant tells you who that is.
Do I need a service agreement?
In most cases the NDIS does not require a written one, though it recommends one every time you start with a new provider; it is only mandatory for specialist disability accommodation. If you are registered for GST and want a support treated as GST-free, the ATO requires a written agreement, and that can be several documents, including letters and the invoices you issue.
What if the participant changes how their plan is managed?
The NDIS says a participant can ask to change how their plan is managed at any time. If a plan has changed, ask who to invoice before your next invoice goes out.
Which maximum price applies to my support?
For plan-managed and NDIA-managed supports, the Pricing Schedule 2026-27 (effective 24 September 2026) lists a maximum for each support item. This page does not print the amounts, because they are reviewed and a copy goes stale; read yours in the schedule. A self-managed participant can agree a different price with you.

Start invoicing free and see if it fits your support work

Send a few invoices a month free and see how it handles your participants and plan managers. Keep your GST and tax records for your own return or your adviser.

No credit card required - 5 free invoices a month