Mechanic Invoice Template AustraliaFree, ATO-Compliant & Ready to Use
A free invoice template for Australian sole-trader mechanics and small workshops - diagnostic fee, workshop labour, parts at cost plus markup, and a line for a roadworthy or safety certificate if your workshop is approved to issue one. Or skip the template and invoice from the workshop the moment the job is done.
No credit card • GST calculated automatically • Send from your phone
The template
A filled-in mechanic invoice, shown at A4 widthExample figures, not a real jobAJarrah Street Motors Pty Ltd
9 Jarrah Street
Bayswater WA 6053
0407 552 819
ABN: 64 289 137 550
TAX INVOICE
BINV-0318
Issue: 22 Sep 2026
Due: 29 Sep 2026
Sent
Bill To
Priya Deshmukh
12 Wanneroo Road
Balcatta WA 6021
| CDescription | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic fee. Intermittent electrical fault1 x A$95.00 | 1 | A$95.00 | A$95.00 |
| Workshop labour. Fault-finding and repair2.5 x A$130.00 | 2.5 | A$130.00 | A$325.00 |
| Alternator, reconditioned. Part at cost + margin1 x A$310.00 | 1 | A$310.00 | A$310.00 |
| Sublet - wheel alignment. Outsourced, invoiced at cost plus margin1 x A$85.00 | 1 | A$85.00 | A$85.00 |
| Certificate of Inspection fee. WA Authorised Inspection Station1 x A$65.00 | 1 | A$65.00 | A$65.00 |
BPayment Details
Please use the following details to make a payment.
Bank: Commonwealth Bank
Account name: Jarrah Street Motors Pty Ltd
Account: 9271 5046
BSB: 065-404
Reference: INV-0318
Notes
Intermittent electrical fault - alternator replaced. Wheel alignment sublet to Bayswater Wheel Aligning. Certificate of Inspection issued (WA Authorised Inspection Station).
Thank you for your business!
What this invoice should carry
Thirteen fields, in four groups, keyed to the letters on the sample invoice above. Where a value is shown, it is the one you can read off it.
Your business details
Business name or trading name
On the sample: Jarrah Street Motors Pty Ltd
ABN, required on every tax invoice
On the sample: 64 289 137 550
Phone number and email address
On the sample: 0407 552 819
Physical or postal address
On the sample: 9 Jarrah Street, Bayswater WA 6053
Invoice identifiers
Invoice number, sequential for your records
On the sample: INV-0318
Invoice date
On the sample: 22 Sep 2026
Payment due date
On the sample: 29 Sep 2026
BSB and bank account for payment
On the sample: BSB 065-404, Acc 9271 5046
Job and line items
Diagnostic time, separated from repair labour
On the sample: $95.00
Parts at your sell price, cost plus markup - you do not need to show your cost
On the sample: Alternator, reconditioned, $310.00
Sublet work, clearly marked as sublet so the customer knows it was outsourced
On the sample: Wheel alignment (sublet), $85.00
A roadworthy/safety-certificate fee, only if your workshop is actually approved to issue one
On the sample: $65.00
GST breakdown
Subtotal, GST at 10%, and the GST-inclusive total, as three separate lines - parts and labour are both taxed the same
On the sample: $880.00 / $88.00 / $968.00
Customer's identity - name and address, or their ABN - required for invoices of A$1,000 or more
On the sample: Applies here - Priya's name and address, shown in Billed To, satisfy it
The same inspection, a different name in every state
There is no single national roadworthy scheme. Only invoice for a certificate if your workshop is the approved examiner under the scheme that applies where the vehicle is.
VIC, QLD and NSW
It's a Roadworthy Certificate in Victoria, issued by a Licensed Vehicle Tester; a Safety Certificate in Queensland, issued by an Approved Inspection Station; and a Pink Slip (eSafety Check) in NSW, issued by an authorised inspection station. Three names, three regulators, the same underlying purpose.
WA and ACT both use "Certificate of Inspection" - but they are two different schemes
Western Australia and the ACT both call theirs a Certificate of Inspection, which makes it easy to assume they work the same way. They do not: WA's is issued via an Authorised Inspection Station under Transport WA's licensing scheme, required for interstate and imported vehicles being licensed in WA. The ACT's is issued via Access Canberra's own Motor Vehicle Inspection Station or an authorised station, required when a vehicle is 6+ years old and changing hands, re-registering, or being registered for the first time. Do not assume WA experience carries over to the ACT, or the other way around - check the regulator for the state the vehicle is actually in.
Tasmania - no mandatory scheme for a private sale
Tasmania does not require a roadworthy inspection for a privately sold vehicle. An inspection is only needed if the vehicle has been unregistered for more than three months or its registration was cancelled - the seller still has to notify the Department of State Growth of the sale using a Transfer of Vehicle Registration form.
Northern Territory - a new rule from 9 February 2026
This one changed recently: from 9 February 2026, light vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM need a roadworthy inspection if they are 7 years old or older AND ownership is being transferred, NT registration is being re-established after more than 12 months unregistered, or the vehicle is being registered in the NT for the first time. The seller must notify the NT Motor Vehicle Registry of the sale using a Notice of Disposal form. If you learned "no mandatory NT scheme" before February 2026, that is no longer current.
How to fill out a mechanic invoice
Follow these steps after every job to get paid faster and stay clear of a certificate you are not approved to issue.
1
Fill in your business details
Add your trading name, ABN, address, phone, and email at the top. If you trade as Jarrah Street Motors Pty Ltd, use that - not your personal name.
2
Set the invoice number and dates
Use a sequential number - INV-0318 after INV-0317. The invoice date is today. Set a due date (7 days is common for smaller workshop jobs). Consistent numbering helps if you ever need to prove payment history.
3
Add the customer details
For invoices A$1,000 or more you must include the customer's identity - name and address is the simplest way to satisfy this. Do it on every job, not just the bigger ones.
4
Separate diagnostic time from repair labour
Show diagnostic time as its own line before the repair labour. Customers query this first if the repair does not fix the fault on the first attempt - a separate diagnostic line protects you either way.
5
Mark sublet work clearly
If you outsourced part of the job - a wheel alignment, a transmission rebuild - invoice it as its own line and mark it as sublet. It explains why that line does not match your usual labour rate, and is honest about what was done in-house.
6
Only invoice a certificate fee if your workshop is the approved examiner
Check the state-by-state breakdown above before you add a roadworthy/safety-certificate line. If your workshop is not an approved examiner for that state's scheme, sublet the inspection instead and invoice the sublet cost.
7
Calculate GST and add your bank details, then send
Parts and labour are both taxed at the standard 10% - no special treatment. Multiply your subtotal by 0.10, show subtotal, GST, and total as three lines, add your BSB and account number, and send it the moment the job is done.
Common mechanic invoice mistakes
These mistakes slow payment, create disputes, or put your workshop offside with the scheme in your state.
Invoicing a certificate fee without being an approved examiner
e.g. "Roadworthy certificate - $65.00" from a workshop not approved to issue one
Only accredited workshops or examiners can legally issue a roadworthy/safety certificate in most states - check your own approval before billing for one. Sublet the inspection instead if you are not approved.
Diagnostic time not separated from repair time
e.g. "Diagnosis and repair - $420" as one line
Customers query this first if the repair does not fix the fault on the first attempt - a separate diagnostic line protects you either way.
Parts markup hidden inside a single "parts and labour" total
e.g. "Parts and labour - $968" with no breakdown
Commercial and fleet customers in particular expect parts itemised at your sell price, separate from labour.
Sublet work not marked as sublet
e.g. "Wheel alignment - $85.00" with no mention it was outsourced
If a wheel alignment or transmission rebuild was outsourced, say so - it explains why that line does not match your usual labour rate.
Assuming WA's certificate name means the same scheme as the ACT's
e.g. Treating a WA Certificate of Inspection as valid for an ACT registration, or vice versa
They share a name but are two different schemes with two different regulators - check the transport authority for the state the vehicle is actually in.
What goes on the lines, and what it usually costs
The lines a mechanic invoice tends to have, in the three groups they fall into.
Diagnostic and labour
Priced per visit, or per hour
Diagnostic fee
Per visit
A$80 - $150
Some workshops waive it if the customer proceeds with the repair - decide your own policy and state it upfront.
Workshop labour
Per hour
A$110 - $150/hr
Sydney and Melbourne run higher; regional Australia lower.
Parts and sublet
At cost plus your markup
Parts markup
On top of supplier cost
Cost + 20 - 40%
Varies widely by part type and supplier account.
Sublet
Pass-through, or cost plus a small margin
Cost, or cost + ~10%
State clearly which, and mark the line as sublet.
Certification
Only where you are the approved examiner
Roadworthy/safety certificate
Per certificate
A$50 - $90
Only where your workshop is the approved examiner for the scheme in your state.
Indicative GST-exclusive ranges for 2026, to sanity-check a line you have not priced before. GST itself is 10% on top of the subtotal once you are registered - use the free GST calculator to check. They are not a price guide and not advice on what to charge: rates vary by region, part type, and supplier account.
Why Invio beats Word and Excel for mechanics
Templates are a fine starting point. But most workshops move to proper software once they are running several jobs a day.
Invoice from the workshop the moment the job is done
Fill in diagnostic time, labour, parts, and any sublet before the customer picks the car up. No paperwork to chase at the end of the week.
Before pickup
GST calculated automatically
Invio does the 10% for you across parts, labour, and any certificate fee - no spreadsheet formula to accidentally break.
10% on every line
Saved clients and parts
Store your repeat customers and common parts. Next service for the same car? Two taps and the invoice is half-filled already.
Two taps
Payment reminders built in
Invio Pro sends automatic follow-ups when invoices go overdue - so you are not the one making awkward calls.
Automatic follow-ups
ATO-compliant every time
Every Invio invoice has the right fields: ABN, GST breakdown, date, customer identity when required. You can't accidentally send a non-compliant invoice.
Every required field
PDF ready to email or print
Send the invoice by email directly from Invio, or download a clean PDF if the customer prefers paper.
One click
What a mechanic's invoice carries beyond the basics
Every AU trade invoice needs the same GST and ABN basics. Past that, the paperwork splits by trade - here is what is specific to workshop and repair work.
5 names, one job
The roadworthy check, named differently in every state
Roadworthy Certificate, Safety Certificate, Pink Slip, Certificate of Inspection (WA and ACT, two different schemes) - see the breakdown above before you invoice a certificate fee.
Not every workshop
Only approved examiners can charge for it
If your workshop is not an approved examiner under the scheme in your state, sublet the inspection and invoice the sublet cost instead of the certificate itself.
Diagnostic, then repair
Two lines, not one
Diagnostic time separated from repair labour is the single most disputed line on a workshop invoice when a repair does not fix the fault first time.
Marked, not hidden
Sublet work, its own line
A wheel alignment or transmission rebuild sent to another workshop is invoiced at what you paid plus your margin, clearly marked as sublet.
Mechanic Invoice FAQs
Common questions from Australian mechanics and workshops about invoicing, roadworthy certificates, and getting paid.
Can any mechanic issue a roadworthy or safety certificate?
Should I charge a diagnostic fee even if the customer declines the repair?
How do I invoice for work I sublet to another workshop?
Is GST treated differently for parts than for labour?
Why does WA call its certificate the same thing as the ACT?
Do I need to add GST to my mechanic invoice?
What's the minimum information a mechanic invoice needs in Australia?
Invoice every workshop job correctly, from the counter
Invio is free for sole traders. Set up your labour and parts rates once, send GST-compliant tax invoices with your ABN and BSB saved, and let automatic reminders handle the chase - free on your first 3 invoices, unlimited on Pro.
Free to start • GST calculated automatically • No credit card required