Invoice template for tradespeople
Free invoice template as Word and PDF — with all mandatory details under German law (§14 UStG) and fill-in hints for trade businesses.
Template by trade
For the work carried out per order dated __.__.____ we charge:
| No. | Qty | Unit price € | Total € | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Labour, journeyman (hrs) | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 2 | Labour, master craftsman (hrs) | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 3 | Materials as itemised (flat rate) | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 4 | Travel to and from site (flat rate) | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 5 | Disposal / ancillary services (flat rate) | ______ | ______ | ______ |
| 6 | ||||
| 7 |
- · Payable within 14 days without deduction to the account stated below.
- · Note for private customers: keep this invoice for 2 years (§14b (1) UStG).
Sample without guarantee — no legal or tax advice. · Last reviewed: 2026-07
Download template
As a Word file (DOCX) to fill in, plus a PDF — free in exchange for your e-mail address.
Mandatory details under §14 UStG
A trade invoice needs: full name and address of both business and customer, your tax number or VAT ID, the invoice date, a sequential invoice number, quantity and type of service, the date of performance, the amount broken down by tax rate, plus tax rate and tax amount. For private customers, add the note about the 2-year retention duty. The template contains placeholders for all of these.
Word invoice or software?
The template is plenty to get started. Its limits show in daily use: you maintain sequential numbers by hand, entries stay editable afterwards (a GoBD issue), and Word cannot produce e-invoices (XRechnung/ZUGFeRD) — which B2B businesses must at least be able to receive since 2025. That is exactly where DasHandwerk.xhub starts: number ranges, locking and e-invoicing are built in, and the free plan costs nothing.
Frequent questions about the invoice template
Why show labour and material costs separately?
Private customers in Germany can deduct 20% of labour costs (not materials) as trade services under §35a EStG. Showing the labour share separately makes life easy for your customers — a simple service that makes your quotes comparatively better.
Is a Word invoice legally sufficient?
In principle yes — as long as all mandatory details are included. Two caveats: GoBD requires tamper-proof, traceable records, and B2B businesses must be able to receive e-invoices. To issue e-invoices you need a tool that produces XRechnung or ZUGFeRD.
Is the template really free?
Yes. You get DOCX and PDF in exchange for your e-mail address; the full sample text is also free on this page. No subscription, no hidden costs — the newsletter is optional.