Free template · Excel · Invoices by trade
Free photography invoice template
A photography invoice that says what the client is buying: the session, the edited images, the right to use them, and any prints or travel.
Photography invoice template
Excel workbook (.xlsx) · 22 KB · 4 sheets
| Item | Description | Qty | Rate | Amount | Tax? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Session | Half-day on-location headshots, up to 12 people | 1 | 950.00 | 950.00 | Y |
| Editing | Retouched final images | 12 | 35.00 | 420.00 | Y |
| Licence | Web, social and print marketing use, 2 years, non-exclusive | 1 | 600.00 | 600.00 | Y |
| Prints | 8x10 lobby prints, mounted | 4 | 45.00 | 180.00 | Y |
| Travel | Mileage to client site (km) | 64 | 0.72 | 46.08 | Y |
| Subtotal | 2,196.08 | ||||
| GST | 109.80 | 5% | |||
| TOTAL | 2,305.88 | ||||
| Deposit received | 500.00 | ||||
| BALANCE DUE | 1,805.88 |
Why a photography invoice needs its own layout
A photography invoice is partly a bill and partly a licence. Clients, especially businesses, need to know what they can do with the images: for how long, where and whether they can be changed. Putting the usage on the invoice keeps it with the payment record.
This template has lines for the session, editing, the image licence, prints and travel, and applies the retainer the client paid when booking. The example is a commercial headshot day for a small company in Alberta.
What to include on a photography invoice, and why
- Usage terms. Who can use the images, where, for how long, and whether exclusively. This is the line clients most often misunderstand.
- The number of final images. Clients expect a number. Putting it on the invoice settles "I thought we'd get all of them".
- Retainer received. Shows the client their booking payment was counted.
- When images are released. Many photographers deliver finals on full payment. Say so on the invoice.
- Shoot date and location. Clients with several shoots a year need to match the invoice to the right one.
How to price it
Creative fee plus licence
Common in commercial work: you charge for your time and separately for the right to use the images. Bigger use (a national ad) costs more than a website headshot.
Packages
Weddings and family sessions are usually sold as packages. Invoice the package on one line, then extras like more hours or an album.
Retainers
A non-refundable retainer holds the date. Apply it to the final invoice as a payment, not a discount.
Typical payment terms
- Retainer at booking to hold the date
- Weddings: balance two to four weeks before the day
- Commercial clients: Net 30 from delivery
- Final images released on full payment
Whatever terms you use, put them on the invoice itself. A due date printed on the page is easier to enforce than one mentioned on the phone. See how to collect overdue invoices for what to do when a customer is late.
Sales tax, GST/HST and PST on photography work
United States
Prints, albums and other physical products are tangible goods, taxable in most states with sales tax. Some states also tax photography services, digital images or the whole package, and some don't.
If you sell physical and digital products together, check how your state treats a combined package.
Canada
GST/HST applies to sessions, licences, digital files and prints alike once you're registered.
If you shoot for a client outside Canada, some services and licences can be zero-rated as exports; check the CRA's rules before leaving tax off.
Check a rate with the US sales tax calculator or the GST/HST calculator, then set it beside the tax lines in the template. Both tax lines can be renamed, so one invoice works for sales tax, HST, or GST plus PST or QST.
The example, filled in
The Invoice sheet opens filled in with the example in the preview: an Alberta photographer billing a commercial headshot day, invoice PH-2026-41 for an example customer. The lines come to a subtotal of $2,196.08 and a total of $2,305.88, with a deposit already received of $500.00 and a balance due of $1,805.88. Payment terms are 30 days. The figures are made up to show the layout; they are not market rates.
Alberta has no PST, so a registered photographer charges 5% GST on the session, editing, licence, prints and travel.
The notes box reads: “Retainer of $500 received Sep 30 and applied. Final images delivered by gallery link on full payment. Licence begins on delivery.”
Lines on the price list sheet
The Price list sheet starts with the lines photography businesses usually charge for. Add your rates once and copy them onto each invoice.
| Line | Unit | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Session or creative fee | per hour, half day or day | Your time on the shoot. |
| Editing or retouching | per image or per hour | Basic edit vs full retouch. |
| Image licence | flat | By use, term and territory. |
| Rush delivery | flat | Delivered faster than your standard. |
| Second shooter or assistant | per hour or day | Weddings and events. |
| Prints and albums | each | Physical products. |
| Travel | per km or mile, or flat | Outside your included area. |
| Studio or location fee | at cost | Rentals passed through. |
| Retainer | paid at booking | Applied to the final invoice. |
What's in the file
| Sheet | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Invoice | The printable photography invoice, filled in with the example on this page: your details, bill-to, shoot, 15 lines, two tax lines, deposit received and balance due. Fits one letter page. |
| Price list | The lines photography businesses usually charge for, with the unit for each. Enter your own rates once and copy them onto each invoice. |
| Invoice log | One row per invoice: payments as they arrive, balance, status (Open, Overdue, Paid) and days overdue. |
| Instructions | How to fill it in, plus the notes on this page about what to include. |
Pale yellow cells are for your entries; white cells calculate. Nothing is locked, so you can rename lines or change the layout. The Instructions sheet repeats the steps and the notes on this page.
Download the photography invoice template (.xlsx)
Or send it from AcboBooks
Need one invoice today? The free invoice generator makes a PDF in your browser. Sending them every week? AcboBooks keeps your photography price list, turns estimates into invoices, tracks what each customer owes and adds up the tax you collected. It's Windows desktop software, bought once; try it free for 15 days.
Sources
Checked October 25, 2026. Tax rules change and differ by state and province; confirm with the tax agency or your accountant.
- Canada Revenue Agency: input tax credits (information an invoice needs)
- CRA RC4022, General Information for GST/HST Registrants
- CRA: GST/HST rates by province
- IRS Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records
- Federation of Tax Administrators: links to every state tax agency
Questions
Should a photography invoice include usage rights?
Yes, for commercial work. State the use, the term and whether it's exclusive. For portrait and wedding clients, a line on personal use is usually enough.
How do I show a retainer on the invoice?
As a payment already received, below the total. The balance due is the total minus the retainer.
Can I charge for travel?
Yes. A per-km or per-mile line, or a flat travel fee for shoots outside your area. Say in your contract what's included.
When should I send the invoice?
Commercial: with or just after delivery. Weddings and events: the balance invoice usually goes out a few weeks before the day.
Related
- Customer deposits and retainers
- Mileage log template
- 2026 IRS and CRA mileage rates
- General invoice template
- Accounting software for photographers
- General invoice template
- All invoice and estimate templates by trade
General information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Check with your accountant or the tax agency before relying on a template for tax.
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