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Create a GST invoice in Zoho Invoice (India, 2026)

6 min read · India

What you’ll have at the end

A free Zoho Invoice account set up for your GST-registered business in India, with one customer and one item saved, and your first GST invoice saved as a draft and downloaded as a PDF. Nothing is sent to your customer. You can send the invoice yourself when you're ready.

Before you start

You’ll need

  • A mobile number you can receive a code on now
  • Your business's 15-digit GSTIN
  • Your customer's name, billing address, GSTIN (if they're GST-registered) and state
  • The HSN code (for goods) or SAC (for services) and the GST rate for what you're selling

What it costs. Zoho's India pricing page says Zoho Invoice is free (₹0), with limits such as up to 500 invoices a year and "Powered by Zoho Invoice" branding.

This guide is for a business that is registered for GST and has a GSTIN. Please have ready your GSTIN, your customer's details (including their GSTIN if they're GST-registered, and their state), and the HSN code or SAC and GST rate for what you're selling. Zoho's help doesn't tell you which code or rate applies to your goods or services. If you're not sure, please check with your tax adviser before you start.

Zoho's India pricing page says Zoho Invoice is free (₹0). Its free plan lets you send up to 500 invoices a year and add up to two users, and invoices carry "Powered by Zoho Invoice" branding.

Please use a computer for this guide.

Steps

  1. 1. Open the India sign-up page

    Go to zoho.com/in/invoice/signup. The phone number field should show +91. If it shows another country code, click Change Country and choose India.

  2. 2. Fill in the sign-up form

    Fill in the details the form asks for, including your mobile number.

  3. 3. Click Create Free Account

    Please read and tick I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then click Create Free Account.

  4. 4. Verify your phone number

    Zoho shows Verify your phone number and sends a code to your mobile. Enter the code. If it hasn't arrived, click Resend.

  5. 5. Enter your organisation details

    Zoho Invoice asks for your business's details to create your organisation. Please enter your business name and make sure India is your organisation's country. Zoho's GST settings are in the Indian edition, and Zoho's help says you can also turn on GST here, during setup. If you do, you can skip to step 10.

  6. 6. Open GST Settings

    Click Settings (the gear icon at the top right) and select Taxes. In the Taxes pane, select GST Settings.

  7. 7. Enter your GSTIN (asks for tax details)

    You can pause screen sharing while you fill in this page, and continue afterwards.

    Slide the toggle next to Is your business registered for GST?. Enter your 15-digit GSTIN and click Get GSTIN Details. Zoho's help says this shows the details of your tax registration and previous returns filed.

  8. 8. Check your business name and registration date

    Enter your business's name and the date of your GST registration, if they aren't already filled in.

    Leave My business is registered for Composition Scheme, Enable Reverse Charge in Sales transactions, SEZ Registration and Track sale of digital services to overseas customers unmarked unless they apply to your business.

  9. 9. Click Save

    Click Save. Zoho's GST help says that if you've registered for GST, default tax rates are created for you.

  10. 10. Start a new customer

    Go to Customers in the left navigation bar and click + New at the top right.

  11. 11. Enter your customer's basic details

    Enter your customer's Company Name and Customer Display Name. You can also add the Primary Contact, Customer Email and Customer Phone.

  12. 12. Choose the GST treatment

    Under Other Details, select a GST Treatment. For a customer who is registered for GST, choose Registered Business.

  13. 13. Enter your customer's GSTIN

    Enter your customer's GST number in GSTIN / UIN.

  14. 14. Choose the place of supply

    Select the appropriate Place Of Supply for this customer.

  15. 15. Enter your customer's address

    Select the Address tab and enter your customer's billing address, and their shipping address if it's different.

  16. 16. Save the customer

    Click Save.

  17. 17. Start a new item

    Go to Items in the left sidebar and click + New at the top right.

  18. 18. Choose Goods or Service

    Select the type as Goods or Service, depending on what you're selling. Zoho's GST help says you need to classify each item this way before you enter its HSN code or SAC.

  19. 19. Enter the item name and unit

    Enter the item's name. Enter the unit, or select it from the Unit dropdown.

  20. 20. Enter the HSN code or SAC

    Enter the HSN code for goods, or the SAC for services.

  21. 21. Choose the tax

    Under Tax Preference, choose Taxable. Then select the GST rate that applies to this item.

  22. 22. Enter the selling price

    Enter the Rate. In Zoho Invoice, this is the price you sell the item at, not the tax rate. You can add a Description too.

  23. 23. Save the item

    Click Save.

  24. 24. Start a new invoice

    Go to Invoices in the left sidebar and click + New.

  25. 25. Choose your customer

    Select your customer from the Customer Name dropdown.

  26. 26. Check the invoice number, date and terms

    Zoho Invoice fills in an Invoice# for you; you can keep it or type your own. Select the date you're raising the invoice on, and choose the payment Terms you agreed with your customer.

  27. 27. Add your item

    In the Item Details table, type or select your item from the dropdown. Enter the quantity you're selling.

  28. 28. Check the tax on the line

    Check the tax on the item's line. If it's empty, select the GST rate that applies.

  29. 29. Click Save as Draft

    Click Save as Draft. Zoho's help says a draft can be edited and sent later. Please don't click Save and Send yet: that emails the invoice to your customer.

  30. 30. Download the PDF

    Open the invoice from Invoices. Click the PDF/Print dropdown and select PDF. The PDF downloads to your computer. This guide ends here.

If something looks different

  • If you don't see GST Settings under Taxes, please check your organisation's country under Settings, then Organisation Profile. Zoho's help says the GST settings are for the Indian edition.
  • If you need a GST rate that isn't in the list at step 21, Zoho's help says you can add one under Settings, Taxes, Tax Rates, then + New Tax.
  • Zoho's GST help says that if you haven't entered a shipping address for a customer, the billing address is taken as the default state, and if there's no address, the sale is treated as an intra-state transaction. Please make sure step 15 is filled in.
  • To change a customer's GST details later, go to Customers, select the customer, click Edit, and use the Other Details tab.
  • If you later want to record the invoice as sent without emailing it from Zoho, Zoho's help says you can open the draft, click More and choose Mark as Sent.

Related guides

Sources

Alongrail isn't affiliated with Zoho.