Photography invoice template
A photography invoice should list the shoot by hours or package, editing and the number of final images, any usage licence for commercial work, prints or albums, and travel, then deduct the retainer the client paid to book the date. Download the free Excel template; it totals tax and the balance due. Then keep gear, software and travel receipts together for your accountant.
On this page
What to put on a photography invoice
- Your business details and the client’s name, with the shoot date and location.
- The shoot itself, by hours or as a named package.
- A second shooter or assistant, if you bring one.
- Editing and delivery: how many edited images, and how they are delivered.
- A usage licence for commercial clients: what the images may be used for, where and for how long.
- Prints, albums or other products by quantity.
- Travel beyond your included area, and any location or permit fees.
- Tax, the retainer already paid, the balance due and its due date.
Create it online or in Excel
FigureLane’s free invoice generator makes a PDF with your lines, tax and any deposit deducted, and saves it in Income with your receipts. It counts in your reports once you mark it paid.
Prefer a spreadsheet? Download the Excel template above and fill the yellow cells; it works out the amount due.
Example photography invoice
A fictional job, in US dollars before tax. The template’s first sheet holds this example; the second is blank for your own invoice.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Wedding coverage, ceremony and reception (labour): 6 hours × 150.00 | 900.00 |
| Second shooter (labour): 6 hours × 60.00 | 360.00 |
| Editing and online gallery, 400 final images (other): 1 package × 300.00 | 300.00 |
| 8×10 fine-art prints (materials): 4 each × 25.00 | 100.00 |
| Travel beyond 30 miles (other): 1 trip × 45.00 | 45.00 |
| Subtotal | 1,705.00 |
| Less deposit paid | -500.00 |
| Amount due | 1,205.00 |
Bookkeeping for photographers: what to keep
- Camera gear: bodies, lenses, lighting and memory cards. Keep the receipt and note the date each item went into use.
- Software and storage: editing subscriptions, online gallery hosting and backup drives.
- Second shooters and assistants: their invoices and, in the US, W-9s and 1099 records.
- Travel: mileage, parking, flights and hotels for destination shoots.
- Prints and products: lab invoices for prints and albums, matched to the client they were for.
- Insurance: equipment cover and public or professional liability.
Retainers, usage rights and sales tax
- Take a retainer to book the date and show it on the final invoice as a deposit paid, so the client sees the balance clearly. Say in your contract whether it is refundable.
- For commercial work, describe the licence on the invoice: what the images can be used for, where and for how long. Copyright normally stays with you unless the contract transfers it.
- In the US, many states charge sales tax on prints and photo products, and some on photography services as well. Check your state’s rules and set the tax rate to match.
- In the UK, photographers are not covered by CIS. If you are VAT-registered, charge VAT on your fees and prints at the standard rate unless an exception applies.
- If you pay second shooters as contractors in the US, the IRS asks for a 1099-NEC once you pay one $2,000 or more in 2026; collect a W-9 before the first job.
A ten-minute monthly routine
Mark photography invoices paid when the money lands, keep each receipt as it arrives, and check the month against the originals before sending your accountant a report.
Common questions
How should a photographer show a retainer on an invoice?
Invoice the full package, then show the retainer as a deposit paid so the remaining balance is clear. The template deducts it automatically.
Should I put image usage rights on the invoice?
For commercial clients, yes. A short line saying what the licence covers, where and for how long avoids disputes later. Keep the full terms in your contract.
Can I use FigureLane’s invoice generator instead of Excel?
Yes: it creates a PDF with your line items, one tax rate and any deposit or retainer already paid, and saves it in Income until you mark it paid.
Is this photography invoice template free?
Yes. Download and reuse it without an account. FigureLane’s invoice generator and 10 document uploads are also free to try, with no card.