Credit note format — free in Excel, ready to print
What you get
Every field ready to fill in. In the Excel file the taxable value, GST and totals work themselves out as you type quantities and rates.
CREDIT NOTE
From (supplier)
- Name
- Address
- GSTIN
- State and code
Details
- Credit note no.
- Credit note date
- Against invoice no.
- Invoice date
- Reason
- returned / short / damaged / rate difference / other
To (buyer)
- Name
- Address
- GSTIN (if registered)
- Place of supply (state and code)
| S. No. | Description of goods | HSN | Qty | Unit | Rate (₹) | Taxable value (₹) | GST % | GST (₹) | Total (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||
| 4 | |||||||||
| 5 | |||||||||
| 6 | |||||||||
| Total | |||||||||
- Total taxable value
- Total GST
- Total credited
Received — buyer’s signature and date
For the supplier — authorised signatory
Free format from Billzova Trade™ — trade.billzova.com
What a GST credit note must show
- The words “Credit Note”, and your name, address and GSTIN.
- A consecutive serial number, unique for the financial year and at most 16 characters, and the date of issue.
- The buyer’s name, address and GSTIN or UIN if they are registered; if not, their name and address, the delivery address and the state with its code.
- The serial number and date of the tax invoice it is against.
- The taxable value of the goods, the GST rate, and the GST credited to the buyer.
- A signature, yours or your authorised representative’s.
Source: Rule 53(1A) of the CGST Rules, 2017. Under Section 34 of the CGST Act, a credit note is declared in the return for the month it is issued, and no later than 30 November after the end of the financial year (or the annual return, if filed earlier). Ask your CA about your own case. Rules change — check yours with your CA.
When a distributor gives a credit note
Goods sent back
Expired, damaged or unsold stock the shop returns.
Short at delivery
Fewer crates reached the shop than the invoice says.
Damaged on the way
Burst packets or broken bottles found at delivery.
Billed too high
A wrong rate on the invoice, put right without cancelling it.
Credit note or cancelling the invoice?
| Credit note | Cancelling the invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| When | Part of the bill is not owed any more | The whole sale didn’t happen |
| The invoice | Stays as it was | Is marked cancelled; its number stays used |
| GST | Taken back, shown in the return for the month the note is issued | The invoice is reported as cancelled |
| The khata | The buyer owes the note’s amount less | The buyer owes nothing for that invoice |
When
Credit note
Part of the bill is not owed any more
Cancelling the invoice
The whole sale didn’t happen
The invoice
Credit note
Stays as it was
Cancelling the invoice
Is marked cancelled; its number stays used
GST
Credit note
Taken back, shown in the return for the month the note is issued
Cancelling the invoice
The invoice is reported as cancelled
The khata
Credit note
The buyer owes the note’s amount less
Cancelling the invoice
The buyer owes nothing for that invoice
Filling it in well
- Always write the invoice number and date it is against.
- Credit the same rate and GST rate the invoice used, line by line.
- Keep one series for credit notes, apart from invoices, and never skip a number.
- Goods that come back in good condition go back into stock; damaged ones don’t.
Make credit notes from the invoice instead
Billzova Trade makes the credit note from the invoice it is against: choose the lines and how much came back, and the GST, the khata, stock and the GSTR-1 data follow by themselves. Numbered CN/26-27/0001, in Hindi or English, as a PDF or email.
Questions about this format
When is a credit note issued?
When the buyer owes less than the invoice says: goods returned, short or damaged at delivery, or the invoice charged too much.
Does a credit note need GST details?
Yes. Rule 53(1A) asks for your GSTIN, the buyer’s, the invoice it is against, the taxable value, the GST rate and the GST credited.
Is there a time limit for a credit note?
Under Section 34 of the CGST Act, it is declared no later than 30 November after the end of the financial year of the supply, or the annual return if that is filed earlier. Your CA can confirm for your case.
What is the difference between a credit note and a debit note?
A credit note lowers what the buyer owes; a debit note raises it — for example when the invoice charged too little.
Can one credit note cover several invoices?
GST law allows a credit note against one or more invoices, but one note per invoice is the easiest to check and to match in returns.
Can I edit this format?
Yes. The Excel file is yours to change: add your logo, columns or terms. The amounts add up by themselves as you type quantities and rates.
Is the format free?
Yes, free to download, print and use, with no sign-up.
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