Tax invoices in Thailand
What a valid tax invoice must contain, when to issue it, and what happens if it is wrong.
A tax invoice in Thailand is the document a VAT-registered seller must issue for each sale of goods or services. It is the buyer’s proof of the value added tax (VAT) paid, and the buyer needs it to claim that input VAT back from the Revenue Department (RD).
If a tax invoice does not meet the requirements below, the buyer cannot claim the input VAT, and the RD may also refuse the related expense for corporate income tax, which raises the buyer’s tax bill.
A full tax invoice must show at least:
- The words “Tax Invoice” in a prominent place.
- The seller’s name, address and 13-digit tax identification number.
- The buyer’s name and address, plus the buyer’s tax identification number if the buyer is VAT-registered.
- Whether it is issued by the head office or a branch (with the branch number).
- The serial number of the tax invoice, and the book number if there is one.
- The name, type, quantity and value of the goods or services.
- The VAT amount, shown separately from the price.
- The date of issue.
When to issue a tax invoice
A regular invoice asks for payment. The tax invoice is issued at the tax point: on delivery of the goods, or on receipt of payment for services. Its date decides the month in which the seller declares the output VAT.
Invoices in a foreign currency must show both currencies and the exchange rate used to convert them, in line with the rates published by the Bank of Thailand.
