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Catering Invoice Template

A catering invoice turns an accepted quote into a bill for what actually happened at the event. Three numbers decide whether it is right: the guaranteed guest count the client confirmed before the event, the final count that was served, and the deposit already paid. This template has a place for each, plus the lines that change from event to event: the menu or package at a per-guest price, service staff by the hour, rentals such as linen and china, and any service charge or gratuity, each on its own line and labelled for what it is. That labelling matters because states tax service charges and gratuities differently. The download is an editable HTML invoice with invoice number, dates, a line-item table and totals, plus the event, guest-count and deposit fields below. Fill it in your browser and print it or save it as PDF.

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Download the HTML file to edit its fields, then print or save as PDF. Totals are entered manually.

What This Template Includes

  • Event name, date and venue
  • Accepted quote or contract reference
  • Service style (buffet, plated, family style or drop-off)
  • Guaranteed guest count and the date it was confirmed
  • Final guest count served
  • Menu or package and price per guest
  • Service charge: what it covers and whether it is paid to staff
  • Gratuity, if separately stated and paid in full to staff
  • Deposit received: date and amount
  • Balance due after deposit
  • Tax exemption certificate number, if the client claims exemption

How to Create Your Catering Invoice

  1. 01

    Describe your work

    Type a plain English description of the services you provided, the client, and the amount.

  2. 02

    AI generates your invoice

    InvoiceQuickly's AI drafts the client, line items, dates, and totals for you to review before saving.

  3. 03

    Review, download, and send

    Check every detail, download the PDF, or use Pro to email the PDF directly to your client.

Recommended Payment Terms

Catering is usually paid in two parts, and both belong in the contract before the first invoice. The deposit secures the date: set its amount and what happens to it if the client cancels, and invoice it at booking. The balance follows the final count: name the date by which the client must confirm a guaranteed count, say that you bill at least that number even if fewer guests attend, and say when the balance is due (before the event, on the day, or a stated number of days after it). Print the actual due date on the invoice rather than 'net 7', and show the deposit already received so the client sees the balance, not the full event price, as the amount to pay. If the count rises after you have invoiced, bill the extra guests at the same per-guest price on a separate invoice.

Need help writing payment terms? Read our guide to invoice payment terms for best practices and templates.

Tax Information

In the United States each state decides whether catered food, staffing, rentals, service charges and gratuities are taxable, and the rules differ. California: the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration says charges for preparing and serving food and beverages are taxable even when the client supplies the food, and Publication 115 treats a tip, gratuity or service charge negotiated in advance or automatically added as a mandatory charge subject to tax. New York: Tax Bulletin ST-110 (Caterers and Catering Services) says a caterer's event charges are generally taxable and a service charge is always taxable; a mandatory gratuity is not taxable only if it is separately stated, labelled as a gratuity and paid in full to employees. Texas: the Comptroller's restaurant guide (publication 94-117) says no tax is due on a mandatory gratuity of 20 percent or less if it is separately and clearly labelled 'tip' or 'gratuity' and distributed only to the employees who provide the service; a larger mandatory gratuity is taxable. Check your own state's revenue department before deciding which lines carry tax. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage to the whole invoice, calculated on the subtotal after any discount, and saves the rate to four decimals. When one line is taxable and another is not (for example a New York gratuity paid in full to staff), put the non-taxable line on its own invoice with 0% tax. General information, not tax advice; last reviewed 28 October 2026.

Industry context (2026)

Food costs move the per-guest price, so check them before each quote rather than reusing last year's menu prices. The USDA Economic Research Service's Food Price Outlook reported beef and veal prices 3.5% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, and forecast all food-at-home prices to rise 2.3% in 2026, with eggs, dairy, and fats and oils forecast to fall (accessed 27 October 2026). How the invoice is taxed depends on the state: the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration's caterer guide and Publication 115, New York's Tax Bulletin ST-110 (issued 8 April 2019, page updated 16 October 2026) and the Texas Comptroller's publication 94-117 (March 2014) each treat service charges and gratuities differently, as set out in the tax section above (accessed 27 and 28 October 2026). No state prescribes a catering invoice layout; what makes it complete is accurate counts, clearly labelled charges and the right tax on each.

Worked example

Worked example (illustrative prices and a hypothetical 8% combined sales tax rate, not market data; it continues the quote in our catering pricing guide). A caterer quoted a 120-guest wedding buffet: buffet dinner 120 × $32.50 = $3,900.00, service staff 42 hours × $40.00 = $1,680.00, and linen and china rental $600.00. Subtotal $6,180.00, tax $494.40, quoted total $6,674.40. The contract sets a 30% deposit, so deposit invoice INV-0041 asked for $2,002.32, which the client paid on 3 October. The client confirmed a guaranteed count of 128 on 31 October, so the final invoice, INV-0047, dated 9 November with the balance due 16 November, reads: buffet dinner 128 × $32.50 = $4,160.00; service staff 42 × $40.00 = $1,680.00; linen and china rental 1 × $600.00. Subtotal $6,440.00, tax 8% $515.20, total $6,955.20, less deposit received 3 October $2,002.32, balance due $4,952.88. Now suppose the contract also adds an 18% gratuity on the food, paid in full to the service staff: $4,160.00 × 0.18 = $748.80. In New York that line can be left untaxed if it is separately stated and labelled as a gratuity; in California a gratuity added automatically is taxable, so it would carry the 8%. On a hand-filled template you mark which lines are taxed. In InvoiceQuickly, which uses one rate per invoice, the New York caterer would bill the gratuity on its own invoice at 0% tax, and, because invoice lines cannot be negative, would handle the deposit differently: convert the accepted estimate into one event invoice, record the $2,002.32 as a partial payment against it, and bill the 8 extra guests ($260.00 plus tax) on a separate invoice once the count was confirmed.

Common mistakes to avoid

Billing the quoted count, not the confirmed one

The quote said 120 guests; the client confirmed 128. Bill the guaranteed or final count your contract names, and print it on the invoice.

Calling a staff charge a gratuity, or the reverse

States tax service charges and gratuities differently. A charge you keep is not a gratuity; a gratuity labelled 'service charge' may become taxable in New York.

Asking for the full event total after a deposit

Show the deposit received and the balance after it. Otherwise the client may pay the deposit twice or hold the invoice to query it.

Applying one tax rate to lines your state treats differently

If a gratuity or a rental is exempt where you work and the food is not, a single rate across the whole invoice overcharges tax. Split the exempt line onto its own invoice.

No exemption certificate on file

Dropping tax for a nonprofit or other exempt client without the certificate your state requires leaves you liable for the tax. Get it before the event.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Bill the per-guest line as final count times price per guest ('Buffet dinner, 128 guests × $32.50'), so the client can check it against the count they confirmed.
  • 2Write the guaranteed count and its confirmation date on the invoice. If fewer guests came, that line explains why you billed the guaranteed number.
  • 3Call a charge a 'service charge' only if that is what it is. If the money pays staff and goes to them in full, a separately stated gratuity may be taxed differently in your state; if it covers your labour costs, bill staff hours directly.
  • 4Keep rentals on their own line. Some caterers pass them through at cost and some mark them up; either is fine if the quote said so.
  • 5Show the deposit with its date and the balance after it. A client paying from the full event total will overpay or query the invoice.
  • 6If a nonprofit or other exempt client claims exemption, record the certificate number on the invoice and keep the certificate on file, as your state requires.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a catering invoice include?

Your business details and the client's, an invoice number, the invoice and due dates, the event date and venue, the guaranteed and final guest counts, the menu or package at a price per guest, staff hours, rentals, any service charge or gratuity on its own labelled line, tax where it applies, the deposit received and the balance due, and how to pay.

How do I bill when the guest count changes?

Set a date in the contract by which the client confirms a guaranteed count, and bill at least that number. Bill the final count if it is higher. If you have already invoiced and the count rises, bill the extra guests at the same per-guest price on a separate invoice; if it falls before the cutoff, credit the difference.

Is a service charge the same as a gratuity on a catering invoice?

Not for tax purposes. New York's Tax Bulletin ST-110 says a service charge is always taxable, while a mandatory gratuity is not taxable only if it is separately stated, labelled as a gratuity and paid in full to employees. California taxes a gratuity or service charge negotiated in advance or automatically added. Label the line for what it actually is.

Do caterers charge sales tax?

In many states they do, on food and often on staffing and other event charges, but each state sets its own rules. California and New York both tax caterers' event charges in general. Check your state's revenue department for food, rentals, service charges and gratuities, and keep exemption certificates for any exempt client.

How do I show a deposit on a catering invoice?

Invoice the deposit at booking. On the final invoice, list the full event charges, then show 'Deposit received' with its date and amount and the balance after it. In InvoiceQuickly, lines cannot be negative, so send one invoice for the event and record the deposit as a partial payment; the remaining balance stays on that invoice.

When should a caterer send the final invoice?

When your contract says the balance is due. Some caterers bill the guaranteed count before the event and invoice any extra guests afterwards; others bill everything after the event. Either way, send it as soon as the count is known and print a specific due date.

Can I make a catering invoice in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes. Type or say what you served, for example 'Hart wedding, buffet 128 guests at $32.50, 42 staff hours at $40, linen and china rental $600, 8% tax', and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving. It applies one tax rate per invoice and has no menu costing or event calendar. Free covers 5 invoices, 5 clients and 3 AI drafts; Pro is $9 a month and adds estimates, email delivery, reminders and payment links through your own Stripe or PayPal account.