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Martial Arts Instructor Invoice Template

Martial arts instructors send two kinds of invoice. A school owner bills a student, or a parent, every month: the membership for the program the student is enrolled in, a belt test when the student is ready to grade, private lessons booked on top, and a uniform or sparring gear when they need it. An instructor who teaches at someone else's school bills the school owner instead: the classes taught that month, any seminar they ran and any belt tests they judged. Both invoices work better when each line says which student or program it is for, which period it covers and what the fee buys. This template adds those details to an ordinary invoice: billing period, student name and current rank, program and style, class type (group, private or seminar), the membership fee and its term, enrollment fees, belt test date and the rank being tested for, private lessons with dates, gear and uniforms as separate goods lines, tournament entry fees paid for the student, and your freeze and cancellation policy. Keeping instruction and goods on separate lines matters for sales tax, because several states treat them differently. The download is an editable HTML invoice with invoice number, dates, a line-item table and totals. Fill it in your browser, then print it or save it as PDF. To create invoices from an account instead, InvoiceQuickly turns a typed or spoken description into an editable invoice draft you review before saving.

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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

  • Billing period (for example 1 to 30 November 2026)
  • Student name and current rank or belt
  • Program and style (for example youth taekwondo, adult Brazilian jiu-jitsu)
  • Class type: group class, private lesson or seminar
  • Monthly membership fee, classes per week and membership term
  • Enrollment or registration fee (first invoice only)
  • Belt testing fee, test date and rank tested for
  • Private lesson dates, length and rate
  • Seminar or workshop name, date and fee
  • Uniform, belt and sparring gear sold (item, size and price)
  • Tournament or federation fees paid on the student's behalf
  • Membership freeze, cancellation and missed-class policy

How to Create Your Martial Arts Instructor 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

Membership dues are paid in advance: date the invoice for the first of the month and make it due on or before the first class of that month, so a student never trains on an unpaid month. Belt tests are best invoiced when you invite the student to test, due before the test date, because the certificate and new belt are ordered in advance. Private lessons can go on the next monthly invoice or be paid as a block before the first lesson. If you teach at another school as a contractor, invoice the owner once a month for the classes you taught, on the terms in your agreement. State your freeze and cancellation rules on every invoice (for example 'Memberships continue month to month; give notice by the 20th to cancel the following month'), because a family that disputes a charge will look for them there first.

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

Tax Information

Sales tax on martial arts depends on the state and on what you are charging for. Tennessee's Department of Revenue (Notice 18-09, June 2018) lists martial arts instruction such as karate, ju-jitsu and tae kwon do as nontaxable instruction, but says dues to physical fitness facilities are taxable, and that if a recreational activity is provided that is not part of the instruction, the whole charge is taxable unless the instruction is billed separately. Washington's Department of Revenue says martial arts charges generally fall under the Service and Other Activities B&O classification with no retail sales tax, but an athletic or fitness facility must collect sales tax on them. Uniforms and sparring gear you sell are goods, which most states tax. In the US, a school that pays you $2,000 or more in a year as a contractor (for payments made after 31 December 2025) files Form 1099-NEC, so expect to be asked for a Form W-9; parents paying for their own child's classes do not file one. InvoiceQuickly applies one tax percentage per invoice and copies saved business and client tax IDs to new invoice PDFs, so put taxable gear on its own invoice. This is general information, not tax advice; check your state revenue department.

Industry context (2026)

Two official sources show why instruction, facility use and goods belong on separate invoice lines. The Tennessee Department of Revenue's Sales and Use Tax Notice 18-09 (June 2018) says dues and per-class fees paid to physical fitness facilities are taxable, lists martial arts (karate, ju-jitsu, tae kwon do) among nontaxable instructional classes under Sales Tax Rule 122, and adds that where a recreational activity not essential to the instruction is also provided, the entire charge is taxable unless the instruction is billed separately. The Washington Department of Revenue's guidance on yoga, tai chi, chi gong and martial arts says these charges are generally subject to B&O tax under the Service and Other Activities classification, retail sales tax does not apply, and an athletic or fitness facility charging for them must collect sales tax. Other states take other positions, so check yours. For instructors paid by a school, the IRS 1099-NEC instructions (revised December 2026) set a $2,000 reporting threshold for nonemployee compensation for tax years beginning after 2025, and personal payments, such as a parent paying for lessons, are not reportable. Sources accessed 28 October 2026.

Worked example

Worked example (illustrative fees set by this school, not market rates): Riverbend Taekwondo, run by its head instructor, bills a parent, Linda Chen, for her two children. INV-0187, issued 1 November 2026, due 3 November 2026 (before the first class of the month), billing period 1 to 30 November 2026. Line 1: Youth taekwondo membership, Mia Chen (green belt), 2 classes a week, month-to-month: 1 at $145.00. Line 2: Youth taekwondo membership, Leo Chen (yellow belt), 2 classes a week, month-to-month, after 10% sibling discount ($145.00 less $14.50): 1 at $130.50. Line 3: Belt test, Mia Chen, green to blue belt, Saturday 21 November 2026, includes new belt and certificate: 1 at $60.00. Line 4: Private lessons, Mia Chen, 30 minutes on 10 and 17 November: 2 at $40.00 = $80.00. Total $415.50. The school checked that its state does not tax this instruction, so no tax is charged on this invoice. Mia also needs sparring gear (headgear, gloves and foot pads, youth M) at $89.00. Because gear is taxable goods, it goes on a separate invoice, INV-0188: $89.00 plus 8% sales tax (the school's combined local rate in this example; use yours) of $7.12 = $96.12. Notes on both: 'Memberships continue month to month. Give notice by the 20th to cancel the following month. Missed classes can be made up within the same month.' Linda can see exactly what each child costs, when the belt test is and why one invoice has tax and the other does not.

Common mistakes to avoid

One line per family

'November training: $415.50' leaves a parent with two children unable to see what each costs or check a discount. Put each student's membership, test and lessons on their own lines.

Bundling gear into dues

Sparring gear and uniforms are goods that most states tax, while instruction may not be taxed at all. Bundling them can make the whole charge taxable. Invoice gear separately.

Belt test with no date or rank

A '$60 testing fee' line with no test date or target rank invites a refund request if the test is moved or the student is not ready. Name both, and say what the fee covers.

Cancellation policy only in the sign-up form

Families forget what they signed. Repeat the notice period and freeze rules on every invoice so a disputed month can be settled from the invoice itself.

Invoicing the student instead of the payer

For under-18 students, address the invoice to the parent or guardian who signed the membership agreement. They pay, and they are bound by the cancellation terms.

Invoicing Tips

  • 1Name the student and their current rank on each line ('Mia Chen, green belt'). Families with two or three children training need to see who each charge is for.
  • 2Bill instruction, open-mat or facility use, and gear on separate lines. In Tennessee, unseparated recreational charges can make the whole bill taxable.
  • 3Put the belt test date and the rank being tested for on the test fee line, and say whether the fee covers the new belt and certificate.
  • 4Show a sibling or family discount in the description of the line it applies to ('after 10% sibling discount, $145.00 less $14.50'), so the family sees the full price and the reduction.
  • 5List tournament or federation fees you paid for the student at cost, with the event name and date, separate from your own fees.
  • 6Repeat your freeze, cancellation and missed-class policy in the notes, including the notice date, so it is on the record every month.

Related Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

What should a martial arts invoice include?

Your school's and the payer's names and contact details, an invoice number, issue and due dates, the billing period, and one line per charge: the student's membership with program and classes per week, belt test fees with the test date and rank, private lessons with dates, gear and uniforms as separate items, the total and how to pay. Add your freeze and cancellation policy in the notes.

How do I invoice belt testing fees?

Invoice the test as its own line when you invite the student to grade, with the student's name, current rank, the rank they are testing for and the test date, and make it due before the test. Say whether the fee includes the new belt and certificate, and whether a student who does not pass can retest at no charge.

Is martial arts instruction subject to sales tax?

It depends on the state. Tennessee lists martial arts instruction as nontaxable but taxes fitness facility dues; Washington applies B&O tax rather than sales tax to most martial arts charges, but a fitness facility must collect sales tax. Gear and uniforms are usually taxable goods. Check your state revenue department.

How do I invoice a dojo as a contract instructor?

Send the school owner one invoice a month listing the classes you taught by program and date, any seminar you ran and any belt tests you judged, at the rates in your agreement. If the school pays you $2,000 or more in a year it will usually ask for a Form W-9, because it must file Form 1099-NEC.

Should monthly dues be invoiced in advance?

Yes, in most schools. Invoice on the first of the month for that month's training and make it due before the first class, so missed payments are caught early. If you allow freezes, say how much notice is needed and what the frozen month costs, if anything.

Can I make a martial arts invoice in InvoiceQuickly?

Yes. Type or say something like 'Invoice Linda Chen for November: youth taekwondo membership for Mia and Leo at $145 each, Mia's blue belt test $60, two 30-minute private lessons at $40' and InvoiceQuickly drafts an editable invoice you review before saving. It applies one tax rate and one discount rate per invoice. Free includes 5 invoices and 3 AI drafts; Pro ($9 a month) adds unlimited invoices, email delivery, scheduled reminders and recurring invoices, and payment links through your own Stripe or PayPal account.