Artist agreements / Artist invoice
Artist invoice template for a live performance
The document artists most often get wrong, and the reason payments slip a month: a missing PAN, GST charged by someone who is not registered, or a total that does not match the purchase order.
For education only. Not legal advice.
For education only. This template is general information, not legal or tax advice, and not a lawyer-drafted document. C4E Talent is a talent agency, not a law firm, and using this template does not create a lawyer-client relationship with anyone. Law and tax rules change and differ by state and country. Have a lawyer or chartered accountant review it for your situation before anyone signs. You use it at your own risk.
Written by C4E Talent, a talent management agency in Mumbai. Updated 28 October 2026.
The short answer
An artist's invoice names the artist and the client with their addresses, PAN and GSTIN, gives an invoice number and date, describes the performance, shows the fee, any GST split by type, the total, any advance already received, and the bank details. A registered artist charges GST on it; an unregistered artist must not. This template does both, with a tick box.
- Who signs
- The artist, or the agency that contracted the gig, sends it to the client.
- When
- For the advance, when the booking agreement is signed. For the balance, on the day agreed in the contract.
- Length
- 5 parts, each with a plain-English note
- Formats
- Word and PDF. Free, no sign-up.
One invoice per payment: one for the advance and one for the balance. Match the fee to the client's purchase order to the rupee before you send it.
The invoice, part by part
Each clause reads as it does in the download. Fill the [BLANKS], and where a line starts with ☐, keep the option you want and strike the rest.
From
1.1[ARTIST LEGAL NAME] (performing as [STAGE NAME]), [ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, PIN]
1.2PAN: [PAN]
☐ GSTIN: [GSTIN]. This is a tax invoice.
☐ Not registered for GST. No GST is charged on this invoice.
1.3Email: [EMAIL] · Phone: [PHONE]
To
2.1[CLIENT LEGAL NAME], [BILLING ADDRESS, CITY, STATE, PIN]
2.2Client GSTIN (if registered): [GSTIN]
2.3Purchase order or reference: [PO NUMBER]
2.4Attention: [CONTACT NAME, EMAIL]
Invoice details
3.1Invoice number: [UNIQUE NUMBER, FOR EXAMPLE 2026-27/014]
3.2Invoice date: [DATE]
3.3Event: [EVENT NAME] at [VENUE, CITY] on [DATE]
3.4Description of service: Live performance, [FORMAT: STAND-UP / HOSTING / MUSIC], [DURATION] minutes, as per the agreement dated [DATE]
3.5SAC: heading 9996, recreational, cultural and sporting services [SIX-DIGIT CODE, CONFIRM WITH YOUR CA]
3.6Place of supply: [STATE]
3.7This invoice is for ☐ the advance ☐ the balance ☐ the full fee.
Amounts
4.1Performance fee: [AMOUNT]
☐ CGST at [9]%: [AMOUNT] and SGST at [9]%: [AMOUNT] (supply within the same state)
☐ IGST at [18]%: [AMOUNT] (supply to another state)
4.2Reimbursable expenses agreed in writing, with receipts attached: [AMOUNT OR NIL]
4.3Total: [AMOUNT]
4.4Less advance received on [DATE] against invoice [NUMBER]: [AMOUNT OR NIL]
4.5Amount due: [AMOUNT] ([AMOUNT IN WORDS])
4.6Due date: [DATE, AS IN THE BOOKING AGREEMENT]
Payment
5.1Bank: [ACCOUNT NAME], [BANK], account [NUMBER], IFSC [CODE]
5.2UPI: [UPI ID]
5.3Please send the TDS certificate for any tax deducted to [EMAIL].
5.4Late payment carries interest at [1.5]% a month from the due date, as agreed in the booking agreement.
Signed by: Artist or authorised signatory. The download has a signature line.
Take the invoice with you
Invoice for a Live Performance: Word to edit, PDF to print. Blanks are highlighted.
Law and tax notes
GST
Stand-up comedy and hosting fall under heading 9996, recreational, cultural and sporting services, at 18% GST. Registration is compulsory once aggregate turnover crosses ₹20 lakh in a year (₹10 lakh in the special category states). The exemption for folk and classical music, dance and theatre up to ₹1,50,000 does not cover stand-up or anchoring.
TDS
The client deducts TDS from the fee, not from the GST shown separately, and deposits it against your PAN. The Income-tax Act 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026, so check the current section and rate with your CA rather than the 194J figure older guides quote.
Invoices from an agency
If an agency contracted the gig, the agency invoices the client on its own letterhead and GSTIN, and the artist invoices the agency. The artist's invoice then goes to the agency, not the end client.
Questions people ask
Can an artist charge GST without registering?
No. Only a GST-registered supplier can charge GST. An artist below the registration threshold invoices without GST and should say so on the invoice.
What should an artist's invoice include in India?
Name, address and PAN; GSTIN if registered; a unique invoice number and date; the client's legal name, address and GSTIN; a description of the performance; the SAC code; the fee; GST split into CGST and SGST or IGST; the total; and bank details.
Should the artist deduct TDS on the invoice?
No. The client deducts TDS when it pays and issues a certificate. The invoice shows the full fee and GST; the payment arrives net of TDS.
Do I need a separate invoice for the advance?
Yes. Raise one invoice for the advance and one for the balance, each with its own number, and show the advance as received on the second.
The other templates
- Artist booking agreement · The client (a company, an event agency or a family) and the artist, or the agency signing for the artist.
- Agency-to-agency booking · The event agency that holds the end client, and the artist's agency. The artist countersigns.
- Artist management agreement · The artist and the manager or agency.
- Artist listing agreement · The artist and the agency or site that lists them.
- Performance recording consent · The performer and the event organiser or client who wants to record.
- Confidentiality letter · The artist signs it and gives it to the client.