As a sole trader, invoicing is where your work turns into money. But most invoicing tools are built for big businesses — bloated, expensive, and full of features you'll never touch. What a tradie, freelancer, contractor or gig worker actually needs is simple: create a professional invoice, put your ABN on it, add GST if you're registered, and send it as a PDF. Fast.
What to look for in an invoicing app for sole traders
- Valid Australian tax invoices — your ABN, business name and the words "Tax Invoice", plus GST at 10% when you're registered.
- Saved details — your business name, ABN, address and bank account entered once and auto-filled on every invoice.
- Flexible line items — bill by the hour (hours × rate) or itemised (qty × unit price).
- Clean PDF export — a tidy invoice you can email or message to your client in seconds.
- Everything in one place — invoicing next to your receipts and tax, so your whole financial picture is in a single app.
- Fair price — you shouldn't pay $30+/month just to send a few invoices.
How SortedMate handles invoicing
SortedMate is built specifically for Australian sole traders, and invoicing sits right alongside receipt scanning and tax reporting. Here's the flow:
- Set your details once. Add your business name, ABN, address, mobile, email and bank details (account name, BSB, account number). SortedMate saves them and fills them in on every invoice automatically.
- Create the invoice. Choose a template — by the hour (location, date, hours, rate) or itemised (description, quantity, unit price). Add as many lines as you need.
- Add GST if you need it. Toggle 10% GST on, and SortedMate calculates the totals for a valid tax invoice.
- Send the PDF. Download a clean, professional invoice PDF and send it to your client by email or message.
Why invoicing + receipts in one app matters
Here's the part most tools miss. Money flows two ways for a sole trader: what you invoice (income) and what you spend (expenses). Keeping them in separate apps means double the admin and a messy picture at tax time. SortedMate keeps both together:
- Invoices capture what clients owe you and what you've earned.
- Receipt scanning captures your deductible expenses — snap a photo and the AI reads the merchant, amount, GST and date.
- One tax-ready report pulls it together as a PDF or spreadsheet for your accountant.
That's the difference between "an invoice app" and a tool that actually keeps your whole sole-trader business sorted.
Create your first invoice in seconds
SortedMate does invoicing, receipts and tax — built for Aussie sole traders. Free to start.
FAQ
What is the best invoicing app for sole traders in Australia?
One that creates valid GST tax invoices with your ABN, saves your business and bank details, lets you invoice by the hour or itemised, and exports a clean PDF. SortedMate does this and also scans receipts and builds your tax report, so invoicing and expenses live in one app.
Do sole traders need to put GST on invoices?
Only if you're registered for GST (generally required once turnover reaches $75,000). If registered, tax invoices should show GST (10%) and your ABN. SortedMate lets you toggle 10% GST per invoice and always shows your ABN.
Is SortedMate free?
SortedMate is free to start. Invoicing and full reporting are part of Premium (about A$9.99/month or A$79.99/year).