Catering Invoice Format in India: GST-Compliant Template with SAC Code & Advance (2026)

Under Section 31 of the CGST Act read with Rule 46 of the CGST Rules, 2017, a valid catering tax invoice must display:

1. 1
   Supplier Business Details: Legal registered business name, commercial kitchen address, 15-digit GSTIN, State Name, and 2-digit State Code.
2. 2
   Unique Serial Number: A sequential, unique invoice number not exceeding 16 characters containing alphabets, numerals, or hyphens (e.g. `VEN-26-27-INV-0418`).
3. 3
   Invoice Date & Event Execution Date: Clear date of invoice issuance and event date.
4. 4
   Client Billing Details: Client full name, billing address, contact phone number, and 15-digit GSTIN (mandatory for B2B corporate clients).
5. 5
   Service Accounting Code (SAC): SAC 996334 (Outdoor Catering) or SAC 996331 (Bundled Banquet Catering).
6. 6
   Detailed Description of Menu & Services: Guest headcount (PAX), agreed per-plate rate, live counter charges, and service steward fees.
7. 7
   Taxable Value & Rate of Tax: Total taxable value subject to statutory GST (5% for standard non-specified premises; 18% for specified hotel premises).
8. 8
   CGST & SGST / IGST Tax Breakdown: Intra-state bookings require 2.5% CGST + 2.5% SGST (or 5% IGST) under Notification 20/2019.
9. 9
   Advance Receipt Voucher Adjustments: Reference number and amount of previously collected booking tokens deducted from gross total.
10. 10
    Authorized Signatory & Bank Details: Digital signature/seal, bank account number, IFSC code, and dynamic UPI QR payment code.

The table below illustrates a standard, fully compliant invoice format for a 500-PAX wedding catering booking under the statutory 5% GST rate (Notification No. 20/2019-CT(Rate)):

Under Indian GST law, collecting an advance payment token creates an immediate tax liability:

• Issue a Receipt Voucher: When a client pays a ₹1,50,000 advance token 6 months before a wedding, issue a formal GST Receipt Voucher calculating 5% tax on the advance.
• Adjust on Final Tax Invoice: When the final tax invoice is issued upon event execution, deduct the advance amount and reference the original Receipt Voucher number.
• Venura Automation: Venura automatically links Receipt Vouchers to final invoices, ensuring seamless tax reconciliation in GSTR-1 Table 11.

Venura provides an automated invoicing and receipt engine for caterers:

• Instant PDF Generation: Generates beautiful, branded tax invoices with your logo, bank details, and terms in under 30 seconds.
• One-Tap WhatsApp Delivery: Dispatches invoices directly to clients via WhatsApp with integrated UPI QR codes for instant mobile payment.
• Direct Tally Prime Sync: Exports complete sales journals and customer ledgers directly into Tally Prime without manual re-entry.

For catering enterprises with aggregate annual turnover exceeding ₹5 Crores:

1. 1
   Mandatory B2B E-Invoicing: Invoices issued to GST-registered corporate clients must be uploaded to the Invoice Registration Portal (IRP) to generate a statutory Invoice Reference Number (IRN) and signed QR code.

1. 2
   Automated E-Invoice Generation in Venura: Venura OS integrates with authorized GST Suvidha Providers (GSPs) to generate IRNs in real time, embedding statutory government QR codes directly onto output PDFs.

1. 3
   Dynamic B2C UPI QR Codes: For retail wedding clients without GSTIN, Venura prints a dynamic UPI payment QR code compliant with NPCI standards.

When catering multi-day corporate conferences or annual dealer meets:

• Consolidated Monthly Billing: Aggregate multiple daily food delivery orders into a single comprehensive tax invoice referencing individual Purchase Order (PO) numbers.
• Detailed Food Itemization: Clearly distinguish between SAC 996334 (Outdoor Event Catering @ 5% GST without ITC) and SAC 996337 (Daily Canteen Meal Delivery @ 5% GST without ITC).
• Quarterly Form 26AS & GSTR-2B Reconciliation: Venura ensures all client GSTINs and tax amounts match perfectly, guaranteeing seamless tax credit claims for corporate clients.