Invoicing

How to invoice the NDIS as an independent support worker

What goes on the invoice, who you send it to, and the handful of mistakes that get most invoices sent back. Written for a sole trader on an ABN, not a big provider.

Updated 25 October 2026. Checked against the sources at the end of the page.

The short answer

An NDIS invoice needs your name and ABN, the participant's name and NDIS number, an invoice number and date, and a line for each support with the date delivered, the item number, hours, the rate and the total. Add your bank details and say whether GST applies (for most supports it doesn't).

Send it to the plan manager if the plan is plan-managed, or to the participant if they self-manage. For a support delivered on or after 1 December 2026, the claim has to be made within 90 days, so invoice promptly.

Who you send it to

It depends on how the participant's plan is managed. Ask before your first shift.

Where an NDIS invoice goes, by how the plan is managed.
The plan is	Send the invoice to	Price limits apply?
Plan-managed	The participant's plan manager, who checks it and claims from the NDIA	Yes
Self-managed	The participant or their nominee, who pays you and claims it back	No, but agree your rates in writing
NDIA-managed	Nobody: a registered provider makes a payment request in the NDIA's portal	Yes, and only registered providers

Where an NDIS invoice goes, by how the plan is managed.

Plan-managed
Send the invoice to
The participant's plan manager, who checks it and claims from the NDIA
Price limits apply?
Yes
Self-managed
Send the invoice to
The participant or their nominee, who pays you and claims it back
Price limits apply?
No, but agree your rates in writing
NDIA-managed
Send the invoice to
Nobody: a registered provider makes a payment request in the NDIA's portal
Price limits apply?
Yes, and only registered providers

What has to be on it

Your name or business name, and your ABN.
An invoice number and the date you issued it. Number them in order and never reuse one.
The participant's name and NDIS number, a nine-digit number starting with 43. A missing or wrong number is one of the most common reasons a plan manager can't pay.
One line per support, with the date it was delivered. Plan managers send back undated lines.
The item number for the band the shift ran in. A Saturday shift goes on the Saturday number. See NDIS time bands.
Hours, rate and line total. Hourly supports are paid for the minutes delivered, and the rate must be at or under the limit in the price guide for the date of the shift.
Travel on its own line, in kilometres, with where you drove from and to. See claiming NDIS travel.
GST. Say no GST is charged if you aren't registered. Never add 10% unless you are.
Your BSB and account number, or the invoice can't be paid however right the rest is.

A sample invoice

A made-up participant, priced at this year's limits. Your own rate is the one in your service agreement, at or under these.

Sam Taylor Support

ABN 00 000 000 000 (yours here)

BSB 000-000, account 00000000

Invoice INV-0042

Issued 16 Nov 2026

No GST charged: not registered for GST

Participant: Jordan Lee, NDIS number 43X XXX XXX (plan-managed)

Sample invoice lines, priced at the national limits.
Date	Item number	Support	Quantity	Rate	Total
Wed 11 Nov 2026	01_011_0107_1_1	Assistance with self-care, weekday daytime, 9:00am to 11:30am	2.5 hours	$73.58	$183.95
Sat 14 Nov 2026	04_105_0125_6_1	Community, social and recreational activities, Saturday, 10:00am to 1:00pm	3 hours	$103.54	$310.62
Wed 11 Nov 2026	01_799_0107_1_1	Provider travel, non-labour costs: Nerang to Southport, as agreed	12 km	$0.99	$11.88

Sample invoice lines, priced at the national limits.

Wed 11 Nov 2026
Item number
01_011_0107_1_1
Support
Assistance with self-care, weekday daytime, 9:00am to 11:30am
Quantity
2.5 hours
Rate
$73.58
Total
$183.95
Sat 14 Nov 2026
Item number
04_105_0125_6_1
Support
Community, social and recreational activities, Saturday, 10:00am to 1:00pm
Quantity
3 hours
Rate
$103.54
Total
$310.62
Wed 11 Nov 2026
Item number
01_799_0107_1_1
Support
Provider travel, non-labour costs: Nerang to Southport, as agreed
Quantity
12 km
Rate
$0.99
Total
$11.88

Invoice total $506.45, no GST

Why invoices get knocked back

Plan managers check every invoice before they pay. These are the usual reasons one comes back:

The NDIS number is missing or wrong.
A weekend, evening or public holiday shift is on the weekday daytime number.
The rate is above the price limit for that item, band and date.
A line has no date, or is dated after the invoice.
The support was delivered outside the participant's plan dates.
The same shift is on two invoices.
GST was charged by someone who isn't registered for it.
Travel is claimed for a support that doesn't allow it, or wasn't agreed.

George checks each of these before an invoice is sent, and tells you which one to fix.

Claim time limits

The clock starts the day you delivered the support, not the day you invoiced it, and whoever claims from the NDIA is on it: the plan manager or the participant. A late invoice uses up their time.

For a support delivered on or after 1 December 2026, the claim must be made within 90 days, unless exceptional circumstances stopped it (NDIS Act, s45A).
Since 15 October 2026, claims made more than 90 days after the support get extra checks from the NDIA and can be held for up to 28 days.
Claims more than two years after the support are rejected.

Whether a late claim is still paid is the NDIA's call. The safe habit is to invoice within a week of the shift.

Common questions

Do I need an ABN to invoice the NDIS?

As a sole trader, yes. Without an ABN on the invoice, the payer may have to withhold tax from what they pay you, and plan managers expect one on every invoice.

Do I charge GST on NDIS supports?

Not if you aren't registered for GST. Registration is required once your GST turnover reaches $75,000 a year. If you are registered, most NDIS supports are still GST-free when the conditions the ATO sets out are met, including a written agreement with the participant.

Can I invoice an NDIA-managed participant?

Only if you're a registered NDIS provider. The NDIA pays registered providers through a payment request in its provider portal, not an emailed invoice. An unregistered sole trader can work with plan-managed and self-managed participants. See who has to be NDIS registered.

How long does a plan manager take to pay?

It varies by plan manager, and they can only pay once the NDIA pays them. A clean invoice is paid fastest: one that comes back for a missing NDIS number or the wrong item number starts the clock again.

Can I invoice for a shift before it happens?

No. An NDIS claim is for a support already delivered, so every line is dated on or before the day you send it.

Sources

Read on or before 25 October 2026. This is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice: your service agreements and the participant's plan decide what applies to you.