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GST invoice format for a signage and sign board maker

A signage invoice has to name each board by type, because illuminated signs, printed flex and acrylic letters sit under different headings. Illuminated signs and nameplates with a fixed light source are HSN 9405, printed flex and vinyl advertising matter 4911, and acrylic letters and plates other articles of plastics under 3926, each at 18% after September 2025. Beyond the basics, record the board size in square feet, material, lighting type, artwork approval date, site address and installation work such as framing, scaffolding or crane hire.

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Sample signage and sign board maker invoice

Description	HSN/SAC	Qty	Rate (₹)	Taxable (₹)	GST
LED backlit glow sign board, 10 x 3 ft	9405	1 NOS	18,000.00	18,000.00	18%
Flex print, star flex, with eyelets, 12 x 4 ft	4911	48 SQFT	25.00	1,200.00	18%
Acrylic 3D letters, 12 inch height	3926	14 NOS	650.00	9,100.00	18%
Steel-framed ACP base panel, 10 x 3 ft	7610	1 NOS	9,000.00	9,000.00	18%
Installation and fixing with scaffolding	998739	1 JOB	4,500.00	4,500.00	18%
Taxable value				₹41,800.00
GST (CGST + SGST, or IGST if inter-state)				₹7,524.00
Invoice total				₹49,324.00

Sample prices are illustrative. Check the GST rate for your exact item or service before billing.

Extra fields a signage and sign board maker invoice needs

Board size in square feet: Signage is priced by area. State width by height and the total square feet for each board, so the customer can check the rate and the quantity on the invoice.
Material and construction: Name the material: ACP with acrylic letters, flex on MS frame, glow sign box, or neon flex. Material decides both the price and the HSN, and helps the customer understand what they received.
Lighting type: Front-lit, back-lit, LED module or non-illuminated: illumination changes classification and cost. A board with a permanently fixed light source is a different product from a printed flex sheet.
Artwork approval reference: Sign content errors are expensive to redo. Quote the approval date or reference for the final artwork so it is clear the board was made to the customer's signed-off design.
Installation site and access: Record where the sign was fixed and whether scaffolding, a crane or night work was needed. These extras often account for a large share of the bill and should be visible.
Municipal permission responsibility: State whether the customer or the sign maker is responsible for obtaining local body permission for the sign. It avoids confusion when an unauthorised board is removed by the municipality.

Standard GST invoice fields

Rule 46 of the CGST Rules applies to every tax invoice, including this one:

Supplier name, address and GSTIN
Consecutive invoice number (max 16 characters, unique for the year)
Date of issue
Customer name, address and GSTIN (if registered)
Place of supply with state name
HSN/SAC code per item
Description, quantity and unit
Taxable value after discounts
GST rate and CGST + SGST or IGST amounts
Signature or digital signature

GST rules that matter for a signage and sign board maker

Illuminated signs under 9405

Heading 9405 covers luminaires and lighting fittings and, specifically, illuminated signs, illuminated nameplates and the like having a permanently fixed light source. These are in the 18% schedule. A glow sign box or LED letter board falls here. The 5% entry under 9405 is limited to kerosene lanterns and similar items, not to signage. Non-illuminated boards are classified by their material.

Flex and vinyl prints under 4911

Printed flex banners, vinyl stickers and posters for advertising are other printed matter under heading 4911, at 18%. Brochures and leaflets of 4901 attract 5%, but a shop banner is not a brochure, so do not use the lower entry for flex. If the customer supplies the flex material and you only print it, the job is a printing service on goods of another person; printing of goods under chapter 49 at 18% would follow the general job-work rate.

Acrylic and aluminium components

Acrylic letters and plates are other articles of plastics under 3926 at 18%. Aluminium composite panel structures fall with aluminium articles, and steel frames with iron and steel structures; check the HSN your suppliers use and keep it consistent. Most of these components are 18%, so the main risk is misdescription rather than rate.

Installation as part of the supply

Where the sign maker supplies and fixes the board for one price, the job is a composite supply and the principal supply is usually the signage itself. If installation is quoted and billed separately, it is an installation service under 998739 at 18%. Signs fixed to a building with bolts remain removable goods and are rarely treated as works contracts.

Advertising on hoardings is different

If the business also rents out hoarding space for advertisements, that is sale of advertising space, billed under its own SAC at 18%, and not a sale of signage. Keep it on a separate invoice series so the two activities are easy to report.

Advance for fabrication

Signage jobs usually start with a 50% advance. For the goods portion no GST is payable on the advance itself, so tax on the board falls due when the invoice is issued at dispatch or installation. Where installation is quoted as a separate service, tax on any advance attributable to it is due on receipt. Issue a receipt voucher that says what the advance covers, and adjust it in the final invoice.

Common billing mistakes

Billing a backlit glow sign board under 4911 as printed matter because the face is a printed flex sheet.
Using the 5% brochure entry for shop banners and flex prints, which belong under 4911 at 18%.
Leaving board size out of the invoice so the customer cannot check the square-foot rate.
Not stating who obtains municipal permission, leading to disputes when an unauthorised board is pulled down.

Signage and sign board maker GST invoice: FAQ

What is the GST rate on LED sign boards?

18%. Illuminated signs and nameplates with a fixed light source are under heading 9405 in the 18% schedule.

What HSN code is used for flex printing?

Advertising flex prints are other printed matter under heading 4911, taxed at 18%.

Is installation billed under a different rate?

No. Installation under SAC 998739 is also 18%. Show it as a separate line if it is priced separately.

Do I need an e-way bill to deliver a sign board?

Only if the consignment value exceeds Rs 50,000. Large signage projects often cross it, so generate the e-way bill before transport.

How do I bill a chain store ordering boards for many outlets?

Issue invoices per delivery location or per state, using the registration of the state you supply from and the client's GSTIN for the destination state. List each outlet's board with size and address so the client's branches can match them.

Sources: CBIC — Notification 9/2025-Integrated Tax (Rate), goods rate schedules · CBIC — Notification 9/2025-Central Tax (Rate), 17 Sep 2025 · CBIC tax information portal (notifications and SAC scheme) · GST Council — rate rationalisation press release, 56th meeting

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