Wine and spirits commercial invoice template
Wine and spirits commercial invoice template: vintage, bottle size, alcohol strength and cases per line with HS code and origin.
Templates by industry
- Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12
- White wine, 2023, 750 ml, case of 6
- Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Describe the goods
Example: describe "Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12" precisely enough for customs, with HS code, origin, quantity and unit value.
Add the shipment details
Enter the Incoterms, ports of loading and discharge, gross and net weight and packages, and check "Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6" matches the packing list.
Sign and send
Sign the declaration and send the invoice to the importer and your freight forwarder or customs broker with the other shipping documents.
Alcohol is a product group where the invoice has to describe the liquid almost as precisely as the label does: the vintage or age, the volume of each bottle and the strength in percent by volume. Importers use those figures to classify the goods and to work out the excise they owe. Cases and bottles are counted separately here, so nobody multiplies the wrong number by the price, and each wine or spirit sits on its own line with its HS code and origin.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12, White wine, 2023, 750 ml, case of 6, Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6: give each line a precise description, its HS code, country of origin, quantity and value.
- Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12
- Write producer, appellation or region, vintage and strength; the alcohol by volume is printed on the label and must be the same figure on the invoice.
- White wine, 2023, 750 ml, case of 6
- State whether the price is per case or per bottle and enter the quantity in that unit; six cases are not six bottles.
- Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6
- Give the age statement, the bottle size, the strength and the bottles in a case; in many countries spirits are taxed by their alcohol content, so these figures decide the duty.
- Parties and terms
- Name the exporter, the importer and, if the goods go to someone else, the consignee, with the Incoterms, the currency and the payment terms.
- Shipment
- Give the ports of loading and discharge, the shipping method, the gross and net weight, the number of packages and the reason for export.
- Scope to agree
- For every line give the vintage or age, the bottle size, the alcohol by volume and the bottles per case, and ask the importer which licence number and excise arrangement its country expects on the invoice.
Before sending
- Does “Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12” have the HS code and country of origin customs will check?
- Is the value of “White wine, 2023, 750 ml, case of 6” the price actually paid, in the invoice currency?
- Do the quantity and weight of “Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6” match the packing list?
Show 3 more
- Check the Incoterms, ports, weights and package count against the shipping documents, and the importing country's customs requirements.
- Check each HS code and country of origin with your freight forwarder or customs broker; QuoteBill does not look them up.
- Check the tax rate: it starts at 0% because exports are often zero-rated, so change it if your sale is taxed.
Worked example with sample figures
The figures below are invented to show how the template adds up: 3 lines in USD, with no tax added.
- Red wine, 2021, 750 ml, case of 12 (HS 2204.21, origin IT): 100 × $84.00 = $8,400.00
- White wine, 2023, 750 ml, case of 6 (HS 2204.21, origin DE): 200 × $62.00 = $12,400.00
- Single malt whisky, 12 years, 700 ml, case of 6 (HS 2208.30, origin GB): 60 × $330.00 = $19,800.00
Value of the goods $40,600.00, tax $0.00, invoice total $40,600.00.
- Sales order SO-WN-6205.
- Shipment: CIF Busan, from Hamburg, DE to Busan, KR; gross weight 4,100 kg, net weight 3,660 kg, 360 CTNS.
What the document must show
These details make a commercial invoice easier to approve and to file.
- Exporter and importer names and addresses, and the consignee if different
- Invoice number and date
- Each item with description, HS code, origin, quantity, unit price and value
- Incoterms, currency and payment terms
- Ports of loading and discharge, shipping method
- Gross and net weight, number of packages
- A signed declaration
A commercial invoice starts at 0%, because exports are often zero-rated; change the rate if your sale is taxed. The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Frequently asked questions
Does the invoice have to carry the importer’s licence number?
Many countries let only licensed importers bring in alcohol, and the broker often wants the licence number on the invoice. Ask the importer for it and for any wording its excise office expects, and do not ship until you have both.
How are samples of wine invoiced?
As a separate line or invoice with a value and the reason for export, marked as samples, with the number of bottles. Alcohol samples are still excise goods in most places, so they are counted at the border like any other bottle.
How is the sales tax worked out on this commercial invoice?
A commercial invoice starts at 0%, because exports are often zero-rated; change the rate if your sale is taxed. The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending. With nothing added, the total in the worked example above stays at the net amount of $40,600.00.
Is this template free?
Yes. You can fill in this template and print it or save it as a PDF without an account, and there is no payment step and no watermark on the document. Saving it to your account and downloading Excel or Word files need a free account.
Can I change the layout and colour?
Yes. The editor offers other layouts and a document colour for the printed page. Changing them moves no figure: the lines and totals stay as they are, and the PDF, Word and Excel files follow the layout you pick.
Read next
Reading for the Wine and spirits commercial invoice template: Proforma vs invoice and down payment invoice and International invoice payment: currency, IBAN and SWIFT. The currency converter converts the amounts when you invoice in another currency.