Translation invoice template

Line items translators actually bill

• Certified documents per page: birth, marriage and death certificates, diplomas, transcripts, police records. Name the document and the country.
• Longer texts per source word, with the language pair and the count from your CAT tool or word processor.
• Repetitions and translation-memory matches at the agreed reduced rates, one line per band.
• Rush fee as a percentage of the line it applies to, with the turnaround.
• Editing or proofreading someone else's translation, usually by the hour.
• Minimum fee for very short jobs, if your quote has one.
• Certificates of translation, shown as included or priced, so the client can see they were delivered.

How the example adds up

The rush fee is on the new-text letter line only. The repeated text and the certificates weren't rushed, and the quote said so. The translator, the law firm, the matter number and the rates are made up for the arithmetic.

In InvoiceSnap. Word counts go in Qty and the per-word rate in Unit price, so 2,380 × $0.13 shows as $309.40. Tax % stays at 0. The language pair, the W-9 note and the matter number sit in the License field so they print under your name.

Texas: no sales tax on translation

The Tax Code lists the services Texas taxes in §151.0101: amusement, cable, personal services, data processing, information services, real property services and others. Translation isn't on it. The Comptroller has also answered translators directly. To a business translating "assembly instructions, labels, tags, price list and legal documents from English to Spanish" in 1995: "Your translation services are not taxable to in-state or out-of-state customers." (STAR 9502L1337A08.) To a freelance court and document translator in 1991: "The translation services you describe in situations 1 through 4 are not taxable." (STAR 9109L1130G04.) A 1991 letter about telecopy and translation between Texas and the Soviet Union said the same of a translation charge billed next to taxable telecom charges: "The charge for the translation in CITY B is not taxable." (STAR 9107L1122F03.)

Each letter ends with a version of "This opinion is based on the facts presented." They are private rulings to one taxpayer each, the newest is from 1995, and we didn't find a Comptroller rule or publication that names translation either way.

What makes a translation "certified"

USCIS. "Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English." (8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3), current eCFR text; the section was last amended Aug 31, 2026, and this paragraph reads the same in the 2025 CFR.) A partial translation, or a certificate that only says the translation is accurate and leaves out competence, doesn't meet that sentence.

Immigration court (EOIR). The Immigration Court Practice Manual, chapter 2.3: "A certification of translation of a foreign-language document or declaration must be typed, signed by the translator, and attached to the foreign-language document." It needs "a statement that the translator is competent to translate the language of the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator’s abilities." "If the certification is used for multiple documents, the certification must specify the documents. The translator’s address and telephone number must be included." The manual's Appendix F has a sample certificate.

The example puts the certificates on the invoice as an included line and repeats in the notes what they say. That doesn't make the invoice a certificate. The signed certificate goes with the translation, not in the client's accounts payable folder.

New Mexico is different

New Mexico's gross receipts tax reaches services in general. The Taxation and Revenue Department counts receipts from "Performing services in New Mexico, and performing services outside of New Mexico, the product of which is initially used in New Mexico" and says "If GRT is passed on to the customer, it is required to be separately stated on the invoice." A New Mexico translator would expect a GRT line where the example has none. We didn't work out New Mexico rates, location codes or deductions.

The 1099 threshold is now $2,000

"For tax years beginning after 2025, the minimum threshold amount for reporting certain payments required to be reported on certain information returns and/or perform backup withholding on those payments increased to $2,000 and may be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027." (IRS Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC, 12/2026.) A business client files a 1099-NEC "for each person in the course of your business during the year to whom you have paid at least $2,000 in:" non-employee services, but generally not for "payments to a corporation (including a limited liability company (LLC) that is treated as a C or S corporation)." The example translator is a sole proprietor, so the firm counts every invoice it pays her in 2026 toward the $2,000.

Where the rules don't line up

• Translating on a computer vs. "word processing". Publication 96-259 (01/2026) says "Using a computer for word processing, data entry, production, compilation, storage or manipulation is a taxable data processing service." and also "Merely using a computer as a tool to help perform a professional service is not a data processing service." The 1991 letter taxed a translator's hired typist who used a word processor, but its translator wrote by hand ("I do not type, neither do I use a word processor."). No letter we found deals with a translator who types her own work, which is every translator now. The example follows the translation letters and charges no tax. Separately billed typing, formatting or transcription is the open question.
• USCIS and the immigration court ask for different things. The USCIS regulation asks for accuracy, completeness and competence. The EOIR manual adds typed, signed, attached, documents named, address and phone. A certificate written to the EOIR list also covers the USCIS sentence.
• The Texas letters are old. The newest is from 1995. Since then the data processing definition (§151.0035) has been amended repeatedly, most recently in 2023, and information services (§151.0038) in 1995 and 2023. We read the current §151.0101 list, and translation still isn't on it.

What we did not check

• Sales tax on translation in states other than Texas and New Mexico, and New Mexico rates and deductions.
• Interpreting (spoken), including court interpreter licensing; this page is about written translation.
• Notary fees, apostilles, and what state courts, consulates or foreign authorities require on a certified translation.
• Each USCIS form's own instructions beyond 8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3).
• VAT or other tax for clients outside the US, and Form W-8BEN for translators outside the US.
• Typical translation rates; the example's are made up.

This is a summary of Tex. Tax Code §151.0101, Texas Comptroller letters STAR 9502L1337A08, 9109L1130G04 and 9107L1122F03, Comptroller publication 96-259, 8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3), the EOIR Immigration Court Practice Manual chapter 2.3, the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department gross receipts tax overview and the IRS 2026 Instructions for Forms 1099-MISC and 1099-NEC, as read on October 25, 2026, not legal or tax advice. Check with the Texas Comptroller, New Mexico TRD, USCIS or EOIR, or your accountant or attorney.

FAQ

How do I make a translation invoice?

Start from the quote or the client's purchase order. Put each document or batch on its own line, starting with the language pair and the document type. For per-word jobs put the word count in Qty and the rate in Unit price (2,380 × $0.13 in the example); for certified documents billed per page put the pages in Qty. Add repetitions or fuzzy matches as separate lines at their agreed rates, then a rush line worked out from the line it applies to. Put the client's matter or PO number in the License field so it prints under your name. In InvoiceSnap the totals update as you type and the free preview PDF shows the finished invoice.

Should I charge per word, per page or per hour?

Use the unit you quoted, and make it visible on the invoice. Short official documents such as birth and marriage certificates are commonly quoted per page, because a one-page certificate takes the same certification and formatting work whatever its word count. Longer texts are usually billed per word. Editing, proofreading someone else's translation, and formatting are often billed per hour. Mixing units on one invoice is fine as long as each line names its unit, as the example does. The example's rates are made up; we did not research market rates.

Should the word count be source words or target words?

Either works if the quote said which. Source words can be counted before you start, so the client knows the price up front; target words are only known at the end, and Spanish to English usually comes out shorter, so the two numbers differ. The example counts the Spanish source files and says so in the notes, so the law firm can check 2,380 + 400 against the same files.

How do I bill repetitions and fuzzy matches?

As separate lines with their own rate. If your CAT tool's analysis shows text that repeats inside the job, or matches earlier work in your translation memory, many agencies agree a reduced rate for each match band in the purchase order. Put each band on its own line with the word count from the analysis and the agreed rate, like the example's 400 repeated words at $0.04, and keep the analysis report in case the client asks. Use whatever bands and rates you actually agreed; there is no standard set.

How do I add a rush fee to a translation invoice?

On its own line, saying what was rushed, how fast, and what it is a percentage of: "Rush: letters delivered in 2 business days instead of 5, 25% of line 3", $309.40 × 25% = $77.35. Agree the surcharge before you start and quote it in writing. Keep it off the lines it wasn't charged on; in the example the certified certificates were not rushed.

What is a certified translation for USCIS?

A full English translation with the translator's signed statement of accuracy and competence. 8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3): "Any document containing foreign language submitted to USCIS shall be accompanied by a full English language translation which the translator has certified as complete and accurate, and by the translator's certification that he or she is competent to translate from the foreign language into English." The regulation doesn't require a particular credential, so it's the certificate that matters. The example lists the signed certificates as an included line so the firm can see they were delivered.

What does an immigration court need on a certificate of translation?

More than USCIS spells out. The EOIR Immigration Court Practice Manual: "A certification of translation of a foreign-language document or declaration must be typed, signed by the translator, and attached to the foreign-language document." It must include "a statement that the translator is competent to translate the language of the document and that the translation is true and accurate to the best of the translator’s abilities." And: "If the certification is used for multiple documents, the certification must specify the documents. The translator’s address and telephone number must be included." The example's certificates follow that list too, which is why the notes say the address and phone number are on them.

Does a USCIS translation have to be notarized?

8 C.F.R. §103.2(b)(3), quoted above, asks for the translator's certification of accuracy and competence and says nothing about a notary. We didn't check every USCIS form's instructions, state courts, or foreign authorities, which can ask for more, so if a client asks for notarization, quote it as a separate line. A notary acknowledges your signature; it doesn't vouch for the translation.

Do translators charge sales tax in Texas?

No, according to the Comptroller's letter rulings. Translation isn't on the Tax Code's list of taxable services (§151.0101), and the Comptroller has answered translators directly: "Your translation services are not taxable to in-state or out-of-state customers." (STAR 9502L1337A08, 1995, for English-to-Spanish translation of instructions, labels, price lists and legal documents) and "The translation services you describe in situations 1 through 4 are not taxable." (STAR 9109L1130G04, 1991). These are old private letters, and each says it rests on the facts presented, so the example notes them by number instead of claiming a rule.

Is typing, formatting or desktop publishing a translation taxable in Texas?

Possibly, and this is where the rules are unclear. The Comptroller's Taxable Services publication (96-259) says "Using a computer for word processing, data entry, production, compilation, storage or manipulation is a taxable data processing service." It also says "Merely using a computer as a tool to help perform a professional service is not a data processing service." In 1991 the Comptroller told a translator who hired a typist: "If the typist uses a word processor to make copy, then this is considered data processing services and the charge for the typist's services are taxable." Typing your own translation is part of translating, and the letters treat translation as untaxed. Separately sold formatting, typesetting or transcription is the gray area; ask the Comptroller before you bill it untaxed.

Do translators charge gross receipts tax in New Mexico?

New Mexico taxes services generally, so very likely yes. The Taxation and Revenue Department's overview lists receipts from "Performing services in New Mexico, and performing services outside of New Mexico, the product of which is initially used in New Mexico", and says "If GRT is passed on to the customer, it is required to be separately stated on the invoice." We did not check New Mexico deductions, rates or reporting locations for translators, so the example stays in Texas.

Will my client send me a Form 1099-NEC?

If it's a US business that pays you at least $2,000 in the year and you're not a corporation, probably. The IRS: "For tax years beginning after 2025, the minimum threshold amount for reporting certain payments required to be reported on certain information returns and/or perform backup withholding on those payments increased to $2,000 and may be adjusted for inflation beginning in calendar year 2027." Businesses file a 1099-NEC "for each person in the course of your business during the year to whom you have paid at least $2,000 in:" services by non-employees, but generally not for "payments to a corporation (including a limited liability company (LLC) that is treated as a C or S corporation)." The threshold is the year's total, not this invoice's $537.75. The example's License line notes the W-9 the firm already has.

Can I use this for agency work or clients abroad?

Yes. For an agency, put its PO number in the License field and copy its job lines and match bands exactly, since agencies often match invoices to POs line by line. For a client abroad, switch the currency and see the international invoice template for payment terms. We did not check VAT or other tax rules outside the US for this page.

Is InvoiceSnap free?

Yes. You can fill in the invoice and download a watermarked preview PDF free with no signup. A clean PDF is $4 one-time for 7 days of unlimited invoices (USDC; card coming soon).

Is my data uploaded?

No. The PDF is generated in your browser; your client and pricing details are not sent to a server.

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