Question 1

How much should I charge per person for catering?

Accepted Answer

Typical per-head pricing runs roughly $8-25 for drop-off catering, $15-45 for buffet service, and $25-75 for plated/sit-down service, though this varies heavily by menu, region and service style. Use these as a starting benchmark, not a fixed rule.

Question 2

What's the difference between a service charge and gratuity on a catering invoice, and is each taxable?

Accepted Answer

A gratuity is a voluntary tip the customer chooses to add and is generally not taxable. A mandatory service charge (commonly 15-22% on catering contracts) is added automatically regardless of the customer's choice, and in most US states is taxable as part of the sale even if labelled "gratuity" — some states (like New York) apply a specific test (separately stated, and 100% passed to staff) before it can be treated as non-taxable, while California presumes automatically-added charges are mandatory and taxable by default. Check your state's rule before marking a service-charge line non-taxable.

Question 3

Do I charge VAT or sales tax on the catering deposit?

Accepted Answer

Generally yes — a deposit is treated as an advance payment against the final taxable supply, not a separate exempt transaction, though the exact timing rules for when VAT becomes due on an advance payment vary by country. This tool treats the deposit as an already-accounted-for reduction of the balance due (marked non-taxable on the invoice itself, since it isn't a new taxable line) rather than a discount.

Question 4

What VAT rate applies to catering vs. takeaway food?

Accepted Answer

It varies widely. Many EU countries apply a reduced rate to catering food but tax alcohol at the standard rate on the same invoice (e.g. France 10%/20%, Poland 8%/23%, Germany 7%/19% from January 2026). The UK is the opposite of the common "reduced rate for food" assumption: any supply of catering is always standard-rated (20%), regardless of what's served. Japan taxes on-site catering at the standard 10% rate — not the 8% reduced rate that applies to plain food delivery without service.

Question 5

How do I handle alcohol on a catering invoice if it's taxed differently from food?

Accepted Answer

Put alcoholic beverages on their own line item(s), separate from food and non-alcoholic drinks, and apply the correct VAT/tax rate to each — most tax authorities that split rates (e.g. France, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic) require this line-by-line breakdown whenever more than one rate applies on the same document. This tool's per-line "taxable" flag is designed for exactly this split.

Question 6

What happens if my final guest count changes after I've paid a deposit?

Accepted Answer

Most catering contracts lock in a "guaranteed" final headcount 7-14 days before the event, and the client is billed for that guaranteed count even if fewer guests actually attend. This is a contract term rather than something the invoice itself enforces, so make sure your booking terms state the cutoff date clearly.

Question 7

Do I need to invoice separately for the venue, food, and staffing?

Accepted Answer

In most markets, no — one invoice covering food, staffing, rentals and fees is standard. Brazil is the notable exception: buffet/event-organization services are taxed under municipal ISS while the food and beverages supplied fall under state ICMS, which in the strict reading requires two separate fiscal documents (an NFS-e for the service and an NF-e for the goods). For large events elsewhere, many caterers also issue milestone invoices — deposit, progress payment, and final balance — rather than one single document.

Question 8

Is a non-refundable catering deposit legal — can I get it back?

Accepted Answer

Non-refundable deposits of 25-50% at booking are standard, enforceable industry practice in most jurisdictions when clearly disclosed in the booking contract, since caterers commit to food costs well ahead of the event. Whether a specific deposit is recoverable depends on your contract terms and local consumer-protection law — this tool doesn't provide legal advice on individual disputes.

Question 9

How do I invoice a corporate client for an ongoing office catering contract?

Accepted Answer

The same invoice structure works for recurring food-service billing — just use a consistent billing period (e.g. weekly or monthly) instead of a single event date, and reference the contract or purchase order number in the notes. Guest count becomes an average or actual headcount per period rather than a single guaranteed number.

Question 10

Do I need a special tax ID or registration number on a catering invoice?

Accepted Answer

It depends on your country's e-invoicing regime: Japan requires your qualified invoice issuer (インボイス) registration number, Mexico requires CFDI with the SAT product/service code 90101600 for banquet and catering services, Poland requires KSeF, and Italy requires SDI. This tool doesn't replace those official systems — it produces a clean invoice document, but a compliant fiscal invoice in these markets must ultimately be issued through your certified system of record.

Descrizione	Quantità	Aliquota	Importo
Buffet menu — entrée, side, dessert (per person)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Passed hors d'oeuvres (per person)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Bar service — beer & wine package (per person)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Waitstaff — servers & bartenders (hours × staff)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Delivery & setup fee	1	€0.00	€0.00
Table linens & place settings rental	1	€0.00	€0.00
Service charge (18%)	1	€0.00	€0.00
Less: deposit received	1	€0.00	€0.00

Subtotale	€0.00
IVA (10%)	€0.00

Totale	€0.00

Catering Invoice Generator

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Free catering invoice generator & template

What should a catering invoice include?

Why does the food/alcohol split matter?

How does the deposit and balance-due math work?

FAQs about catering invoices