This invoice template is about as simple as it gets. If you are looking for something extremely easy to use, without all the extra features that can make some invoice forms more complicated than they need to be, download the new Basic Invoice Template below. With this template, we’ve tried to boil the invoice down to just the bare essentials.

Basic Invoice

for Excel

“No installation, no macros – just a simple spreadsheet” – by TheFactsPk

Description

The screenshot really speaks for itself. This is just a basic invoice at its core. If this is a bit TOO basic for you, the next step would be the billing invoice template which uses the same design but includes a few more features.

This template has only one formula – the SUM formula used to calculate the total. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use more formulas if you want to. For example, enter =5*75 in the Amount column to calculate the amount to charge for 5 hours at $75/hour.

TIP: To create a receipt using this template, just change the word INVOICE in the header to RECEIPT. You can also add a note below the Total saying “Paid in full,” or like with the simple receipt example, you can add a text box with the word “Paid.” If you are want to mail the receipt you can just write (by hand) a note like “Paid. Thank you!” on the form.

The Sales Tax Calculator can compute any one of the following, given inputs for the remaining two: before-tax price, sale tax rate, and final, or after-tax price.

What is Sales Tax/Sales Tax Calculator?

A sales tax is a consumption tax paid to a government on the sale of certain goods and services. Usually, the vendor collects the sales tax from the consumer as the consumer makes a purchase. In most countries, the sales tax is called value-added tax (VAT) or goods and services tax (GST), which is a different form of consumption tax. In some countries, the listed prices for goods and services are the before-tax value, and a sales tax is only applied during the purchase. In other countries, the listed prices are the final after-tax values, which include the sales tax.

Sales Tax Calculator

The Sales Tax Calculator can compute any one of the following, given inputs for the remaining two: before-tax price, sale tax rate, and final, or after-tax price.

What is Sales Tax?

A sales tax is a consumption tax paid to a government on the sale of certain goods and services. Usually, the vendor collects the sales tax from the consumer as the consumer makes a purchase. In most countries, the sales tax is called value-added tax (VAT) or goods and services tax (GST), which is a different form of consumption tax. In some countries, the listed prices for goods and services are the before-tax value, and a sales tax is only applied during the purchase. In other countries, the listed prices are the final after-tax values, which include the sales tax.

U.S. Sales Tax

In the United States, sales tax at the federal level does not exist. At the state level, all (including District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam) but five states do not have statewide sales tax. These are Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. States that impose a sales tax have different rates, and even within states, local or city sales taxes can come into play. Unlike VAT (which is not imposed in the U.S.), sales tax is only enforced on retail purchases; most transactions of goods or services between businesses are not subject to sales tax.

Sales tax rate ranges

The sales tax rate ranges from 0% to 16% depending on the state and the type of good or service, and all states differ in their enforcement of sales tax. In Texas, prescription medicine and food seeds are exempt from taxation. Vermont has a 6% general sales tax, but an additional 10% tax is added to purchases of alcoholic drinks that are immediately consumed. These are only several examples of differences in taxation in different jurisdictions. Rules and regulations regarding sales tax vary widely from state to state.

On average, the impact of sales tax on Americans is about 2 percent of their personal income. Sales tax provides nearly one-third of state government revenue and is second only to the income tax in terms of importance as a source of revenue. Reliance on the sales tax varies widely by state. Sales taxes are much more important in the south and west than they are in New England and the industrial Midwest. Florida, Washington, Tennessee, and Texas all generate more than 50 percent of their tax revenue from the sales tax, and several of these states raise nearly 60 percent of their tax revenue from the sales tax. New York, on the other hand, only raises about 20 percent of its revenues from the sales tax.

The following is an overview of the sales tax rates for different states.

Pakistan History of Sales Tax

Sales tax was declared a federal subject in 1948 through the enactment of General Sales Tax Act, 1948 and in 1952, this levy was transferred permanently to the Central Government. Sales tax was levied at the standard rate of 6 pies per rupee at every stage whenever a sale was effected. More Detail Here

U.S. History of Sales Tax

When the U.S. was still a British colony in the 18th century, the English King imposed a sales tax on various items on the American colonists, even though they had no representation in the British government. This taxation without representation, among other things, resulted in the Boston Tea Party. This, together with other events, led to the American Revolution. Therefore, the birth of the U.S. had partly to do with the controversy over a sales tax! Since then, sales tax has had a rocky history in the U.S. and this is perhaps why there has never been a federal sales tax. Some of the earlier attempts at sales tax raised a lot of problems. Sales tax didn't take off until the Great Depression, when state governments were having difficulty finding ways to raise revenue successfully. Of the many different methods tested, sales tax prevailed because economic policy in the 1930s centered around selling goods. Mississippi was the first in 1930, and it quickly was adopted across the nation. Today, sales tax is imposed in most states as a necessary and generally effective means to raise revenue for state and local governments.

How to Deduct Sales Tax in the U.S.?

When filing federal income tax, taxpayers need to choose to either take the standard deduction or itemize deductions. This decision will be different for everyone, but most Americans choose the standard deduction. Sales tax can be deducted from federal income tax only if deductions are itemized. In general, taxpayers with sales tax as their only deductible expense may find that itemizing deductions is not worth the time. Itemizing deductions also involves meticulous record-keeping and can be tedious work because the IRS requires the submission of sales tax records, such as a year's worth of purchase receipts. Anyone who plans to itemize should be keeping detailed records, as it will be very helpful in determining the amount of sales tax paid.

After the choice between standard or itemized deductions has been made, taxpayers have to make another decision regarding whether or not to claim either state and local income taxes or sales taxes (but not both). Most taxpayers choose to deduct income taxes as it typically results in a larger figure. With that said, it may be better for taxpayers who made large purchases during the year to deduct sales tax instead of income tax if their total sales tax payments exceed state income tax. Taxpayers who paid for a new car, wedding, engagement ring, vacation, or multiple major appliances during a tax year can potentially have a greater sales tax payment than income tax payment. In reality, less than 2% of Americans claim sales tax as a deduction each year.

For more information about or to do calculations involving income tax, please visit the Income Tax Calculator.

Value-Added Tax (VAT)

VAT is the version of sales tax commonly used outside of the U.S. in over 160 countries. VAT is an indirect tax that is imposed at different stages of the production of goods and services, whenever value is added. Countries that impose a VAT can also impose it on imported and exported goods. All participants in a supply chain, such as wholesalers, distributors, suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers, will usually need to pay VAT, not just the end consumer, as is done with U.S. sales tax. VAT can be calculated as the sales price minus the costs of materials or parts used that have been taxed already.

VAT as compared

A 1979 study published by the Tax Foundation offered some insight into arguments for or against VAT as compared to sales tax. Perhaps the greatest benefit of taxation via VAT is that because taxation applies at every step of the chain of production of a good, tax evasion becomes difficult. Also, there are stronger incentives to control costs when all participants involved in a supply chain are taxed. Compared to sales tax, VAT has the ability to raise more revenue at a given rate. On the other hand, VAT tends to be regressive; that is, it takes proportionately greater amounts from those with lower incomes. Also, the cascading tax is harmful to new and marginal business activities, likely to set off inflationary tendencies, and is detrimental to exports.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) is similar to VAT. It is an indirect sales tax applied to certain goods and services at multiple instances in a supply chain. Taxations across multiple countries that impose either a "GST" or "VAT" are so vastly different that neither word can properly define them. The countries that define their "sales tax" as a GST are Spain, Greece, India, Pakistan, Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia.

Introduction

Mental Health is essential in all areas of our life. It is concerned with our mental, emotional, and social health and influences our behavioral patterns as well. According to Hopechest Global Mental Health Statistics Overview: 970 million people around the world struggle with some mental illness or drug abuse. 1 in 4 people will be affected by a mental illness at some point in their lives. 14.3% of deaths worldwide, or approximately 8 million deaths each year, are attributable to mental disorders.

 World Mental Health Day — observed every year on October 10th — raises awareness about the significance of mental health around the world. This blog will explore the importance of mental health, the 4 main types of mental disorders, interesting mental health quotes, ways to improve mental health & examples to bring understanding to this fundamental human topic.

What Mental Health Means?

Mental health refers to someone’s emotional health which can either be good or bad. It involves everything from our ability to handle stress to our relationships with others—it’a an all-embracing definition. Good mental health is not the absence of every psychological and emotional burden; rather, it means being able to face them in a balanced manner. Note that mental health is a continuum and there are levels of health — some better than others.

What are examples of mental health?

1. Anxiety Disorders:

They encompass such things as generalized anxiety disorders, panic disorders, and social anxiety disorders, with the common feature being excessive worry and dread.

2. Mood Disorders:

Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder impact one’s emotional well-being causing long-term periods of melancholy or mood disturbances.

3. Personality Disorders:

Conditions such as borderline personality disorder and narcissistic personality disorder can affect a person’s thinking, feelings, and behavior; this may result in problems with interpersonal relationships.

4. Substance Use Disorders:

These types of disorders involve misusing drugs or alcohol, which can lead to severe mental problems.

What are the 4 Types of Mental Health?

1. Emotional Well-Being:

Your emotional health revolves around being able to identify, express, and control how you react to things affecting your mental state. It boils down to acknowledging and dealing with your emotions in a positive way. Emotional well-being strength helps express feelings in more positive ways and better manage stress levels.

2. Psychological Well-Being:

This form deals with how your brain processes information. It contains elements such as cognitive abilities (e.g., thinking and reasoning skills), problem-solving, decision-making, and self-efficacy. Positive mental health equips individuals with the resilience to navigate life’s difficulties while keeping intact a sense of meaning in one’s existence.

3. Social Well-Being:

It’s about how connected you feel with others. Social health is the ability to have positive interpersonal relationships, a feeling of connectedness, and conflict resolution. Having an extensive support network & positive interpersonal experiences are important facets of mental well-being.

4. Spiritual Well-Being:

Spiritual wellness is sometimes taken for granted but is an important part in mental health. Spirituality is about meaningfulness, value orientation, and internal happiness, respectively. Higher spiritual well-being is linked to feeling more purpose in life and also has shown increased mental health as well.

How to Improve Mental Health?

Mental health improvement demands that all four archetypes addressed above be improved upon. Here are some strategies to enhance mental well-being:

1. Seek Professional Help:

If you have any mental health challenges, don’t be afraid to reach out to a therapist, counselor or psychiatrist for assistance. They can give advice, therapy, and medicine when needed.

2. Practice Self-Care:

Make time for self-care exercises — exercise, a healthy diet, enough sleep (and possibly even some relaxation techniques like meditation).

3. Build Strong Relationships:

Foster strong relationships through transparent communication, conflict resolution (and prevention), and surround yourself with uplifting people.

4. Set Realistic Goals:

Define realistic objectives that fit in with your beliefs and desires. Meeting these objectives could lift up your purpose and confidence.

5. Manage Stress:

Build up your skills on the subject; for example, learn to use time management techniques, develop mindfulness practices, and get into relaxation exercises.
6. Connect with Your Spirituality: Get to know your spiritual side, and find practices that support growth and fulfillment in yourself.

Mental Health Quotes

1. “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela
2. “You are not your illness. You have an individual story to tell. You have a name, a history, a personality. Staying yourself is part of the battle.” – Julian Seifter
3. “Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.” – Noam Shpancer
4. “You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared, or anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a negative person. It makes you human.” – Lori Deschene

Conclusion

The mental health awareness of our mind is something we cannot ignore. World Mental Health Day is an important reminder to put your mental health first. Identifying different kinds of mental health and reaching for help if we need it; incorporating new techniques to improve our mental wellness and leading more gratifying lives. As these earlier citations suggest, it’s alright to encounter obstacles, just as significant is overcoming them and reaching towards health.