Invoicing and obtaining payments from your customers is crucial for starting and running your business. But does your business have to give customers a receipt for every payment made? In some cases, you are required to provide a receipt for all purchases. However, you can choose to provide proof of purchase instead. It’s essential to provide customers with a receipt or proof of purchase, so they’re able to show evidence of the purchase when seeking a refund, repair, or replacement.
If you want to know whether there is a legal requirement for your business to provide a receipt for a purchase, read along!
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Receipt
Before you can collect a payment, you may need to provide the customer with an invoice showing them all the goods and services they will be paying for. When the payment is received, you’ll also need to offer the customer a receipt confirming their payment.
In the United States, there are no federal laws requiring businesses to provide a receipt for every purchase. However, depending on your state’s regulations, you may need to provide customers with receipts for specific types of purchases or under certain conditions.
What is a receipt?
A receipt can be either of the following :
- Sales invoice
- Cash register or handwritten receipt
- Credit card transaction slips.
Proof of Purchase
Instead of providing the customer with a receipt, you can choose to provide the customer with a different type of proof of purchase. Customers can still use that proof of purchase to show that they purchased goods or services from you in the same way that they would use a receipt.
Forms of proof of purchase can include the following:
- Debit card statements
- Credit card statements
- Layaway agreements
- Receipts or reference numbers provided for phone or internet transactions
- Warranty cards that show the supplier’s or manufacturer’s details, with the date or amount of the purchase
- A serial or production number linked with the purchase on the supplier’s or manufacturer’s database
- Copies or photographs of the receipt
However, you should be aware that there is no universal description of what constitutes adequate proof of purchase under US law.
If your business provides customers with services, you should be prepared to provide an itemized bill or account upon request. This itemized account should outline the following:
- How the price was worked out
- The number of labour hours involved in providing the service and the hourly rate, if relevant
- A list of materials used and the price charged for them, where it’s relevant
What to Include on a Receipt or Proof of Purchase
So what exactly does your business have to include in receipts or proof of purchases? Your receipt or proof of purchase should generally include the following:
- Your business name
- Your Federal Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN) if applicable
- The date the goods or services were supplied
- A description of the goods or services
- The total amount or price charged for the goods or services
Conclusion
To summarize, there is no federal requirement to provide customers with a receipt for every purchase in the US. However, you should offer every customer the choice of a receipt or proof of purchase. It’s always a good idea to provide them with one anyway, in case they have an issue with the goods or services in the future.
Running a business is a lot of work, especially tackling your business legals. It is essential to familiarize yourself with state regulations regarding receipts and proof of purchase to ensure compliance. Consult with a local attorney or business advisor to ensure that your business is meeting the necessary requirements.
