Pro forma invoice template
For payment before delivery, or for paperwork before goods move: a priced document that is deliberately not the final invoice.
From: your business
Bill to: your customer
Number, dates and terms
Total due
$6,850.00
no tax added
Juniper Lane Studio LLC
418 Congress Ave, Suite 200
Austin, TX 78701
billing@example.com
Pro forma invoice
| Invoice no. | PF-2026-0001 |
| Date | October 17, 2026 |
| Terms | Net 30 |
| Due date | November 16, 2026 |
Bill to
Bluebonnet Coffee Co.
2200 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial sewing machines, model 4000 | 2 | $3,200.00 | $6,400.00 |
| Freight to destination | 1 | $450.00 | $450.00 |
| Subtotal | $6,850.00 |
| Total | $6,850.00 |
This is a pro forma invoice, not a tax invoice. No tax can be reclaimed on it.
Payment details
ACH: routing 000000000, account 0000000000 Please include the invoice number with your payment.
Pro forma invoice for advance payment or customs. Not a tax invoice: a final invoice follows on delivery.
Pro forma invoice
All required details present
A quote or a pro forma invoice is not a VAT, GST or tax invoice.
- Present: A reference number
- Present: Your name and address
- Present: Customer name
- Present: A description of each item
- Note: Marked as pro forma: not a tax invoice, no tax can be reclaimed on it
Made in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to a server; your business details are kept on this device only, for the next invoice.
Total due
$6,850.00
A pro forma invoice looks like an invoice but promises one instead: it states what you will supply, at what price and with what tax, so the buyer can pay in advance, raise a purchase order or arrange an import, and it is followed by the real invoice once the goods ship or the service is performed. HMRC's VAT guide is explicit that pro forma invoices "cannot be used as evidence to reclaim input tax, even if they show all the details required for a VAT invoice", and asks that they be clearly marked as not being a VAT invoice. The generator does this for you: the document is titled "Pro forma invoice" in every country, it prints that it is not a tax invoice and that no tax can be reclaimed on it, and its own number series (PF-2026-0001) keeps it out of your invoice sequence. The sample shows two industrial machines at $3,200 each plus $450 of freight; switch the country and the same lines carry 20% UK VAT, 10% Australian GST or the Canadian rate of the buyer's province.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Methodology
When a pro forma is the right document
Three situations call for one. A buyer who must pay before you produce or ship, often an overseas customer or a first order from a new account, needs a priced document to authorize the payment. A buyer's finance team may need a document to raise a purchase order, before any invoice can be received against it. And goods that move before a sale, samples or items sent on approval, need a document that states their value. In all three, issuing a real invoice would be premature: it would record a supply that has not happened, and for a VAT-registered seller it could create a tax point too early.
What to put on it
Everything the final invoice will show, so that nothing changes but the title: your details, the buyer's, a description precise enough to identify the goods, quantities, unit prices, the tax rate and amount, the delivery cost, the payment terms and your bank details. Add the expected delivery date in the notes. The generator's checklist for a pro forma only asks for a reference, the two parties and the descriptions, since no tax rule applies to the document itself.
| Pro forma invoice | Final invoice | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Ask for payment or approval before supply | Record the supply and claim payment |
| Number series | Its own (PF-…) | Your sequential invoice numbers |
| Tax reclaimable by the buyer | No | Yes, if it meets the country's rules |
| Marked as | "Pro forma invoice, not a tax invoice" | "Invoice", "VAT invoice" or "Tax invoice" |
| Recorded in your accounts | No sale yet | A sale |
From pro forma to invoice in the generator
Once the goods are delivered, keep the same lines, change the Document selector to "Invoice", give it the next invoice number and today's date, and enter the advance received in "Deposit paid". The final invoice then shows the full total with its tax and a balance due of zero, or the remainder if only part was paid in advance. In Australia, choosing "Invoice" while registered for GST turns the title into "Tax invoice", the words the ATO expects on the final document. For a job priced before any commitment at all, the quote and estimate template is the lighter choice, and the deposit invoice guide covers advance payments taken against a signed order.