Proforma invoice generator
Make a proforma invoice, then turn it into the real one
A proforma invoice is a quote dressed as an invoice: it shows the client exactly what the real invoice will say, before any work is done or goods shipped, so they can raise a purchase order, get budget approval or arrange an advance. It is not a tax invoice, it is not a demand for payment, and it does not take a number from your invoice series.
This page explains when to send one, how to make one in the generator, and how to convert it when the work is confirmed.
No signup · Free PDF download.
What a proforma is for
Four situations account for almost every proforma. What it is not: it is not a tax invoice, so it cannot be used to claim input tax, and it should not carry a serial number from your tax-invoice sequence. It is not payable as such; payment against it is an advance, and the real invoice follows.
- Getting a PO raised: the client’s procurement needs a document with the amount, terms and your details before they can issue one.
- Advance payments: a deposit request that shows the whole job and the part due now.
- Import and customs paperwork, where the buyer needs the value declared before shipment.
- Budget sign-off inside the client’s company, where a “quote” is too informal and an “invoice” is premature.
What to put on it
Everything the final invoice will show, so the client is not surprised later: your details and theirs, the lines with quantities and prices, tax at the rate you expect to charge, the total, your payment terms and how to pay. Then three things that make it a proforma: the words “Proforma invoice” where the client cannot miss them, a validity date (“valid for 30 days”), and a reference of its own that is not in your invoice series, for example PF-2026-007.
Making one with the generator
Open the generator and set Document to Proforma invoice. In the number field type a proforma reference such as PF-0007, not your next invoice number. In the notes write “Proforma invoice. Not a tax invoice. Valid until 10 October 2026.” Add the lines, the tax you expect to charge and your payment instructions. Set the due date to the validity date. Download the PDF; the file is named after the reference you typed and the client. Nothing is stored anywhere but your browser, and no invoice number has been used.
Set Document to “Proforma invoice” at the top of the details, and the heading on the PDF changes to match.
Converting it into the real invoice
When the client confirms, open the generator again; the draft is still there. Change the reference to your real next number, delete the proforma note, set the issue date to today and the due date from your terms, and adjust any line that changed. Download again. If an advance was paid against the proforma, add a fixed discount equal to it with “Advance received against PF-0007” in the notes, so the total shows the balance.
Inside a free account this is cleaner: keep the proforma as a draft, which has no number, and when the client confirms, issue it; the number is assigned at that moment, in sequence.
Proforma, quote and invoice
A quote states a price and may not look like an invoice. A proforma states the price in the invoice’s own layout. An invoice records a completed supply and asks for payment. Use whichever the client’s process needs; the generator makes all three from the same form.
A worked example
- From
- Vela Furniture Workshop
- To
- Harbour Lane Hotel (procurement)
- Reference
- PF-2026-007 (not in the invoice series)
- Issued
- 10 Sep 2026
- Valid until
- 10 Oct 2026
- Notes
- Proforma invoice. Not a tax invoice. 50% advance on order; balance on installation.
| Description | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oak reception desk, 3.2 m, to drawing HL-04 | 1 | €4,800.00 | €4,800.00 |
| Lobby side tables | 6 | €380.00 | €2,280.00 |
| Delivery and installation, Lisbon | 1 | €650.00 | €650.00 |
- Subtotal
- €7,730.00
- VAT (23%)
- €1,777.90
- Total
- €9,507.90
Tax is shown at the expected rate so the total is accurate, but this document is not a tax invoice.
Questions
Is a proforma invoice legally binding?
It is not an invoice and not a demand for payment; it is an offer to supply on the stated terms. Whether it binds either side is a contract question, not something Invoira decides.
Should a proforma have an invoice number?
Not one from your invoice series. Give it its own reference, such as PF-0007, so your tax-invoice numbering stays consecutive.
Does the generator have a proforma mode?
No. The heading stays “Invoice”; you write “Proforma invoice” in the notes and use a proforma reference. A switchable heading is on the roadmap.
Can I charge tax on a proforma?
Show the tax you expect to charge so the total is accurate, but a proforma is not a tax invoice and cannot be used to claim input tax. Confirm with your accountant.
How do I convert it later?
Change the reference to your next invoice number, remove the proforma note, update the dates and download again. In an account, keep it as a draft and issue it when confirmed; the number is assigned then.
Related
- Online invoice makerAn online invoice maker that does not ask you to sign up
- Consulting invoice templateConsulting invoice template
- Agency invoice templateAn agency invoice for retainers, phases and pass-through costs
- Open the generatorStart typing your invoice. No account, free PDF.
- Invoira homeThe three layouts, and what an account adds.
Your turn
Turn this example into your invoice.
The line items are already there. Change the client, work, rates and dates, then download the PDF.
Updated 2026-09-10. Invoira formats what you enter; it does not give tax or legal advice.