Free Proforma Invoice Generator
A proforma invoice is a preliminary bill sent before goods or services are delivered. It looks like a real invoice but is clearly labelled 'proforma' — used to open purchase orders, secure customs clearance, or confirm scope before work begins.
Proforma Invoice Generator
From
Bill To
Line items
- Subtotal
- $100.00
- Total
- $100.00
What the Proforma Invoice Generator does
A proforma invoice is a preliminary, invoice-shaped document issued before goods or services are delivered — used to secure a purchase order, support customs clearance, or confirm pricing — that is not a demand for payment and isn't booked as revenue.
Methodology and formula
Proforma total = Same calculation as a real invoice (Sum of line items + Tax), but labelled 'proforma' and excluded from revenue and input-tax-credit records until reissued as a final invoice.
Worked example
- Inputs
- Export shipment: goods value $12,000, freight $800, no tax applicable (export), proforma PRO-007.
- Result
- Proforma total $12,800, clearly marked 'estimated, not a tax invoice', for the buyer's customs broker.
Because customs clearance requires a declared value before the shipment moves, the proforma lets the buyer pre-clear the goods while the supplier waits to issue the real tax invoice at the point of delivery.
When to use this tool
Use a proforma once a deal is firmer than a quote but before you're ready to issue a legal tax invoice — commonly for exports or enterprise purchase orders. Once delivered, reissue the same figures through the Invoice or GST Invoice Generator.
About the Proforma Invoice Generator
Proforma vs quotation vs invoice
A quotation is a price offer. A proforma is a full invoice-shaped document that isn't yet a demand for payment. An invoice is the final tax document that triggers accounts payable. The proforma sits between the two: firmer than a quote, not yet a real invoice.
When customs and procurement teams ask for one
International shipments almost always require a proforma so the buyer's customs broker can pre-clear the shipment. Enterprise buyers use them to raise a purchase order before you issue the real invoice.
Converting to a real invoice
Once the customer approves and you're ready to deliver, reissue the same numbers as a full tax invoice via the Invoice Generator or GST Invoice Generator. Keep the proforma on file — it's part of the audit trail.
Frequently asked questions
Is a proforma invoice a legal tax document?
Do I need to number proforma invoices?
Can a customer pay a proforma?
Does the PDF say 'proforma' clearly?
Related Invoicing Tools
Other free tools in the invoicing silo.
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