What the proforma invoice template includes
The layout carries every field your later bill will need, plus three that only matter in advance: a date the prices hold until, an expected delivery or start date, and a line stating the document is not a tax invoice. The title block reads Proforma Invoice and uses its own PF number.
All three files use the same fields in the same order.
| Format | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Word (.docx) | Long item descriptions, delivery notes, a letterhead you already use | Totals are typed by hand, so add them up twice |
| Excel (.xlsx) | Orders with many lines; quantity times price and the tax line calculate for you | Typing over a formula cell breaks the total |
| Printing a blank form and writing it out for a walk in buyer | Handwritten figures are hard for a finance team to process |
How to fill in a proforma, field by field
Work from the top of the page down, and copy figures from your accepted quote rather than retyping them. The aim is a document the buyer’s approver can sign off without phoning you, so every figure should already be final.
- Number: use a separate prefix such as PF-0108, never the next number from your sales series.
- Dates: the issue date, a valid until date and the date you expect to deliver.
- Buyer: the legal name that will pay, plus a separate delivery address if goods go to a site, school or warehouse.
- Lines: one product or service per line, with size, color or model in the description so nobody has to guess.
- Freight and packing: include them now, not on the final bill.
- Tax: show GST, VAT or sales tax as the amount expected, so the approved figure matches what is paid later.
- Payment: say whether you want the full amount or a deposit, by when, and to which account.
- Status note: add “This is not a tax invoice” in the notes box.
Who usually asks for a pro forma invoice
Buyers who must get approval or arrange money before an order is placed are the ones who ask. Schools, councils, companies with purchase approval steps, importers and anyone paying from a grant often need an invoice shaped document to attach to their request.
If the price is still being discussed, send a quote instead and switch to the proforma once the buyer says yes. For a deeper look at the legal status of each document, read our guide to proforma invoices versus tax invoices.
Pro forma invoice example: school uniforms in Queensland
Here is a filled in example from a made up Brisbane uniform maker quoting a school uniform shop in Toowoomba. The school’s business manager needs a proforma to approve the spend and pay half up front, before embroidery starts. Prices are examples only, and GST is added at Australia’s 10% rate.
| Line | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polo shirt, embroidered crest, sizes 6 to 16 | 120 | $24.50 | $2,940.00 |
| Winter jumper, embroidered, sizes 8 to 16 | 60 | $42.00 | $2,520.00 |
| Sports shorts, navy and gold | 90 | $16.80 | $1,512.00 |
| Bucket hat, embroidered | 80 | $11.25 | $900.00 |
| Freight to Toowoomba, 6 cartons | 1 | $95.00 | $95.00 |
| Subtotal | $7,967.00 | ||
| GST at 10% | $796.70 | ||
| Total | $8,763.70 | ||
The notes ask for a 50% deposit of $4,381.85 before production and say the prices hold for 30 days. Business.gov.au says a tax invoice must carry the words “tax invoice” and, for sales over $1,000, the buyer’s identity or ABN. So keep those words off the proforma, and collect the school’s ABN now, ready for the real tax invoice once the uniforms are supplied.
Proforma template mistakes to fix before you send
Most problems come from reusing an ordinary invoice file and changing too little, or from a proforma that does not match the bill that follows. A buyer’s approver will compare the two documents line by line.
- The old title is still there. A copied tax invoice file that still says Tax Invoice at the top causes confusion in the buyer’s accounts system.
- No valid until date. If fabric costs rise next month, you have nothing to point to.
- Freight left for later. The approved figure ends up lower than the final bill, and the buyer has to seek approval twice.
- Sending the editable Word file. Send a PDF so figures cannot be changed by accident.
- Typed totals in the Excel version. Once a formula is overwritten, a changed quantity no longer updates the total.
Download the template or use the generator
Download the Word, Excel or PDF version from this page, or open the uniform order sample in the invoice generator and replace the lines with your own. The generator adds GST per line and saves a PDF you can email straight away.
If you only need the proforma itself, the dedicated proforma invoice maker starts numbering at PF-0001. When the buyer pays part up front, the deposit invoice template shows how to bill it, and goods leaving the country need a commercial invoice for customs. Every other layout is in our free invoice template library.
Fill it in on screen and download or email a real PDF. No sign up.