Billing & GST
What is Proforma Invoice?
Proforma Invoice · प्रोफॉर्मा इनवॉइस
A preliminary 'this is what we'd bill' document — not a tax invoice, not payable.
Proforma invoices quote scope, prices, and terms in invoice format before supply happens. Import/export customs processes, advance-payment requests, and corporate procurement workflows lean on them because they look authoritative while remaining non-tax documents.
Key distinctions: no GSTIN-charged tax columns apply yet, no serial-number obligation under GST, and it converts into a real tax invoice upon confirmation. Marking it clearly 'PROFORMA INVOICE' prevents accounting mix-ups downstream.
Proforma Invoice: quick answers
Can a customer pay against a proforma invoice?
Commonly yes, especially advances — but issue the proper tax invoice for that payment, or a proforma-marked receipt, to keep records straight.
Proforma vs quotation?
Near-synonyms; proformas mimic invoice layout for formal workflows while quotations read like offers.
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