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TapTax
Free tool

Make a pro forma
invoice

Ask for payment before you start or ship, with a clear pro forma marked as not a VAT invoice. See the real PDF as you type. Free, with no account.

Your business

Your business and bank details are kept in this browser only, never sent to us to store.

Who the pro forma invoice is for
Number and dates
What it is for

Line 1

£
£0.00
Subtotal£0.00
VAT
Total£0.00
How to pay you (optional)
Notes (optional)
£0.00Preview and download

See how it works

A 0:31 walkthrough of this page, recorded on the live site, with narration and captions.

Read the transcript
  1. Need paying before you start? Send a pro forma invoice.
  2. Add your business details once. You can keep them on this device.
  3. Pick one of six layouts, and your own colour.
  4. Add your client and the pro forma number.
  5. Then the work or the goods, with prices.
  6. It totals as you type. When they pay, send the real invoice.
  7. Make yours free at taptax.co.uk.

Put this generator on your site

Free to embed on any website or blog. It needs no script, sets no cookies and works in any page builder that accepts an iframe.

Embed code
<iframe
  src="https://taptax.co.uk/proforma-invoice-generator/embed"
  title="Pro forma invoice generator"
  width="100%"
  height="680"
  loading="lazy"
  style="border:1px solid #e5e7eb;border-radius:12px;max-width:100%"
></iframe>
<p style="font-size:12px">
  <a href="https://taptax.co.uk/proforma-invoice-generator">Pro forma invoice generator by TapTax</a>
</p>

£0

to make a pro forma invoice, with nothing stored

0

VAT that can be reclaimed on a pro forma invoice

30 days

to issue the real VAT invoice after payment or supply

Pro forma invoice
A document that sets out what a sale will cost before it happens, usually to ask for payment up front. It looks like an invoice but is not one: it is not a demand for payment of a debt, and it is not a VAT invoice.

When a pro forma invoice helps

  • You want payment, or a deposit, before you start work or ship goods.
  • A new customer needs a document to raise a purchase order or get approval.
  • Goods are being sent abroad and customs need their declared value.
  • You are confirming a price in the form your customer’s accounts team expects.

Pro forma compared with the real invoice

Pro forma invoice compared with invoice
WhenBefore the sale or payment; the invoice after the supply
VATNot a VAT invoice; the customer cannot reclaim VAT on it
In your recordsNot income yet; the invoice is what you record
Marked“Pro forma” and “This is not a VAT invoice”, both printed for you
AfterwardsIssue the real invoice once paid or supplied

HMRC says a pro forma invoice should be clearly marked as not being a VAT invoice, so a customer never reclaims VAT on it. Every pro forma made here carries that line. Once the customer pays, or you supply, issue the proper invoice with the invoice generator, normally within 30 days if it is a VAT invoice.

Pro forma or quote?

A quote offers a price for the customer to accept. A pro forma invoice assumes the deal is agreed and asks for payment on those terms. Many businesses send a quote first, then a pro forma once it is accepted, then the invoice. Quote each one's number on the next, so the chain is easy to follow.

Nothing you type here is stored on our side. The pro forma is made and sent straight back to you as a PDF, with a small “Created with TapTax” line in the footer and nothing else of ours.

  • Invoice generator

    Make a UK invoice PDF in six templates, with VAT, bank details and your logo.

  • Quote generator

    A professional quote or estimate as a PDF, with a valid-until date.

  • Invoice parser

    Read an invoice PDF or photo into data: supplier, dates, VAT, totals and lines.

  • Business document templates

    Forty-four documents, from a VAT invoice to a letter before action, in Word, Excel and PDF.

  • VAT

    Add VAT to a price or take it out, at 20, 5 or 0 percent.

  • Invoice due date

    When an invoice is due under its payment terms, and when interest can start.

Frequently asked questions

Is the pro forma invoice generator free?

Yes, with no account and no card. The only mark of ours is a small “Created with TapTax” line in the footer.

What is a pro forma invoice?

A document setting out what a sale will cost, usually to ask for payment before you deliver. It is not an invoice for a debt and not a VAT invoice.

Can my customer reclaim VAT on a pro forma?

No. HMRC says a pro forma should be marked as not a VAT invoice, and every one made here is. Issue the real VAT invoice once paid or supplied.

Is a pro forma the same as a quote?

No. A quote offers a price to accept; a pro forma assumes the deal is agreed and asks for payment on those terms.

Do you keep my pro forma invoices?

No. The PDF is made and sent straight back; nothing you type is stored.

Where these figures come from

Rates from GOV.UK.