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HomePro forma invoices

Pro forma invoices,
explained.

Plain EnglishNot a tax invoiceOne tap to the real one
See Bookkeeping & Invoicing Tax invoice requirements

What is a pro forma invoice in South Africa?

A pro forma invoice is a request for payment sent before you supply the goods or services. It shows what the invoice will say, so the customer can pay upfront or get approval to pay. It is not a tax invoice: nobody can claim input VAT on it. Once the customer pays and you supply, you issue the tax invoice.

Bookkeeping & Invoicing issues pro formas and turns them into the tax invoice in one tap. Bookkeeping & Invoicing: three plans from R190 to R950 a month. No setup fee, month to month. Free trial: 7 days and 20 quotes or invoices, no card.

Three documents

Quote, pro forma
or tax invoice.

QuotePro formaTax invoice
What it isAn offer at a priceA request to pay firstA demand for payment for a supply
Customer can claim VAT on itNoNoYes, if it meets section 20
Counts as a sale in your booksNoNoYes
When you send itBefore the work is agreedBefore you supply, to be paid upfrontWithin 21 days of the supply
When to use one

Paid first,
supplied after.

Good reasons to send a pro forma
  • You want payment before you order stock or start work
  • The customer's finance department needs a document to approve the payment
  • An export customer needs one for customs or a letter of credit

What to write on it

Mark it clearly "Pro forma invoice", give it its own number, and show the same lines, VAT and total the tax invoice will carry. Do not call it a tax invoice.

How it works in Bookkeeping & Invoicing

Pro formas live with your quotes. When the customer pays, one tap turns the pro forma into the tax invoice with the same lines, and the payment is matched to it. Setup can make "pro forma first" your usual way of selling.

Questions

Pro forma
questions.

No. It is a request for payment before supply, and no one can claim input VAT on it.

No. Income is recorded when you issue the tax invoice.

Yes, if you are VAT registered: show the VAT the tax invoice will carry, so the customer pays the right amount.

A quote is an offer the customer can accept. A pro forma asks them to pay before you supply.

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