Guide · Examples
Proforma invoice example: three filled samples, explained
Three proforma invoices filled in for real situations: tea exported from Kenya in US dollars, fabric sold between two Indian states with GST, and office furniture sold in Nigeria with VAT. Every line is explained underneath.
Updated 17 October 2026 · 3 min read
How to read these examples
The companies, numbers and tax identifiers are fictitious, but the structure, the tax treatment and the wording follow the rules of each country as of October 2026. Take the one closest to your situation and adapt it, or download a blank template below.
From the guide to the document
Your proforma with these details, ready as a PDF.
What every example has in common
- The words “Proforma invoice”, a number in a series of its own and the date.
- The seller’s full name, address and tax identifiers, and the buyer’s.
- Lines precise enough for a bank or customs officer: product, grade or size, quantity and unit.
- The currency, stated once and clearly.
- The tax that will apply, or why none applies.
- The terms: validity, delivery, payment, and a seller’s stamp and signature.
Mistakes these examples avoid
- A vague description such as “tea” or “fabric”: the bank and customs need the grade, size and packing.
- An Incoterms® rule without a named place: “FOB” alone is incomplete, “FOB Mombasa (Incoterms® 2020)” is not.
- A total with no currency, or two currencies on one document.
- Tax added without saying which tax and at which rate.
- No validity date, so the price seems to stand forever.
Example 1 · Export
Tea exported from Kenya to Dubai, in US dollars
Kericho Highlands Tea Ltd
Moi Highway, Kericho, Kenya
KRA PIN P051234567X · Exporter, fictitious
PROFORMA INVOICE
No. PI-2026-118
15 Oct 2026
Buyer
Al Noor Foodstuff Trading LLC
Al Ras, Deira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
TRN 100123456700003 (fictitious)
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black tea BP1, CTC grade, 60 kg paper sacks (HS 0902.40)120 sacks × 186.00 | 120 sacks | 186.00 | 22,320.00 |
| Black tea PF1, CTC grade, 60 kg paper sacks (HS 0902.40)80 sacks × 172.00 | 80 sacks | 172.00 | 13,760.00 |
| Inland haulage and loading, Kericho to Mombasa port1 lot × 650.00 | 1 lot | 650.00 | 650.00 |
Valid until 14 Nov 2026. FOB Mombasa (Incoterms® 2020). Origin: Kenya. 30% advance by bank transfer, balance against copy of bill of lading.Stamp and signature
- Seller and buyer identifiers. The KRA PIN identifies the Kenyan exporter; the buyer’s UAE tax registration number (TRN) helps their customs broker and bank.
- HS code in each description. 0902.40 is black tea in packages over 3 kg. The importer needs it to estimate duty before ordering.
- VAT 0%, and why. Exports of goods are zero-rated in Kenya, so the line says “export, zero-rated” rather than leaving the tax empty.
- FOB Mombasa (Incoterms® 2020). The seller delivers the tea on board at Mombasa; sea freight and insurance are for the buyer.
- Payment terms a bank can follow. 30% advance by transfer, balance against a copy of the bill of lading.
Example 2 · India, GST
Cotton fabric sold from Gujarat to Maharashtra
Shree Ganesh Textiles Pvt Ltd
Ring Road, Surat, Gujarat (24)
GSTIN 24AAACS1234K1Z5 · PAN AAACS1234K (fictitious)
PROFORMA INVOICE
No. PI/2026-27/0042
15 Oct 2026
Buyer · place of supply Maharashtra (27)
Mehta Garments
Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra (27)
GSTIN 27AAAPM5678L1Z2 (fictitious)
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton poplin, 58 in, 120 gsm (HSN 5208)1200 m × 142.50 | 1200 m | 142.50 | 1,71,000.00 |
| Cotton cambric, 44 in (HSN 5208)800 m × 118.00 | 800 m | 118.00 | 94,400.00 |
| Freight to Pune1 lot × 6,500.00 | 1 lot | 6,500.00 | 6,500.00 |
Valid until 30 Oct 2026. This is a proforma invoice, not a tax invoice. 50% advance by RTGS/NEFT, balance before dispatch. Tax invoice issued at dispatch.Stamp and signature
- GSTIN of both parties. The first two digits are the state codes: 24 for Gujarat, 27 for Maharashtra.
- Place of supply. The goods go to another state, so the supply is inter-state and the tax is IGST, not CGST plus SGST.
- HSN code and rate. Cotton woven fabric (HSN 5208) at 5%. Check the rate of your own goods: since 22 September 2025 most goods are at 5% or 18%.
- Indian number format. ₹2,85,495.00 is written with lakh grouping, as Indian buyers expect.
- “Not a tax invoice”. The tax invoice will be issued at dispatch; the proforma only fixes the price and the advance.
Example 3 · Nigeria, VAT
Office furniture sold from Lagos to Abuja
Adebayo Office Supplies Ltd
Allen Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos
RC 1234567 · TIN 12345678-0001 (fictitious)
PROFORMA INVOICE
No. PF-2026-0219
15 Oct 2026
Buyer
Savannah Agro Processing Ltd
Central Business District, Abuja
TIN 87654321-0001 (fictitious)
| Description | Qty | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive office chair, mesh back12 pcs × 185,000.00 | 12 pcs | 185,000.00 | 2,220,000.00 |
| Office desk, 160 × 80 cm, with drawer unit6 pcs × 320,000.00 | 6 pcs | 320,000.00 | 1,920,000.00 |
| Delivery and installation, Abuja1 lot × 150,000.00 | 1 lot | 150,000.00 | 150,000.00 |
Valid until 14 Nov 2026. Not a VAT invoice. 50% advance by bank transfer, balance on delivery. Delivery 10 working days after advance.Stamp and signature
- RC number and TIN. The seller’s CAC registration number and tax identification number, and the buyer’s TIN.
- VAT at 7.5%. The standard rate, unchanged under the Nigeria Tax Act 2025. It is shown so the buyer knows the total, not charged yet.
- Delivery and installation on their own line. The buyer sees what the price includes; nothing is hidden in the unit prices.
- 50% advance. The proforma is what the buyer’s finance team pays against. See advance payments.
- “Not a VAT invoice”. The VAT invoice follows on delivery.
Free template
Proforma invoice template for export
Seller and buyer tax IDs, exporter code, lines, tax and total, Incoterms® rule, origin, HS codes, weights and acceptance. A4, free, no sign-up.
Questions
Proforma Invoice Example: your questions
Can I copy one of these examples?
Yes, the layout and wording are free to reuse. Replace every fictitious name, number and identifier with your own, and check the tax rate of your goods.
What is the simplest proforma invoice example?
Seller, buyer, a list of items with quantities and prices, the total, the currency, how long the offer stands and a signature. Download the simple template below.
Does a proforma invoice need a stamp?
Rarely by law, often in practice: banks and licensing offices in many countries expect the seller’s stamp and signature.
Can a proforma invoice be in two currencies?
Keep one currency per document. If the buyer needs another, issue a separate proforma in that currency.
Sources and updates
Checked on 17 October 2026. Tax and customs rules change: for your own case, confirm with the authority concerned, your bank or a tax adviser.
Read next
Related guides
How to make a proforma invoice step by step: details to collect, lines, currency, tax, terms, validity and signature, in Word, Excel or online.
An export version with Incoterms, origin and HS codes, and a simple version. No sign-up.
Proforma invoice meaning: an offer to sell in invoice form. What it must contain for customs, banks and import licences, how long it stays valid.
Six documents, one app
From the quote to the receipt
One customer file, one product list and your own layout serve all six documents. An accepted quote or proforma becomes an invoice without retyping.
1. The price
Quote
QUO-2026-0012
Your price for the job, with a validity date and space for the buyer to accept it.
2. The firm offer
Proforma invoice
PI-2026-042
What your buyer’s bank, their forwarder or their purchasing team asks for before the order.
3. The order
Purchase order
PO-2026-0007
What is ordered, how many and for which delivery date, signed by the buyer.
4. The delivery
Delivery note
DN-2026-0007
It travels with the goods; the consignee signs it and writes down any reservation.
5. The sale
Invoice
INV-2026-0031
The accepted proforma or quote becomes the invoice, with the same lines and currency.
6. The payment
Payment receipt
REC-2026-0019
Proof of a payment, linked to its invoice, with the method and the balance still due.
Your next proforma invoice, already in your colours
Three free documents, no card required. Your tax IDs, bank details and payment terms are typed once, then printed on every PDF.