A quote tells the customer the price and terms; a proforma is a preliminary invoice prepared before the sale is final, for payment or advance approval, and it is not a tax document; an invoice is the official document issued after the sale takes place. Since all three carry the same customer and product information, producing them from a single source prevents the errors that come from typing the same information three times by hand.
A sale usually passes through three documents: first a quote is sent, if the customer accepts a proforma is requested, and when the sale takes place an invoice is issued. All three contain the same customer, the same products and the same prices. Yet in many companies these documents are prepared separately, in different files and often by different people. In this article we explain the difference between the documents and the problems that come from writing the same information again and again. The examples are based on practice in Türkiye; what follows is general information, so ask your accountant about your own tax and accounting obligations.
Quote: states the price and terms
A quote is the document showing which product or service a company offers in response to a customer's request, at what price and on what terms. It usually contains the product or service lines, unit prices, whether VAT is included, delivery time, payment terms and how long the quote is valid. A quote is not a sale; until the customer accepts it, it is only an offer. That is why several different quotes can go to the same customer.
Proforma: the preliminary invoice before the sale
A proforma is a preliminary invoice prepared after the customer accepts the quote but before the sale actually takes place. It looks like an invoice: buyer details, line items, amounts and the total are all there. However, a proforma is not a tax document and is not entered in the accounts as an invoice. It is usually requested so the customer can make an advance payment, obtain internal purchase approval, or use it as a preliminary document in transactions such as imports.
Invoice: the official document issued after the sale
An invoice is the official document issued after goods are delivered or a service is performed. Under the Turkish Tax Procedure Law, an invoice must be issued within seven days at the latest from the date the goods are delivered or the service is performed. The invoice is entered in the accounts and forms the basis for tax. Questions such as whether the company falls under e-Invoice or e-Archive are settled with the accountant; the invoice is usually issued from the accounting software or the e-document system.
Why is writing the same information three times a problem?
If the quote is prepared in Word, the proforma in Excel and the invoice in the accounting software, the customer name, address, product names, quantities and prices are typed three times. Every typing is a chance for an error: a discounted price in the quote carries over to the proforma at the old rate, one digit of the tax number is mistyped, a delivery term from the quote is forgotten in the proforma. When the customer notices these differences the document has to be redone, the sale is delayed and trust in the company is shaken.
Another problem is not knowing which document is current. If three versions of the quote were sent during negotiations, the version the proforma should follow is often found by searching through the email history. We looked separately at why preparing quotes takes so long in the article why do quotes take so long to prepare.
Producing everything from one source
The solution is to keep customer and product information in one place and produce the documents from there. When a quote is prepared, the customer and products are chosen from the list and prices and VAT are calculated automatically. When the customer accepts, the proforma is created from the same quote without retyping; amounts and terms stay exactly the same. Whoever issues the invoice, or the accounting software, reaches the same line items.
In our Report and Quote Automation product, which sets up this arrangement, we take the quote and proforma templates you use today; the customer and products are chosen, VAT and totals are calculated automatically, a PDF with your logo is created in one click and sent to the customer by email, and a copy of every document is kept in the archive.
Things to watch out for
Clarifying a few points before moving to producing documents from a single source makes the job easier: Are the customer and product lists up to date, and does the same customer appear more than once? Are the quote's validity period and payment terms written the same way on every document? Who prepares the proforma, who issues the invoice, and can both reach the same information? Has the software to be used for the legal obligations on the invoice side been decided together with the accountant? The answers to these questions show which document can be automated and which stays within the existing accounting setup.
Frequently asked questions
Can a proforma replace an invoice?
No. A proforma is a preliminary invoice prepared before the sale is final; it is not a tax document and is not entered in the accounts as an invoice. An invoice is issued separately after the sale takes place.
What is the difference between a quote and a proforma?
A quote is the document that offers the customer a price and terms; until the customer accepts it, it is not a binding sale. A proforma is a preliminary invoice prepared after the quote is accepted, usually for payment or purchase approval.
What do you gain by preparing quotes and proformas from the same source?
Because customer, product and price information sits in one place, the same information is not typed several times. When the proforma is created from the accepted quote, amounts and terms stay exactly the same, and typing errors and version mix-ups decrease.
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