A quotation is the priced offer you send before the deal closes — it must carry a validity date, a clear tax breakup and a signature block. Pick the right format, fill the line items and download a print-ready PDF.
The format decides the columns, the extra blocks and how the total is shown.
The full working quotation with every line item itemised, HSN/SAC code, unit of measure and discount.
Must contain: Quotation number, quotation date, valid-until date, seller GSTIN, buyer details, HSN/SAC, quantity, rate, GST and total
Quotations are normally issued on your letterhead, so these details print at the top.
The party the offer is made to. The state decides CGST + SGST or IGST.
Always set a valid-until date. An open-ended quotation is commercially worthless.
Payment milestones, warranty and the terms you are willing to be held to.
Address
Phone: — · State: —
GSTIN: — ·
Quotation No.: —
Date: —
Valid Until: —
Quotation For
Customer
Address
Phone: —
GSTIN: —
Quotation Details
Place of Supply: —
| No items yet |
| Taxable Value | ₹0.00 |
| Quoted Total | ₹0.00 |
Most small businesses lose deals by sending the wrong document at the wrong stage. A quotation is a priced, dated, expiring offer — it is not a bill, and it is not a purchase order. Use the table below to match the stage of your deal to the right document.
| Document | Send it when | Binding? | Tax breakup | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quotation | You have priced a job and the buyer is still comparing options | Not binding until accepted | CGST + SGST or IGST shown, as on a tax invoice | Must carry valid-until date |
| Cost Estimate | The scope is still fuzzy and the buyer only wants a ballpark figure | Indicative only | Optional — usually a single approximate figure | Short, often 7 to 15 days |
| Proforma Invoice | The buyer has accepted the quote and an advance is being raised | Binding once advance is paid | Full breakup, adjusted against the final invoice | Valid until the delivery date |
| Purchase Order | The buyer raises a formal PO against your quotation | Binding on both sides | Usually mentioned but not itemised | As per the PO |
| Work Order | Job has started and you need an internal job card | Internal / contractual | Not applicable | Till completion of the job |
| Tax Invoice | Goods have been supplied or services rendered and payment is due | Statutory — required by law | Compulsory, with buyer GSTIN for B2B | Due date drives payment, not a validity date |
Detailed for goods and itemised work, lumpsum for fixed-price interiors, site survey after a visit, AMC for annual contracts, tender for EOI submissions.
Give the quotation a running number and a valid-until date. Most vendors accept a quote for 7 to 15 days; construction quotes usually need 30.
Add each item with HSN/SAC, unit, quantity, rate, discount and GST rate. Taxable value, tax and the quoted total update live as you type.
Check the preview, download the PDF and email it the same day. Then convert the accepted quote to an invoice from the same number series.
A quotation format is the standard layout used to present a priced offer to a prospective buyer before any supply is made. Unlike a tax invoice, a quotation is not a statutory document under the CGST Act — there is no prescribed format for it — but it must still contain the particulars a buyer needs to accept and later convert into a purchase order: the supplier's legal name and GSTIN, the buyer's name, address, GSTIN and place of supply, a unique quotation number, the date of issue, a clearly stated valid-until date, an itemised description with HSN/SAC codes where applicable, unit of measure, quantity, rate, discount, the rate and amount of tax split into CGST and SGST for an intra-state supply or IGST for an inter-state supply, the total value in figures and in words, and an authorised signature block.
The commercial value of a quotation lies in its validity clause. A price quoted without an expiry date is an open-ended promise, and for a business buying raw material, labour or imported components, that is a real financial risk because the seller — not the buyer — carries it. The same discipline applies to scope: a quotation that lists only "interior work" invites a dispute the moment the buyer imagines wardrobes and kitchen modules are included. Experienced vendors itemise aggressively, state exclusions explicitly, and attach payment milestones (advance on order, balance before dispatch) so the buyer can budget without a follow-up phone call. Once the buyer accepts, the same quotation becomes the base document for the proforma invoice, the purchase order and finally the tax invoice, which is why it is worth spending ten minutes on the format at the start.
Every business document has its own legal shape. Build the rest of your paperwork with the same free, instant-PDF approach.
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