Free Quotation Format & Template for Indian Businesses

A quotation (also called an estimate or quote) is the priced offer you send a customer before a sale is confirmed. It lists the goods or services, the rate, applicable taxes and the terms under which you will supply — so the buyer can review and approve before you raise an invoice. A quotation is not a tax invoice and not a demand for payment: it carries no GST liability on its own, and there is no e-invoice (IRN) or e-way bill at this stage. Those apply only once the quote is accepted and converted into a tax invoice (and e-invoice and e-way bill apply only where the relevant turnover and consignment-value thresholds are met). This guide explains exactly what a correct quotation should contain in India, how GST is shown on it, and how to make and send one. With KukBook you can create, print and share a professional quotation for free — and when it becomes a GST tax invoice, the same data flows into your GSTR-1/3B returns, e-invoice (IRN) and e-way bill where applicable.

What this quotation / estimate includes

Tips

Always set a validity date. Quoted rates can move with material costs and GST changes — an expiry (e.g. 15–30 days) lets you re-price honestly without losing the deal.
Show GST as a separate line, not baked into the rate. Buyers — especially businesses claiming input tax credit — want to see the taxable value and CGST/SGST or IGST split clearly.
Use correct HSN/SAC codes and the right tax rate from the start. If the wrong rate goes on the quote, it can carry forward to the invoice and into your GSTR-1, so fix it here.
Spell out what's excluded. State whether freight, installation, packing or taxes are extra, and note your assumptions — this prevents disputes when you convert the quote to an invoice.
Number your quotations sequentially and reference the number on the resulting PO and tax invoice, so the quote-to-cash trail is easy to audit and follow up on.

Frequently asked questions

Is a quotation the same as a tax invoice or proforma invoice?

No. A quotation is a pre-sale priced offer with no GST liability and no payment due. A proforma invoice is a provisional, non-binding document sent before the sale is finalised, and a tax invoice is the legal GST document raised on the supply that creates tax liability and goes into your returns. A quote typically becomes a proforma or tax invoice once accepted.

Do I need to charge GST on a quotation?

You don't pay or collect GST on a quotation — it is only an offer. But if you are GST-registered you should show the applicable GST (CGST+SGST for intra-state, IGST for inter-state) so the buyer sees the indicative all-inclusive price. The tax becomes due only when you issue the tax invoice.

What's the difference between a quotation and an estimate?

In practice they are used interchangeably for a priced pre-sale offer. "Estimate" often implies an approximate figure (common in services or repair work) while "quotation" implies a firm price held until its validity date. KukBook treats them as the same document type, so you can label it either way.

Can I create and share a GST-ready quotation for free in KukBook?

Yes. KukBook lets you create, print and share quotations free, with your logo, HSN/SAC codes and GST breakup. When the customer accepts, you convert the quote to a tax invoice — and from there KukBook helps you generate the e-invoice (IRN) and e-way bill where applicable and feeds your GSTR-1/3B return data.

Create, print and share your first quotation free in KukBook — then convert it to a GST tax invoice, with e-invoice and e-way bill where applicable.