Free Quotation Maker and Format

By the MuftTools teamUpdated October 2026How we checkSources: CGST Act, section 32 (CBIC), CGST Act, section 16 (CBIC), CGST Rules, rule 46 (CBIC)

Quotation format: what it is and who needs one

A quotation (or estimate) is the price offer you send before the work starts or the goods are delivered. It answers the customer's questions in one page: what exactly they will get, how much it will cost with tax, how long the price holds, and on what terms. Electricians, caterers, interior designers, printers, transporters, coaching centres and wholesalers send them every day, often as a photo of a handwritten page. A clean PDF looks more professional and is easier for the customer to forward to their accounts team.

This generator uses the same engine as our GST Invoice Generator, so the GST maths is identical. The difference is in what the document says: it is headed Quotation or Estimate, it has a valid-until date and a terms section, and it carries the line "This is a quotation, not a tax invoice".

How to make a quotation

1. Heading and number. Choose Quotation or Estimate. Give it a number such as QT/26-27/014 so you can find it later when the customer calls back.
2. Dates. The date is today by default and the valid-until date is 30 days later. Shorten it if your material prices change quickly.
3. Your business. Add your name, address, phone and, if you are registered, your GSTIN. Upload a logo and a signature or stamp if you like.
4. Customer. Add the customer's name and address, and their state as the place of supply. A subject line such as "Supply and fitting of LED lights" helps them recognise it.
5. Items. Add each item or service with quantity, unit, rate, discount and GST rate. The line totals and the grand total update as you type.
6. Terms. Tap your trade (construction, interior work, IT services, printing or catering) to fill in typical terms, then edit them to match your offer, or clear any line you don't need.
7. Download. Download a PDF, an Excel sheet or a Word file, or print. Click "Next quotation" to start the next one with the number already moved up by one.
8. Order confirmed? Press Convert to invoice. The GST invoice opens with the same customer and items, so you don't type them twice.

GST on a quotation: three cases

A quotation is not a tax document, but the customer wants to know the final amount, so it should show the tax the invoice will carry.

The last row matters. Under section 32 of the CGST Act, a person who is not registered must not collect any amount as tax. So if you have no GSTIN, don't add "GST 18%" to your prices just because a customer expects it.

GST rates in the item list follow the current slabs: 5% and 18% for most goods and services, 40% for a few items, plus the special rates for gold, jewellery and diamonds. Check the rate for your HSN or SAC code before you send the quotation, because the invoice must use the correct rate.

What a good quotation includes

GST law fixes the contents of a tax invoice (Rule 46 of the CGST Rules) but not of a quotation, so the format is up to you. In practice, customers and purchase departments look for these:

• Your full details: business name, address, phone, email and GSTIN if you have one.
• A unique number and date, so a purchase order can refer to it.
• A clear description of each item or service, with quantity and unit. "Wiring work" invites a dispute; "Concealed wiring, 2.5 sq mm copper, 12 points" does not.
• Price, discount and tax shown separately, and the total in figures and words.
• Validity: until when the price holds.
• Terms: advance and balance payment, delivery time, warranty, and what is not included (transport, installation, civil work).
• Signature or stamp of the person who can commit the business.

Quotation format in Excel or Word

Many buyers ask for an editable file. The Excel download keeps working formulas for each line (quantity × rate, less discount, plus GST) and for the totals, so if the customer asks for 12 units instead of 10, change one cell and the sheet adds up again. The Word download has the same quotation as a clean table you can add a covering letter to. Both open in Excel, Word, LibreOffice and Google Sheets or Docs.

The ready-made terms are only a starting point. They use plain, common wording, such as an advance with the order and the balance on delivery, and carry no legal promise. Change the percentages, days and warranty period to what you actually offer.

Quotation, proforma invoice or tax invoice?

These three are often mixed up. A quotation is your offer. A proforma invoice is usually sent after the customer agrees, to ask for advance payment or to open a letter of credit; it still isn't a tax invoice (you can make one with our proforma invoice generator). The tax invoice is issued for the actual supply. Only a tax invoice (or a debit note) lets a registered buyer claim input tax credit, as section 16 of the CGST Act requires them to hold one. So a customer can't use your quotation for their GST credit, however detailed it is.

Tips and common mistakes

• Don't forget the valid-until date. Without it, a customer may come back after six months expecting the old price.
• Spell out exclusions. "Transport extra at actuals" or "Civil work by customer" in the notes saves an argument later.
• Use the right place of supply. If the customer is in another state, the invoice will carry IGST, so quote IGST now.
• Keep numbering in order. It makes follow-up easy: "Sir, about our quotation QT/26-27/014…".
• Add a UPI QR only when you want an advance. It's off by default; turn it on and the QR carries the exact quoted total.

Your data stays with you

Everything you type stays in your browser. The files are made on your phone or computer and nothing is uploaded. Saved customers, items and past quotations are kept on this device only; clear your browser's site data to remove them.