How to Make Proforma Invoice in Tally Prime: A Simple Guide for Businesses

Running an online news portal means juggling multiple tasks—content creation, subscriptions, and sometimes even selling services or products like sponsored articles or ad spaces. To streamline transactions, a proforma invoice can be a game-changer. It’s a preliminary bill that outlines the terms of a deal before it’s finalized, helping both you and your clients stay on the same page. If you’re using TallyPrime, creating a proforma invoice is straightforward and efficient. In this blog post, I’ll walk you through the process in a simple, human-friendly way, breaking it down into five easy steps. Let’s dive in!

What Is a Proforma Invoice and Why Use It?

A proforma invoice is like a draft invoice you send to a client before delivering goods or services. It’s not legally binding and doesn’t affect your accounting books, but it’s a powerful tool for transparency. For a news portal, you might use it to propose costs for ad placements or sponsored content. It details things like item descriptions, quantities, prices, and payment terms, giving your clients a clear picture of what to expect. This clarity reduces misunderstandings and can even help secure advance payments, ensuring smoother deals.

In TallyPrime, a proforma invoice is created as an optional sales voucher, meaning it won’t mess with your financial records until the deal is confirmed. It’s perfect for setting expectations and fostering trust with your clients.

Setting Up TallyPrime for Proforma Invoices

Before you start, ensure TallyPrime is ready for invoicing. Open TallyPrime and select the company you’re working with. If you haven’t already, enable the necessary features:

• Go to Gateway of Tally > F11: Features > Accounting Features.
• Set Use Debit/Credit Notes and Use Invoice Mode for Recording Purchase/Sales to Yes.

This setup ensures your system is configured to handle proforma invoices seamlessly. If you’re new to TallyPrime, don’t worry—the interface is user-friendly, and these steps are a one-time setup for most businesses.

Creating the Proforma Invoice

Now, let’s get to the fun part—creating the invoice! Here’s how:

1. From the Gateway of Tally, go to Vouchers and press F8 (Sales) to open a new sales voucher.
2. Press Ctrl+L to mark the voucher as Optional. This is key, as it ensures the invoice won’t impact your accounts.
3. Fill in the details:
   • Party Details: Enter the client’s name, address, and contact info.
   • Item Details: List the services (e.g., “Sponsored Article” or “Banner Ad”), quantities, and prices.
   • Terms and Conditions: Specify payment terms, delivery timelines, or any other relevant info.
4. Double-check everything for accuracy. TallyPrime lets you preview the invoice by pressing Ctrl+P > I (Preview) to ensure it looks perfect.

Once you’re happy, press Ctrl+A to save the voucher. Your proforma invoice is now ready!

Printing or Sharing the Proforma Invoice

After creating the invoice, you’ll want to share it with your client. TallyPrime makes this super easy:

• In the sales voucher, press Ctrl+P or Alt+P (Print) > Current.
• Choose P (Print) to print a hard copy or Ctrl+E to export it as a PDF for emailing.
• You can also customize the invoice with your news portal’s logo by enabling Print Company Logo under F11: Features > Accounting Features.

This flexibility ensures you can send professional-looking invoices via email or print, depending on your client’s preference. A well-designed invoice reflects your brand and builds trust.

Benefits of Using Proforma Invoices in TallyPrime

Using proforma invoices in TallyPrime isn’t just about paperwork—it’s about making your news portal’s operations smoother. They help clarify expectations, reduce disputes, and streamline negotiations. Since they’re non-binding, you can adjust terms based on client feedback without affecting your accounts. Plus, TallyPrime’s integration with your accounting system ensures that once the deal is confirmed, converting a proforma invoice to a sales invoice is a breeze—just unmark it as optional and save. This efficiency saves time and keeps your financial records accurate, letting you focus on delivering great content.

Creating proforma invoices in TallyPrime is a simple yet powerful way to manage transactions for your online news portal. By following these steps, you can ensure clear communication with clients, build trust, and keep your business running smoothly. Give it a try, and see how it transforms your invoicing process!