Quotation Format in India: What to Include (With GST)

A good quotation in India carries seven things: who it is from and to (with both GSTINs), a quote number and date, a validity date, an itemised list with HSN or SAC codes, the GST split, the total, and the terms. No law prescribes a quotation format — a quotation is an offer, not a tax document — but a buyer's purchase team will compare it line by line with the invoice that follows, so it pays to write it the same way.

What to include

• Your details: legal name, address, GSTIN, and a contact person.
• The client's details: legal name, billing address, GSTIN if registered, and the person who asked for the quote.
• A quotation number and date, so both sides can refer to it.
• Valid until — a specific date, not "30 days". Prices for hardware, travel and anything imported change quickly.
• Itemised lines: description, HSN (goods) or SAC (services), quantity, rate and amount. "Website development — ₹1,50,000" invites negotiation; five lines with what each covers invites a decision.
• GST, shown properly: the rate per line and the split — CGST and SGST for a client in your state, IGST for one in another state. The place of supply decides which.
• Terms: payment schedule (advance, milestones), delivery or timeline, what is excluded, warranty or support period, and who pays for travel or third-party costs.

Quotation, estimate, proforma, invoice — the difference

A quotation is a firm offer at stated prices for a stated period. An estimate is an approximation that may change. A proforma invoice is a quotation in invoice layout, often used when the buyer needs a document to raise payment or open a letter of credit. None of these is a tax invoice: none creates a GST liability, and the buyer cannot claim input tax credit on any of them. If the client pays an advance against your quotation, a supplier of services owes GST on that advance and should issue a receipt voucher.

The mistakes that lose orders

• No validity date, so a six-month-old price comes back to bite you.
• Tax shown as "18% extra" in a footnote, so the buyer's approved budget is 18% short when the invoice arrives.
• The wrong tax split — IGST to a buyer in your own state — which tells a purchase team you will get the invoice wrong too.
• Scope in one line, which turns every later request into an argument about what was included.
• Sending it and waiting. A quotation with no follow-up within two working days is most often lost to silence, not to price.

Who this does not apply to

If you are not registered under GST, leave out the GST lines and GSTIN; your eventual document will be a bill of supply, not a tax invoice. Government tenders have their own prescribed formats, which override everything above.

A test you can run this week

Open your last five quotations and the invoices that followed them. Does each invoice match its quotation line for line, with the same tax split? Every mismatch is a conversation with a purchase team you did not need to have — and a sign that the invoice is being retyped rather than created from the quote.

In Grovia, each quotation line carries its HSN or SAC code and GST rate, the tax is split as CGST/SGST or IGST from the place of supply, and the quote has a valid-until date. It prints to PDF, goes to the client by email, and the client can approve or reject it in their portal. An approved quotation becomes an invoice without retyping the lines; you add the due date. Terms go in the notes, and there is no revision history yet, so send a fresh quote when the scope changes.

Grovia is a business platform built for Indian service companies — leads, quotations, invoicing, projects, HR and support in one place. Start a free trial and see whether it fits the way you already work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a legal format for a quotation in India?

No. A quotation is a commercial offer, not a tax document, so no format is prescribed. It is good practice to include the same particulars the final tax invoice will carry.

Should GST be shown on a quotation?

Yes. Show the rate and the CGST and SGST or IGST split per line, so the buyer's approved budget matches the invoice that follows.

What is the difference between a quotation and a proforma invoice?

Both are offers, not tax invoices. A proforma is laid out like an invoice and is often used by a buyer to arrange payment; a quotation is the standard offer document.

How long should a quotation be valid?

State a specific date. Fifteen to thirty days is common for services; shorter for goods whose prices move quickly.

Can I charge GST on a quotation?

No tax is charged on a quotation itself, because it is not a supply. Tax becomes due on the invoice, or earlier on an advance received for services.