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YES

As of 13 August 2026, AI can create a pro forma invoice.

This still needs a person who signs their name to it.

Can you do it?

5 minutesto a draft.

15 minutesto something you’d act on.

Cost, all in£0

Skill needednone

Who has to check ityou

What the alternative costsNanonets is an AI document-processing tool for invoices, receipts and forms, but no price is provided here.

If this goes wrong: the customer receives an incorrect quote or customs document, and you need to correct and resend it before payment or shipment.

What to actually do

  1. Hand it to a person

    The route this page recommends

    A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

  2. Use a tool built for this

    Second choice

  3. Do it yourself

    The distant third

    A chat interface, no skill needed, and roughly 15 minutes until you can act on the result.

    How to actually do it

    1. Open your current price list, customer record and delivery or customs instructions, and gather the seller, customer, item, price, currency, VAT and date details.
    2. Paste the prompt into a chatbot and replace each bracketed slot with the confirmed information, leaving a slot blank when the fact is not available.
    3. Ask the chatbot to produce the pro forma invoice and list every missing or contradictory detail instead of filling gaps.
    4. Copy the result into Word, Google Docs or your invoicing template, then compare each item, quantity, price, discount, delivery charge, VAT entry and total with your source records.
    5. Check the document says 'pro forma invoice' and does not present itself as a VAT invoice, then save it with a clear reference and send it to the customer.

    Prompt

    Create a professional UK pro forma invoice using the details below. Treat it as a pro forma invoice, not a VAT invoice or a demand for payment. Do not invent or infer any missing facts. Use pounds sterling unless another currency is stated. Show the invoice reference, issue date, validity or expiry date if supplied, seller details, customer details, delivery address if supplied, item descriptions, quantities, unit prices, discounts, delivery charges, VAT rate and VAT amount only where supplied, and the total. If VAT information is missing, mark it as 'To be confirmed' rather than guessing. Include a clear note that this is a pro forma invoice and not a VAT invoice. Present the result as a clean table that I can paste into Word or Google Docs, followed by a short list of any missing or contradictory details. Details: [seller name, address, company number and VAT number if applicable] [customer name and address] [delivery address] [items, quantities and unit prices] [currency] [discounts and delivery charges] [VAT treatment or rate] [issue date] [validity or expiry date] [payment, delivery and customs terms]

    Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.

What it gets wrong

  • AI cannot know whether your VAT treatment is correct when the transaction or customer situation is unusual.
  • AI cannot confirm that your prices, delivery terms, customs details or customer information are current.
  • AI can format a pro forma invoice but cannot send it through your accounting system or track whether the customer has paid.
  • AI does not transfer responsibility for an incorrect amount, misleading term or shipment document away from your business.

Even on a YES, the friction has a name: judgement under ambiguity and legal accountability.

How we scored this

Five axes, each scored nought to two by hand: ten means AI carries the task cleanly, and the thresholds that turn a total into YES, PARTLY or NO are published in the methodology. Each axis name links to its definition.

AxisScore (0–2)
Output2
Inputs2
Verification2
Liability2
Effort delta2
Total10 / 10

The methodology and its thresholds are published in full.

FAQ

Can ChatGPT make a pro forma invoice?
Yes. It can draft the layout, calculate supplied line items and format the result for Word or Google Docs. Check every commercial and VAT detail before sending it.
Is a pro forma invoice the same as a VAT invoice?
No. A pro forma invoice is generally an estimate or advance commercial document, not a VAT invoice. Do not use AI's output as a VAT invoice unless it contains the information and treatment your business is required to show.
Can I use AI to create a pro forma invoice for customs?
Yes, AI can organise the information into a draft customs document. You must check the descriptions, values, commodity information, origin and delivery terms against the shipment records because mistakes can delay clearance.
Is it safe to use AI for an invoice?
It is suitable for drafting when you provide accurate information and check the result against your records. This is not professional advice, so ask your accountant or another qualified finance professional about unusual VAT, customs or cross-border cases.

Nearby answers

All Invoicing & credit control rulings

Assessed by gpt-5.6-luna (gpt-5.6-luna) on 2026-08-13, second-checked by an independent model. Wrong somewhere? Email [email protected] and it gets re-checked.

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