Used vehicle export proforma invoice template
Used vehicle export proforma invoice template: cars identified by VIN and mileage, with inspection, sea freight and export paperwork on their own lines.
Templates by industry
- Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car
- Pre-export inspection and reconditioning, per car
- Roll-on roll-off sea freight, per car
- Export deregistration and document handling
Preparation guide
Example workflow
Confirm goods and delivery terms
Example: confirm the quantity and unit price of "Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car", then the delivery terms, transport and insurance.
Set the validity and send
Check every line down to "Export deregistration and document handling", add the valid-until date and the prepayment account, and send the proforma to the buyer.
Invoice after payment or shipment
When the buyer pays or the goods ship, make the invoice from the proforma. The proforma stays unchanged as the offer the buyer accepted.
A buyer abroad often needs a proforma invoice before paying for a used car, and the shipping line and the export papers will later refer to the same vehicle. Unlike new goods, every car is a one-off, so the proforma identifies each one by its chassis number, year and mileage. Vehicles, inspection, roll-on roll-off sea freight and export paperwork each get a line of their own.
Fields to prepare
- Deliverables and line items
- Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car, Pre-export inspection and reconditioning, per car, Roll-on roll-off sea freight, per car, Export deregistration and document handling: the goods or services and the quantities you intend to supply, at the prices you will invoice.
- Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car
- Give the VIN, year, mileage and colour of each car, or attach a list and quote it here; export papers and the shipping order will follow these details exactly.
- Pre-export inspection and reconditioning, per car
- Say what the inspection covers and when it was done; a buyer who only reads “inspected” cannot tell a safety check from a full service.
- Roll-on roll-off sea freight, per car
- State whether freight is per car or per cubic metre and which port the price runs to; a car shipped in a container costs differently from one driven on.
- Export deregistration and document handling
- Name the paperwork you handle, such as deregistering the car for export and preparing the registration papers, and what the buyer still arranges at home.
- Delivery terms
- State the delivery terms (such as an Incoterm and the named place), how the goods travel and who insures them.
- Validity and prepayment
- Give the date the prices hold until and, if you ask for payment in advance, the account the buyer pays into.
- Scope to agree
- List each car on its own line or in an attached list with its VIN, year and odometer reading, and say whether the price includes inspection, shipping and export paperwork.
Before sending
- Does “Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Does “Pre-export inspection and reconditioning, per car” need an HS code or country of origin in its description for the buyer’s import licence?
- Can “Roll-on roll-off sea freight, per car” ship in the quantity shown once the prepayment arrives?
Show 4 more
- Does “Export deregistration and document handling” match the buyer’s order in quantity, unit price and currency?
- Check that quantities, unit prices and currency match what the buyer ordered or asked you to quote.
- Add the HS code and country of origin to the item descriptions if the buyer needs them for an import licence.
- Check the valid-until date, the delivery terms and the prepayment account, and that the document says it is not a tax invoice.
Worked example: three used SUVs shipped by roll-on roll-off
The figures are an example, in dollars. A dealer offers three used SUVs to a buyer abroad, with an inspection line and a sea freight line that count once per car, and one fee for the export papers. The sale is an export, so no tax is added in this example.
| Item | Quantity × unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Used SUV, 2019, VIN on attached list, per car | 3 × $11,800.00 | $35,400.00 |
| Pre-export inspection and reconditioning, per car | 3 × $450.00 | $1,350.00 |
| Roll-on roll-off sea freight, per car | 3 × $1,150.00 | $3,450.00 |
| Export deregistration and document handling | 1 × $240.00 | $240.00 |
| Total | $40,440.00 | |
The four lines come to $40,440.00, so the proforma total is $40,440.00. If the dealer asks for payment before deregistering the cars, the buyer pays this amount first; a car swapped for another needs a new proforma showing the new VIN.
Common mistakes on a used vehicle proforma
- Describing the car as “SUV, 2019” without a VIN, so the buyer cannot be sure which car was sold.
- Quoting the mileage from the advertisement instead of the odometer reading on the inspection day.
- Leaving out whether freight is per car or per container, which changes the total by a wide margin.
- Promising “all export papers” without naming them, then arguing about the translation or the certificate afterwards.
- Changing the car after payment without issuing a new proforma.
What the document must show
These details make a proforma invoice easier to approve and to file.
- The seller's and the buyer's names and addresses
- Proforma number and issue date
- Each item with quantity and unit price; add the HS code and country of origin to the description if the import licence needs them
- Delivery terms (such as an Incoterm), transport and insurance
- Payment terms and the account for prepayment
- The date the proforma is valid until
- A statement that it is not a tax invoice
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending.
Official rate reference: US government: state and local taxes
Frequently asked questions
Should every car have its own line?
Yes when the cars differ in model, year or price. For identical cars one line with the quantity is enough, as long as an attached list gives the VIN of each; the shipping order will need that list anyway.
How do I describe the condition of a used car?
State the odometer reading on the inspection date and any known defects, and say the car is sold in its inspected condition. A buyer can then compare the cars on your list without a visit.
When does the buyer have to pay?
Many sellers ask for payment before they deregister the car for export, because it is hard to resell locally afterwards. Write the amount and the date the money must arrive in the terms of the proforma.
What if the buyer wants a different car after paying?
Issue a new proforma with the new VIN and cancel the old one in writing. The export papers and the booking with the shipping line are tied to the chassis number, so changing it later costs time.
Is the shipping price for a whole container or per car?
Roll-on roll-off lines usually price each car by its size, while a container is priced as a whole and holds only a few cars. Say which method you quote, since the two end up at different totals.
How is tax calculated on this template?
The sales tax depends on where the work is supplied, so set the rate that applies to your customer before sending. The editor keeps the net amount, the tax and the total apart, and recalculates all three when you change a quantity, a unit price or the country setting.
Can a customer pay or reclaim VAT on a proforma invoice?
A customer can pay a proforma in advance, but it is not a tax invoice, so VAT cannot be reclaimed on it. After payment or shipment, make the invoice from the proforma; the proforma stays unchanged.
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