What to include in a quotation

A useful quotation names both parties, carries a quote number and dates, lists priced line items, shows optional discount and tax in a clear order, and ends with notes, terms, and a short statement that the document is not a contract. Fill those fields before you export a PDF so the client is not guessing what the total covers. The quotation maker follows that shape. If you are still choosing between a quote, an invoice, and a proforma invoice, start with quotation vs invoice vs proforma.

This checklist is practical orientation. It is not legal, tax, or contract advice. Mandatory quote fields can differ by country.

The checklist

1. Your business details: trading name, address, and a contact path the client already uses.
2. Client details: who the quote is prepared for.
3. Quote number: a searchable code such as Q-2214.
4. Issue date and valid until (a later calendar day).
5. Currency: one code for the whole document.
6. Line items: description, quantity, and unit price for each deliverable.
7. Optional discount: percent or fixed amount on the subtotal (before tax in this tool).
8. Optional tax line: a percent you type yourself, or 0 to omit tax. Nothing is built in.
9. Notes for delivery context, and terms for acceptance windows, revision limits, and out-of-scope items.
10. Not a contract line: a short editable sentence that the PDF is an estimate.
11. Preview check: on-screen grand total matches the number you will cite in email, then export.

A logo is optional. Clean line math matters more.

Filled example (grand total 626)

Imagine a one-day workshop quote in USD, issued 2026-10-11, valid until 2026-10-25, quote number Q-2214.

1. Subtotal = 450 + 216 = 666.
2. Fixed discount 40 (document level): taxable = 666 minus 40 = 626.
3. Tax percent 0: tax = 0.
4. Grand total = 626.

Verified against the quotation totals library: subtotal 666, discount 40, taxable 626, tax 0, grand total 626. Discount still applies before tax even when tax is zero. Map the checklist onto the same file: parties, Q-2214, issue 2026-10-11, valid until 2026-10-25, two clear lines, visible fixed discount 40, tax 0, short notes and terms, and the not-a-contract line at the bottom.

Rebuild those numbers in the tool and confirm 626 before you change anything else.

Why each block earns its place

Parties and number let a forwarded PDF be filed without a long thread. Two dates show when you issued the proposal and when it stops standing. Line items beat a lump sum because acceptance and the later invoice stay easier to mirror. Discount before tax should be replayable: this site reduces the subtotal first, then applies the tax percent you typed. Notes explain the job; terms explain boundaries. Not a contract matters because country rules differ on when a quote becomes binding. An explicit estimate line reduces casual misunderstanding.

Common mistakes

Valid-until on or before the issue date. Fix the dates before you export.

Hiding a discount inside a lowered unit price. The courtesy disappears, and you cannot reuse the list price later.

Typing a “typical” tax percent from memory. Rates and whether a quote should show tax vary by place and sale type. Enter a rate only when you mean it, or leave tax at zero.

Vague descriptions. “Consulting” without hours or deliverables invites a scope fight after acceptance.

Forgetting privacy expectations. This tool does not upload or store the form. Download or print if you need an archive.

Turning the terms box into financing language. Keep defaults free of payment-plan, late-fee, or interest wording. Stay with scope, dates, and deliverables.

Send checklist (last pass)

• Quote number is unique in your records.
• Valid-until is after issue date.
• Every line has a quantity and unit price you can defend.
• Discount type and tax percent match what you told the client.
• Preview grand total equals the number in your email.
• Not-a-contract line is still present after edits.

When the client accepts and you are ready to bill for delivered work, move the agreed amounts into an invoice. Use how to create a simple invoice only when that next document is due.