How to Send an FBR Digital Invoice, Step by Step

FBR wants many Pakistani shops and retailers to send each sale to FBR at the time it is made. This guide shows the whole path in plain words, in the order you do it, from registering in IRIS to sending your first live invoice.

ApnaBill is a free helper for the invoice part. You make the invoice in Urdu or English, and the small FBR Sender program on your shop PC sends it to FBR through PRAL. ApnaBill is an independent tool. It is not run by FBR or PRAL, and it is not tax advice.

یہ گائیڈ بتاتی ہے کہ دکاندار ایف بی آر ڈیجیٹل انوائس کیسے بھیجیں: آئرس میں رجسٹریشن سے لے کر پہلی لائیو انوائس تک چھ آسان قدم۔ مکمل اردو رہنمائی کے لیے سیٹ اپ گائیڈ کھولیں۔

Updated

What you need first

  • Your FBR IRIS login (your NTN account).
  • A Windows PC in the shop with internet. This is the PC that will send the invoices.
  • A list of what you sell, with HS codes (you can find them in the HS code finder).
  • About an hour for the first set-up. Later invoices take about a minute.

The six steps

  1. Step 1

    Register for Digital Invoicing in IRIS

    Log in to your FBR IRIS account, find the Digital Invoicing option and start the registration.

    💡 Menu names in IRIS can change. If you cannot find the option, ask the IRIS helpdesk.

    Who must join and who needs a licence →

  2. Step 2

    Choose PRAL as your integrator

    When IRIS asks for an integrator, choose PRAL. PRAL is the company that runs the connection between your invoices and FBR.

  3. Step 3

    Finish the sandbox test scenarios

    The sandbox is a practice area. FBR gives you a list of scenarios, and you send one test invoice for each one that applies to your shop, for example a sale to a registered customer or to an unregistered customer.

    💡 Test invoices do not count as real sales. Use them to learn what FBR accepts.

    Practise in the sandbox with the practice wizard →

  4. Step 4

    Give FBR your static IP

    FBR only accepts invoices from the IP address you gave it. Open the My IP page on the shop computer, using the shop internet, copy the number and add it in IRIS.

    💡 A phone on mobile data has a different IP. Ask your internet provider for a fixed (static) IP so it does not change.

    Check the IP FBR sees →

  5. Step 5

    Get your sandbox token, then your production token

    A token is like a password for your invoices. Take the sandbox token first, for practice. When the scenarios are done, take the production token for real sales.

    💡 Never send your token to anyone. Your token stays with the FBR Sender on your own PC and is never sent to this website.

  6. Step 6

    Install the FBR Sender and send your first invoice

    The FBR Sender is a small Windows program. Install it, paste your token once, then make an invoice in ApnaBill and press send. When FBR accepts it, you get the FBR invoice number (IRN) back and the bill is printed with a QR code.

    💡 If the internet is down, the invoice waits in a queue and you can send it later.

    Download the FBR Sender →

Make your first invoice free

Questions about this guide

How long does it take to start sending invoices to FBR?

The set-up usually takes about an hour of your own work, but the registration and token steps depend on FBR and PRAL, so allow extra time. After that, one invoice takes about a minute.

Do I need to pay to send invoices with ApnaBill?

No. ApnaBill is free and needs no account. Your own costs are your internet connection and, if you want one, a static IP from your internet provider.

Can I send invoices from my phone?

You can make and print invoices on a phone. Sending to FBR is done with the FBR Sender on a Windows PC, because FBR only accepts invoices from the IP address you registered.

What if FBR rejects my invoice?

FBR replies with an error number such as 0204 or 0046. Look the number up on the error codes page to see what it means and how to fix it.

See all error codes →

Is ApnaBill approved by FBR or PRAL?

No. ApnaBill is an independent helper tool. It is not run by FBR or PRAL, it is not approved by or connected to them, and it is not tax advice. You use your own FBR token and invoices go from your own PC to FBR.

Read the disclaimer →

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ApnaBill is an independent tool. It is not run by FBR or PRAL and it is not tax advice. Rules and menu names can change, so confirm with FBR or your tax consultant. See the disclaimer.