what is a pro forma invoice 
a pro forma invoice is a preliminary bill of sale sent to a buyer in advance of a shipment or delivery of goods the invoice will typically describe the purchased items and other important information such as the shipping weight and transport charges a pro forma invoice requires only enough information to allow customs officials to determine the duties needed from a general examination of the included goods can you compare pro forma statements from different companies maybe but it is not advised companies definitions of pro forma vary along with their internal methods for forecasting and making assumptions if you don t know how each of the companies defines its pro forma figures you may be comparing apples to oranges the bottom line