How to write a quote (estimate): required fields, tax and a free template

A quote is not just a price. It is the first agreement you make with a client: what you will do, what it costs, when they pay and how long the offer stands. Most freelance disputes are not about the number itself — they start because nobody wrote down what was included and what wasn't.

This guide covers the fields every quote needs, how to show tax and payment terms, and the wording that saves you from scope creep.

Quote, estimate or invoice?

• Quote (quotation): a fixed price for a defined scope. If the client accepts it, both sides are expected to stick to it.
• Estimate: your best guess at the cost when the work is hard to pin down (renovation, repairs, open-ended development). Say clearly that the final amount may change and how you will tell the client before it does.
• Invoice: the request for payment after (or during) the work. It usually repeats the quote's line items and adds the invoice number, date and due date.

In many trades the words are used loosely. What matters is that your document says whether the price is fixed or an estimate.

The fields every quote needs

Section	What to include
Header	Your business name, contact details, a quote number and the date
Client	Company or person's name, contact person, email or phone
Line items	Item, short description, quantity, unit, unit price, line total
Totals	Subtotal, tax (rate and amount), discount if any, total
Payment terms	Deposit, balance, due dates, accepted payment methods
Scope	What is included, what is not, how many revisions
Validity	How long the price stands, e.g. "Valid for 30 days"
Acceptance	Signature, or "reply to this email to confirm"

A quote number sounds like admin for its own sake, but it is what lets you and the client refer to "Quote Q-2026-018, revision 2" instead of "the one from last Tuesday".

How to show tax

Be explicit about whether your prices include tax. Two common ways:

• Tax shown separately: Subtotal 80,000 · Tax 5% 4,000 · Total 84,000. Clear for business clients who reclaim tax.
• Tax-inclusive prices: every price already includes tax, with a line such as "All prices include 5% business tax". Simpler for consumers.

The rate depends on where you are registered. In Taiwan, businesses that issue uniform invoices charge 5% business tax. In Japan the standard consumption tax rate is 10% (8% for reduced-rate items), and quotes and invoices often note the invoice registration number under the qualified invoice system. If you are not registered for tax at all, don't add a tax line — just say the price is the full amount.

Freelancers paid by companies sometimes receive less than the quote because the client withholds income tax or other charges. If that applies to you, write "Amounts above are before withholding" so nobody is surprised. For Taiwan specifically, see Invoicing and tax for freelancers in Taiwan.

A worked example

A small interior design job:

Item	Qty	Unit price	Total
Space planning and layout	1 job	15,000	15,000
3D visuals (per room)	3 rooms	6,000	18,000
Construction drawings	1 set	20,000	20,000
Site supervision	4 visits	3,000	12,000
Subtotal			65,000
Tax 5%			3,250
Total			68,250

Payment: 50% deposit (34,125) on acceptance, balance on handover, due within 7 days of the invoice. Valid for 30 days.

The numbers are only an example — what matters is that each line can be checked on its own.

Scope wording that prevents disputes

Add two short lists under the line items:

• Included: "2 rounds of revisions", "files delivered as PDF and source files", "one site visit per week".
• Not included: "printing", "stock photos", "work outside the agreed rooms", "rush delivery within 3 days".

Then one sentence for everything else: "Extra work is quoted separately and starts after your written OK." That line alone turns most "can you just…" requests into a new, paid quote.

Common mistakes

• No validity date: material and labour costs change; without a date the client can accept an old price months later.
• One lump sum: "Website — 120,000" invites arguments the moment something changes. Break it into lines.
• Unclear tax: the client compares your tax-inclusive price with someone else's tax-exclusive one and thinks you are expensive.
• Deposit not written down: if it's not on the quote, you are negotiating it again at the start of the job.

Start from a template

Free templates with typical line items and payment terms for 50 trades:

• Interior design estimate template
• Photography quote template
• Web design quote template

See all trades in quote templates. The free quote maker works out the subtotal, tax, deposit and balance for you and saves the result as a PDF.

Let Rex draft it from the chat

When a customer asks for a price on LINE, NEXUPIRA's Rex reads the conversation, drafts the reply and a PDF quote from your price list, and waits for you to approve before anything is sent.

FAQ

Is a quote legally binding?

Once the client accepts a quote it usually forms part of your agreement, but the rules depend on the country and the terms you agreed. For bigger jobs, a short contract that refers to the quote number is safer.

How long should a quote be valid?

Thirty days is common. For work that depends on material prices, such as renovation, use a shorter period and say so on the quote.

Should I include tax in my prices?

Business clients usually prefer tax shown on its own line; consumers prefer one final price. Either way, say which one you are using.

Sources

• Taiwan Ministry of Finance: Value-added and Non-value-added Business Tax Act
• National Tax Agency (Japan): The qualified invoice system