How do I send a quote in US dollars to a client abroad with no VAT line?

Example: a developer in Riyadh, a client in London

A freelance developer is building a landing page for a UK startup and also offering support hours after launch. The client thinks in dollars, so there is no point sending riyal figures they have to convert themselves.

The steps

1. In the Quotation generator set the document language to English, since the client most likely does not read Arabic.
2. Choose USD from the ‘Currency’ list. The currency appears in the quote header and next to every amount in the totals.
3. Type the lines with dollar prices directly. The tool does not convert currencies, so the number you type is the number printed.
4. Leave ‘Tax rate % (optional)’ empty, and pick ‘No discount’ if there is none.
5. Create the file and check in the preview that the totals block has only two rows.

Empty is not the same as zero

This is the detail people miss. Type 0 in the tax field and the tool treats it as tax at a rate of zero, printing a row labelled ‘Tax (0%)’ with 0.00 USD. That may be what you want if you prefer to show the client explicitly that no tax is charged. If you want no mention of tax at all, leave the field blank.

• Empty field: subtotal, then total, with no tax row.
• Field set to 0: subtotal, then ‘Tax (0%)’ at 0.00, then total.
• Field with a rate: tax is worked out on the amount after any discount and added to the total.

Before you send it

Use the notes to state how you accept payment, such as an international bank transfer or a payment platform, and who covers transfer fees, since those fees can eat into what you receive. Add a clear valid-until date as well: exchange rates move, and you do not want to be held to an old dollar price months later. When the client accepts, create the invoice in the same currency with the Basic invoice generator.