Free FBR Digital Invoicing Software 2026: PRAL vs Paid
FBR gives 2 free routes: PRAL integration and manual IRIS invoices. Compare them with paid integrators and ready software in a table. Updated Oct 2026.
Is there free FBR digital invoicing software?
Updated October 2026. In short: FBR does not give out invoicing software to download. But there are two free official routes. You can type invoices by hand on IRIS (FBR's online tax portal), or connect your own software through PRAL (Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited — FBR's own IT company) at no cost.
FBR's own FAQ says PRAL "shall provide free of cost integration services" to registered persons, and that you pay FBR no fee for integration. What is not free is the software that makes the invoice. Someone has to build it, test it and keep it updated. This page shows what each route really costs you in money and time.
Any file online that calls itself "official FBR invoicing software" is not from FBR. FBR Digital Invoicing Software Download and Login: What Is Real and What Is Not (2026) explains how to spot fake downloads.
What are the free and paid routes, side by side?
There are four ways to issue an FBR digital invoice. Each one ends the same way: FBR accepts the invoice and returns an IRN (Invoice Reference Number — the unique number FBR gives every invoice it accepts), which you print with a QR code on the bill.
Route 1 — IRIS manual entry. Cost: free. Who builds the software: nobody, you type each invoice on the portal. Best for: a business that issues only a few invoices a month. Weak point: slow, one invoice at a time, easy to make typing mistakes.
Route 2 — PRAL as your integrator with your own software. Cost: free from PRAL. Who builds the software: your own developer. Best for: a company with an in-house IT team and an ERP (a large business software system). Weak point: weeks of developer time for sandbox tests (FBR's free practice system where test invoices do not count), HS codes and tax rates.
Route 3 — a private licensed integrator. Cost: a fee, capped by FBR. News reports put the cap at up to Rs 10 per invoice or Rs 1 million a year. Who builds the software: the integrator connects it, you may still need your own billing system. Best for: large firms that want a hired technical partner.
Route 4 — ready software on the PRAL route, such as Digi Invoice. Cost: a subscription for the software, while the PRAL connection itself stays free. Who builds the software: the provider. Best for: shops, distributors and small companies with no developer. Weak point: a monthly or yearly bill.
What does the free route really cost? (worked example)
Take a small distributor in Faisalabad that issues 300 sales tax invoices a month. Each invoice has 4 lines on average.
On IRIS manual entry, each invoice takes about 3 to 4 minutes to type and check. 300 invoices × 3.5 minutes = 1,050 minutes, which is about 17.5 hours a month. That is more than two full working days of a clerk's time, every month, just typing.
On the free PRAL route with your own software, the PRAL side costs Rs 0. But a developer must build the invoice screen, the FBR connection, error handling and the QR print, then pass every sandbox scenario for your sector. Even a small build takes several weeks. After that, each FBR rule change means more work.
With a private integrator at the reported cap of Rs 10 per invoice, 300 invoices = up to Rs 3,000 a month in fees, plus the cost of your own billing software.
With ready software, the invoice is made, checked against FBR's rules and posted from one screen, and the cost is one fixed subscription. For a business of this size, the paid software route is usually cheaper than the clerk hours or the developer time. For 10 invoices a month, IRIS manual entry may be all you need. How Much Does FBR Digital Invoicing Software Cost Per Month in Pakistan? (2026 Prices) compares published prices.
How do I choose the right route for my business?
Ask three questions. How many invoices do I issue each month? Do I have a developer? How much does one rejected or late invoice cost me?
Few invoices, no developer: start with IRIS manual entry. How to Add a Sales Tax Invoice in IRIS Manually: FBR Manual Invoice Generation (2026) shows each box.
Many invoices, own IT team and an ERP: the free PRAL route can work. Read FBR Digital Invoicing: Licensed Integrator vs PRAL — How to Choose (2026) and plan the sandbox stage with FBR Digital Invoicing: Sandbox vs Production.
Many invoices, no developer: use ready software. Best FBR Digital Invoicing Software in Pakistan (2026): How to Choose lists what to check before you pay. Digi Invoice uses the free PRAL route, so you pay for the software only. It checks each invoice before posting, shows the cause and fix of each FBR error code on screen, and prints the IRN, QR code and FBR logo. A free account is enough to start testing in the sandbox at https://digi-invoice.online/register.
Need help choosing? Contact Digi Invoice — WhatsApp 0300 8680363 (Monday to Saturday, 10 AM to 5 PM).
Difficult words in this guide
PRAL (Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited) — FBR's own IT company. It connects businesses to FBR's invoicing system free of cost.
Licensed integrator — a private company FBR has approved to connect businesses to its system for a capped fee.
IRN (Invoice Reference Number) — the unique number FBR gives every invoice it accepts.
Sandbox — FBR's free practice system where test invoices do not count as real.
ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) — one large software system that runs a company's sales, stock and accounts.