How to Switch FBR Digital Invoicing Software or Change Your Licensed Integrator (2026)
Changing FBR digital invoicing software? Old invoices stay with FBR, STGO 01 of 2026 allows two integrators, and a 7-step plan stops double posting.
The short answer
This page is for businesses that already issue FBR digital invoices and want to move to other software. It shows what happens to your old invoices, what you must set up again, and how to change over in one day without a missed or doubled invoice.
You can change your digital invoicing software or your licensed integrator (a company FBR has licensed to connect billing software to its system) at any time. FBR Sales Tax General Order (STGO) No. 01 of 2026 allows a registered person to use more than one licensed integrator at the same time, and all reporting stays in one place with FBR. So you do not have to stop billing while you move.
Your posted invoices do not move and are not lost. Each one already sits in FBR's records with its IRN (Invoice Reference Number — the unique number FBR gives every accepted invoice). A buyer can still verify it, and it still counts in your sales tax return. FBR's own FAQ (question 8) also says you pay no fee to FBR for integration, whichever software you use.
This guide is general information, not tax advice.
Why businesses change software
Most switches start with one of five problems. Too many rejected invoices and no one to explain the error codes. Slow or no support near the return date. A per-invoice fee that grows with sales. A missing sale type, such as Third Schedule goods, exempt sales or services. Or no simple way to print the QR code and FBR logo on the bill.
Before you move, write down which of these problems you have. Then test the new software on exactly those cases in the sandbox (FBR's free practice system where test invoices do not count as real). If the new software cannot pass your hardest case, it is not an upgrade. 'Best FBR Digital Invoicing Software in Pakistan (2026): How to Choose' lists the checks, and 'How Much Does FBR Digital Invoicing Software Cost Per Month in Pakistan? (2026 Prices)' helps you compare the fees.
Check the new provider too. It must be PRAL or a company on FBR's list of licensed integrators, or software that posts through one of them. 'FBR Licensed Integrators List 2026: PRAL, Haball, WebDNAWorks, EY & How to Verify' shows how to check.
What moves, what stays, and what you set up again
Stays with FBR: every invoice you already posted, with its IRN and QR code. Your sales tax return (Annexure-C) keeps picking them up by invoice date. Nothing needs to be re-posted.
Stays with you: your own copies. Section 24 of the Sales Tax Act 1990 says records must be kept for six years. Before you close the old account, download all past invoices as PDF and Excel. Do not rely on the old vendor to keep them for you. 'FBR Digital Invoicing Record-Keeping: Six-Year Retention, Digital Signatures & Audit Readiness (2026)' lists what to keep.
Set up again in the new software: your business profile, branches, buyer list with NTN or CNIC, and item list with HS Code (the customs code that tells FBR what the product is), UOM (unit of measurement, such as KG or Numbers) and tax rate. Most tools let you import these from Excel, which saves hours. 'FBR Digital Invoicing Bulk Upload: Excel/CSV Import & Handling Many Invoices (2026)' explains the file layout.
The connection: the new software must be linked to your FBR profile. Ask the new provider exactly how. Usually you either give it the token (a secret key from IRIS that lets software send invoices to FBR) or it helps you request a fresh one. If the new software posts from a different server, its IP address may need to be added in IRIS. 'How to Get Your FBR Digital Invoicing Token (Sandbox & Production) in 2026' walks through the token steps.
Your invoice numbers: section 23 of the Act asks for serially numbered invoices, and FBR rejects a repeated number. The easiest fix is a new prefix in the new software, for example moving from INV-2026-0418 to DI-2026-0001, and a note in your file saying on which date the new series began. 'FBR Invoice Number Rules 2026: Format, Serial Numbers and Can You Restart at 1?' covers the format.
A safe 7-step changeover plan
1. Pick the date. The first day of a month is cleanest, because your sales tax return is monthly and each month then comes from one system.
2. Test first. Run your real invoice types through the new software in the sandbox until each one comes back valid. 'FBR Digital Invoicing Sandbox Testing Scenarios (SN001–SN028) Explained' shows what FBR tests.
3. Import your masters. Load buyers and items from Excel and check ten of them by hand.
4. Close the old books. On the last day, make sure every sale in the old software has an IRN. Fix any failed or pending invoice there first. 'FBR Invoice Failed to Post? Timeouts, No Auto-Retry, and How to Recover Safely' shows how to check without posting twice.
5. Go live. From the chosen date, post every new sale only from the new software. One sale must never be posted from both systems. That would create two invoices for one supply, which section 23 does not allow.
6. Keep the old access for a short time. STGO 01 of 2026 lets an invoice be amended or cancelled within 72 hours without approval. Keep the old login for at least those 72 hours so you can fix its last invoices. For later changes, issue a debit or credit note that quotes the original IRN. 'Debit Notes and Credit Notes in FBR Digital Invoicing' explains how.
7. Close the old account. Download your records, ask the old vendor to disconnect, and change your IRIS password if the old vendor ever held it. Then check your first month's Annexure-C to confirm invoices from both systems appear.
Difficult words in this guide
Licensed integrator — a company FBR has licensed to connect billing software to FBR's digital invoicing system. PRAL is the government one.
IRN — Invoice Reference Number, the unique number FBR gives every accepted invoice.
Token — a secret key from IRIS that lets your software send invoices to FBR.
Changeover date — the day you stop posting from the old software and start posting from the new one.
Annexure-C — the part of the monthly sales tax return that lists your sales invoices.
For more terms, see 'FBR Digital Invoicing Dictionary — 25 Key Terms Explained'. If you are moving to Digi Invoice, you can create a free account, import your buyers and items from Excel, and post practice invoices in the sandbox before your changeover date.