Canonical URL: https://einvoicing.pk/guides/check-fbr-invoice/

# How to check an FBR invoice before you rely on it

Invoice checks

Anyone can print a receipt that looks official. A genuine FBR invoice carries details that can be checked through the service FBR provides for that document. This guide explains FBR invoice verification in plain words: what a real document should show, and where the official checks live.

## What FBR invoice verification means

**FBR invoice verification means checking the details on a tax invoice or retail receipt through the official service that covers that document.** The printed invoice reference number and QR code are what you use to make the check. The check happens on FBR’s service, not on a third-party website.

The route differs by document type. A retail receipt reported through FBR’s POS system and a B2B digital invoice do not sit in the same place. Use the route that matches the document in your hand.

## What a genuine FBR document should show

- **The seller’s identity.** A business name and its registration number, so you know who issued the document.
- **A unique invoice reference.** The number that belongs to that sale and no other.
- **Date and amount.** The sale date, what was bought, and the amount charged, including the sales tax where the document is a tax invoice.
- **The FBR reference and QR code.** On a reported retail sale, both appear on the receipt. On a B2B digital invoice, the reference number and QR code travel with the document.

These details should agree. A reference number that does not match the sale date deserves a closer look.

## How to check an FBR POS receipt

FBR documents two routes for a receipt from a Tier-1 integrated retailer. Use either one.

1. **Tax Asaan app.** Open the FBR POS menu, tap Verify Invoice, then enter the FBR invoice number or scan the QR code printed on the receipt. The app shows the invoice as verified or unverified.
2. **SMS to 9966.** Type INV, a space, your CNIC, a space, the FBR invoice number, and send it to 9966.

A digital invoice is different. FBR’s public pages do not publish a buyer check for a digital invoice, so ask the seller for the FBR invoice number from their submission response. The [digital invoice guide](<https://einvoicing.pk/guides/invoice-verification/fbr-di/>) explains the next step.

## Use FBR’s own services, not a lookalike

FBR’s [Online Verification Services](<https://e.fbr.gov.pk/esbn/Verification>) page names the official resources, and the [Tax Asaan app page](<https://www.fbr.gov.pk/tax-asaan-application/152393>) is where FBR names the mobile app used for POS checks. FBR’s [POS Invoice Verification page](<https://www.fbr.gov.pk/pos-invoice-verification/163085/163142>) explains what the app and the SMS route accept.

Be careful with lookalike websites. A page that offers to “verify your FBR invoice” and then asks for a CNIC, a password or a one-time code is not an official service. Official FBR pages never ask for a password or a one-time code.

## If the check does not find the invoice

A non-match is not proof of fraud, and a match is not proof that tax was paid. Check the common causes first.

- **Wrong route.** A [POS receipt](<https://einvoicing.pk/guides/fbr-pos-integration/>) number is not a B2B digital invoice reference. Use the route that matches the document.
- **A typing slip.** One wrong digit is enough to return a blank result. Compare the number with the printed copy.
- **Timing.** A sale reported minutes ago may not be visible yet. Try again later in the day.
- **An outage.** Official services have maintenance windows. A page that will not load is not evidence about the invoice.

When the details still look wrong, ask the seller to confirm the reference they recorded. Keep the original document until the question is answered.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the FBR invoice reference number?

It is the number FBR returns when a sale is reported, and it identifies that invoice in FBR's record. On a B2B digital invoice it appears with the QR code; on a POS receipt it is printed for the customer. Keep it with the sale, because a later check uses it.

### Does scanning the QR code prove an invoice is real?

No. A QR code only carries text, and a fake document can carry a fake code. Proof comes from checking the reference through FBR's own service. Treat a QR scan as the start of a check, not the result, and never enter personal details into a lookalike page.

### Which service should I use for a retail receipt?

For a POS receipt reported to FBR, FBR documents the Tax Asaan app: open the FBR POS menu, choose Verify Invoice, and enter the FBR invoice number or scan the printed QR code. FBR also documents an SMS route. Use the official links on FBR's pages.

## Related

- [Invoice verification tool](<https://einvoicing.pk/tools/invoice-verification/>)Official routes for FBR, SRB, PRA and KPRA documents.
- [FBR POS integration guide](<https://einvoicing.pk/guides/fbr-pos-integration/>)How a retail receipt gets its FBR reference.
- [FBR digital invoicing guide](<https://einvoicing.pk/guides/fbr-digital-invoicing/>)What B2B invoice reporting does.
- [B2B vs B2C reporting](<https://einvoicing.pk/guides/b2b-vs-b2c-reporting/>)Why the two document types are checked differently.

## Want every invoice to come with proof?

E-Invoicing submits each sale to FBR IRIS and stores the FBR reference number and QR code, so a question about any sale always has an answer.

[Book a demo](<https://einvoicing.pk/#demo>) [Open the verification tool](<https://einvoicing.pk/tools/invoice-verification/>)