Why Bulk Import Matters for Sales Invoices
If your business issues more than a handful of sales invoices a month, entering them one at a time in IRIS is slow. FBR provides an Excel template specifically for bulk-uploading Sales Tax invoice data, with a built-in “Validate” function so you can catch errors offline before they ever touch IRIS.
Step 1: Download the Excel Template
The Sales Invoice Template is available from FBR’s IRIS Help section. Download it and fill in your invoice data following the template’s structure.
Step 2: Validate Offline First
Before importing anything into IRIS, use the “Validate” button built into the Excel template itself to check your data offline. This catches formatting and structural errors early, without needing to touch the live system – a much faster feedback loop than finding out about an error only after uploading.
Step 3: Open Invoice Management in IRIS
Log into IRIS, go to “Invoice Management” from the mega menu, and select “Sales Ledger.” This opens the Sales Tax Invoice Management section.
Step 4: Upload Your File
Click “Choose File” in the top area of the screen, browse to your completed Excel file, and select it. Click “Import” to bring the records into IRIS. Every record from the file appears in your sales ledger with a status of “Pending Verification.”
Step 5: Run Online Validation
Click “Validate” to have IRIS run its own online checks against each imported record. Each one comes back marked either Valid or Invalid, with any issue explained in the Remarks field next to the invalid record.
Step 6: Fix Invalid Records Individually
This is the biggest improvement over the old e.fbr process: previously, a single validation error meant re-uploading the entire corrected file from scratch. In IRIS, you can select just the invalid record, edit it directly based on the Remarks shown, and its status updates to Valid once corrected – no need to touch the records that were already fine.
Common Mistakes We See With Bulk Imports
- Skipping the offline Validate step and uploading straight to IRIS – this just means finding out about formatting errors later, in a slower online-validation cycle instead of catching them instantly offline.
- Re-uploading the whole file after one invalid record out of old e.fbr habit – IRIS lets you fix invalid records individually, so there’s no need to redo the entire import.
- Not checking the Remarks field carefully before editing an invalid record – the specific reason for invalidity is right there, and guessing instead of reading it usually means a second failed correction attempt.
FAQ
Do I have to re-upload my whole file if some invoices fail validation?
No – IRIS marks individual records as valid or invalid, so you can correct just the failed ones directly in the system without touching the rest.
What does “Pending Verification” mean after import?
It means the records have been imported but haven’t yet been run through IRIS’s online validation. Click “Validate” to check their actual status.
Can I validate my data before uploading it to IRIS?
Yes – the Excel template itself has a “Validate” button for offline checking, which catches many issues before you ever import the file.
