FBR sandbox and scenario testing

Before you issue real invoices, FBR expects you to test in its sandbox. The portal lets you do that safely, then switch the same account to production when you are ready.

What the sandbox is for

The sandbox is a practice environment. Invoices you validate or post there are not real submissions, so you can check that your data, HS codes, units and tax rates are accepted before anything counts.

How it works in the portal

• Each account runs in Sandbox or Production. Your administrator controls the switch.
• In the Excel template and on the Realtime screen you can set a scenario ID for sandbox testing. Leave it blank in production.
• The portal supports all 28 FBR scenarios.
• Errors come back with the item number, the FBR error code and the message, so you can correct and try again.

Sale types you can choose

The Excel template includes these sale types in a dropdown, so each line can be described the way FBR expects:

• Goods at standard rate, goods at reduced rate and goods at zero rate
• Exempt goods and 3rd Schedule goods
• Services, and services or goods with FED in ST mode
• Petroleum products, CNG sales, gas to CNG stations and electricity supply to retailers
• Mobile phones, SIM, telecommunication services and electric vehicles
• Steel melting and re-rolling, ship breaking, rerollable scrap by ship breakers and toll manufacturing
• Cement and concrete block, cotton ginners, potassium chlorate and DTRE goods
• Processing or conversion of goods, non-adjustable supplies and goods under SRO 297(I)/2023

Going live

When your tests are done, ask your administrator to move the account to production. Our checklist covers what to check first: moving from FBR sandbox to production.