Writing a quote for private tutoring
A quote sets the price of tutoring in writing before lessons begin: what to put on one, when it is required, and how to send it in two minutes.
A quote (or devis in French) is a written offer that states the price of tutoring before the first lesson, so the family knows exactly what they will pay and on what terms. For a private tutor it is both a sales tool and a document that commits you, and for home lessons that open the tax credit it is often the first thing a parent asks for.
When a tutor actually needs a quote
Most one-off hourly lessons carry no legal obligation to issue a quote. You cross into "quote required" territory in a few common cases:
- The service is a service à la personne delivered at the student's home, where a written estimate is expected before an ongoing commitment.
- The total goes above the thresholds set for certain regulated services, or the family simply asks for one in writing.
- You sell a package of lessons (say 20 hours paid up front) rather than billing hour by hour.
Even when it is optional, a quote earns its place. It ends the "how much again?" messages, sets the cancellation terms in advance, and gives a parent a document to keep. According to the DGCCRF, the French consumer-protection authority, a quote becomes a binding contract once both sides sign it.
What has to appear on the quote
A quote is not a number sent by text. To be valid and to actually protect you, it carries a fixed set of details. The administration (service-public.fr) lists the mandatory mentions; for a tutoring business they come down to:
- The word Devis, a quote number, and the issue date.
- Your identity: name, address, SIRET, and your home-service (SAP) declaration number if you have one.
- The client's name and address.
- A line-by-line breakdown: subject, level, number of hours, hourly rate, and the total.
- Your VAT status. Most micro-entrepreneurs write "TVA non applicable, article 293 B du CGI".
- The validity period (three months is common) and payment terms: deposit, due date, and accepted methods.
A quote dated and signed by the family, with the words "bon pour accord", is your best defence if a payment is ever disputed. Keep the signed copy.
The tax-credit line families look for
If your lessons happen at the student's home and you are declared for personal services, the family gets a 50% income-tax credit on what they pay, within an annual ceiling of 12,000 euros (raised in some households up to 20,000). Writing this on the quote changes the conversation: a 40 euro hour reads as 20 euros net. The official rules sit on impots.gouv.fr.
From quote to invoice
A quote is an offer; an invoice is proof of a sale. The clean sequence is to send the quote, get it signed, deliver the lessons, then invoice against the accepted quote. Reusing the same reference number on both keeps your bookkeeping tidy and makes an URSSAF or tax question easy to answer. Our guide to invoicing private lessons covers the invoice side in detail.
If you bill in blocks, put the whole package on one quote and invoice it once, or in the instalments you agreed. Families often prefer a fixed commitment over a loose hourly arrangement, and the quote is where you write that commitment down.
Make it a two-minute job
The reason tutors skip quotes is time. Rewriting the same document by hand for every family, then chasing a signature, is exactly the admin that gets dropped in a busy September. Two habits fix that:
- Keep one template with your details, VAT line, and standard terms already filled in. You only change the name, the hours, and the rate.
- Number quotes in a single running series (2026-001, 2026-002) so nothing is duplicated and every one is traceable.
A tool that already holds your students, rates, and hours can produce the quote for you and turn the accepted one into an invoice without re-typing. That is what Kadrella's invoicing for tutors does, and you can see what it costs on the pricing page.
A good quote takes five minutes and prevents two arguments. Send one before the first lesson, keep the signed copy, and the invoice that follows almost writes itself.
Sources
A senior software engineer, he founds and runs several tech companies. He builds products around messaging APIs, automation and AI integration, and shares here what he learns while building.
- facturation
- devis
- cours particuliers