BR-CO-18: The VAT breakdown is missing entirely. How to fix it
The invoice contains no VAT breakdown group (BG-23). At least one is always required.
Error: the invoice is refusedFrom the European norm EN 16931
The rule, in its own words
An Invoice shall at least have one VAT breakdown group (BG-23).
Fields involved: BG-23
What the rule checks
The rule checks that the invoice contains at least one tax group. A tax group states, per rate, what the rate was applied to and how much tax results. Even an invoice with no VAT at all needs one, carrying a zero rate and a reason.
Why files fail it
- The invoice is VAT-exempt, for instance under the German small-business rule, so the software left the block out.
- For an export or an intra-community supply no tax group was built because no tax is due.
- The block was lost on export because the template does not know about it.
How to fix it
- Build a tax group even when no VAT is due. It then carries a zero rate, the right tax category and an exemption reason.
- Under the German small-business rule the category is E and the reason is the reference to that rule.
- For an intra-community supply the category is K; for an export, G.
- In our form the breakdown is built from the line items automatically, including the reason when you choose an exempt VAT treatment.
Check your file
Upload your invoice. It runs through the same official validator that applies this rule, and you see immediately whether it passes now.
Check an invoice
or drop it here
XRechnung XML, or a ZUGFeRD / Factur-X PDF. Up to 10 MB.
- Run against the official EN 16931 and XRechnung rules
- Your file is deleted the moment the result appears
- No sign-up, and a result in seconds
What to do next
An invoice with errors will be rejected. Build a compliant one from the PDF you already have, or enter the details yourself. Either way you get a file that passes.