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BR-CO-19 Invoicing period needs a start or end date

If the invoicing period (BG-14) is used, the invoicing period start date (BT-73) or the invoicing period end date (BT-74) shall be filled, or both.

Problem Description

ERROR

EN 16931 calculation and consistency rule (BR-CO)

Context and Significance

This EN 16931 rule forbids an empty invoicing period without any date. The error typically occurs when the ERP always generates the period element, even when no service or billing dates are known for the invoice.

Solution

When an invoicing period (BG-14) is present, provide at least its start date (BT-73) or end date (BT-74); otherwise remove the empty element. UBL: cac:InvoicePeriod/cbc:StartDate or cbc:EndDate; a cac:InvoicePeriod that contains only cbc:DescriptionCode (the VAT point date code, BT-8) is accepted. CII: ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod/ram:StartDateTime or ram:EndDateTime.

Quick actions

Validate XMLConvert invoice

Valid Examples

  • BT-73 = 2026-01-01 with BT-74 = 2026-01-31
  • UBL: cac:InvoicePeriod containing only cbc:DescriptionCode = 3 (BT-8)

Invalid Examples

  • cac:InvoicePeriod present without BT-73 and BT-74 (and, in UBL, without cbc:DescriptionCode)

Code Examples

Valid XML
<cac:InvoicePeriod>
  <cbc:StartDate>2026-01-01</cbc:StartDate>
  <cbc:EndDate>2026-01-31</cbc:EndDate>
</cac:InvoicePeriod>
Invalid XML
<cac:InvoicePeriod>
</cac:InvoicePeriod>

Affected Fields

BG-14 Invoicing period
BT-73 Invoicing period start date
BT-74 Invoicing period end date

Validation Tools

Official KoSIT Validator

Run the official KoSIT validator with the XRechnung configuration to check EN 16931 and XRechnung rules.

Convert PDF to XRechnung

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