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  1. E-Invoicing Resources
  2. KoSIT Validator Errors
  3. BR-DE-13

Reference

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BR-DE-13 Buyer reference must be provided

The buyer reference must be provided on the invoice.

Problem DescriptionContext and SignificanceSolutionValid ExamplesInvalid ExamplesCode ExamplesTechnical DetailsRelated RulesValidation ToolsRelated Resources

Problem Description#

The buyer reference must be provided on the invoice.

ERROR

XRechnung 3.0

Context and Significance#

The buyer reference is used by many public sector recipients to route the invoice internally (department, cost center, order reference) and to match it to the procurement process. If you do not have an order reference, use the identifier provided by the buyer/portal.

Solution#

Add the buyer reference to the invoice.

Valid Examples#

Use these points as the practical checks for this section.

  • DEPT-4711
  • PO-2025-000123
  • Buyer-provided routing reference

Invalid Examples#

Use these points as the practical checks for this section.

  • Missing buyer reference
  • Using a seller internal reference instead

Code Examples#

Valid XML
<cbc:BuyerReference>PO-2025-000123</cbc:BuyerReference>
Invalid XML
<!-- Missing cbc:BuyerReference -->

Technical Details#

Affected Fields

Buyer Reference

Related Rules#

BR-DE-15

Validation Tools#

Official KoSIT Validator

Validate your XRechnung files against all BR-DE rules.

Convert PDF to XRechnung

Automatic validation error fixes when converting.

Related Resources#

Official Specification
Test Suite
Complete Error List

Overview of all German XRechnung validation rules.

BR-DE-12BR-DE-14
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Problem DescriptionContext and SignificanceSolutionValid ExamplesInvalid ExamplesCode ExamplesTechnical DetailsRelated RulesValidation ToolsRelated Resources

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