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BR-DE-4 Seller post code must be provided

Under the German XRechnung profile and German tax regulations (§ 14 UStG), the postal address of the seller (BG-5) must contain a postal code (BT-38). German administrative routing systems and tax assessment offices rely on standard 5-digit German postal codes (Postleitzahl) to verify local tax authority jurisdiction and perform automated address deduplication.

Problem Description

ERROR

German XRechnung rule (KoSIT, BR-DE) · XRechnung 3.0

Interactive pipeline

Click a stage to see what it checks, or type a rule ID to light up the stage that reports it.

Try:

BR-DE-4 XRechnung rule (Germany)

Reported in stage 3: National rules (CIUS).

Level error: the report recommends rejecting the invoice.

Stage 3 · What it checks

  • The specification identifier in BT-24 selects the rule set, for example XRechnung 3.0 or Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.
  • XRechnung adds the German BR-DE rules: buyer reference (BT-10), seller contact, payment instructions.
  • Peppol adds PEPPOL-EN16931 and country rules. XRechnung applies some PEPPOL-EN16931 rules too.

Example codes

Typical fix

Fill the fields the rule set requires in your master data, such as the Leitweg-ID in BT-10 or the seller contact.

A validator checks an e-invoice in stages. First the file must be well-formed XML that matches the UBL or CII schema (XSD). Then the EN 16931 business rules run: BR core rules, BR-CO calculations, BR-CL code lists, BR-DEC decimals and VAT-category rules such as BR-S. Next come the national or network rules that BT-24 selects: BR-DE for XRechnung, PEPPOL-EN16931 for Peppol BIS Billing. The report lists every failed rule: one error means reject, warnings alone still mean accept. BR-DE-4: XRechnung rule (Germany), reported in the stage “National rules (CIUS)”. Rule sets: KoSIT validator 1.6.3 with the XRechnung configuration of 31 Aug 2026 (EN 16931 artefacts 1.3.16), Peppol BIS Billing 3.0.21.

Context and Significance

Without BT-38, Schematron validation fails rule BR-DE-4 immediately. In domestic German B2G transactions, a valid 5-digit PLZ is indispensable for invoice clearing.

Solution

In your ERP master data, ensure the postal code field is maintained in the seller address profile. In UBL 2.1 syntax, populate <cbc:PostalZone> within <cac:AccountingSupplierParty><cac:Party><cac:PostalAddress>. In UN/CEFACT CII syntax, populate <ram:PostcodeCode> within <ram:SellerTradeParty><ram:PostalTradeAddress>. Ensure the postal code is not embedded inside the street address or city name.

Quick actions

Validate XMLConvert invoice

Valid Examples

  • Seller postal address with BT-38 = "10115" and BT-37 = "Berlin"
  • Seller postal address with BT-38 = "80331" and BT-37 = "München"

Invalid Examples

  • Seller postal address containing street and city but omitting cbc:PostalZone / ram:PostcodeCode
  • Postal code placed as text prefix in cbc:CityName (e.g. "10115 Berlin") leaving BT-38 empty

Code Examples

Valid XML
<cac:PostalAddress>
  <cbc:StreetName>Alexanderstraße 1</cbc:StreetName>
  <cbc:CityName>Berlin</cbc:CityName>
  <cbc:PostalZone>10178</cbc:PostalZone>
  <cac:Country><cbc:IdentificationCode>DE</cbc:IdentificationCode></cac:Country>
</cac:PostalAddress>
Invalid XML
<cac:PostalAddress>
  <cbc:StreetName>Alexanderstraße 1</cbc:StreetName>
  <cbc:CityName>Berlin</cbc:CityName>
  <cac:Country><cbc:IdentificationCode>DE</cbc:IdentificationCode></cac:Country>
</cac:PostalAddress>

Affected Fields

BT-38 Seller post code
BG-5 Seller postal address
BT-37 Seller city

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

Find validation errors during conversion and review each correction.