# BR-E-03 Exempt document allowance requires a seller tax identifier

An invoice with a document level allowance (BG-20) where the document level allowance VAT category code (BT-95) is "Exempt from VAT" (E) shall contain the Seller VAT identifier (BT-31), the Seller tax registration identifier (BT-32) and/or the Seller tax representative VAT identifier (BT-63).

## Problem Description

> **ERROR**: EN 16931 VAT category rule

## Context and Significance

This is the counterpart of BR-E-02 for document level allowances: applying an exemption requires a tax-identified seller. A national tax number in BT-32 is enough; a VAT identifier is not required. In practice, the error occurs when the seller master data holds neither a VAT identifier nor a tax number.

## Solution

Add at least one seller tax identifier (BT-31, BT-32 or BT-63) to the invoice that carries the exempt document level allowance.

- [Validate XML](/en/xrechnung-validator?source=resource&rule=BR-E-03)
- [Convert invoice](/en/pdf-to-xrechnung?source=resource&rule=BR-E-03)

## Valid Examples

- Exempt allowance (BT-95 = E) with seller BT-32 = 201/123/40004

## Invalid Examples

- Exempt allowance (BT-95 = E) with no seller tax identifier at all

## Code Examples

### Valid XML
```
<cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
  <cac:Party>
    <cac:PartyTaxScheme>
      <cbc:CompanyID>201/123/40004</cbc:CompanyID>
      <cac:TaxScheme><cbc:ID>FC</cbc:ID></cac:TaxScheme>
    </cac:PartyTaxScheme>
  </cac:Party>
</cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
<cac:AllowanceCharge>
  <cbc:ChargeIndicator>false</cbc:ChargeIndicator>
  <cbc:Amount currencyID="EUR">40.00</cbc:Amount>
  <cac:TaxCategory><cbc:ID>E</cbc:ID><cbc:Percent>0</cbc:Percent><cac:TaxScheme><cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID></cac:TaxScheme></cac:TaxCategory>
</cac:AllowanceCharge>
```

### Invalid XML
```
<cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
  <cac:Party>
    <cac:PartyLegalEntity><cbc:RegistrationName>Seller GmbH</cbc:RegistrationName></cac:PartyLegalEntity>
  </cac:Party>
</cac:AccountingSupplierParty>
<cac:AllowanceCharge>
  <cbc:ChargeIndicator>false</cbc:ChargeIndicator>
  <cbc:Amount currencyID="EUR">40.00</cbc:Amount>
  <cac:TaxCategory><cbc:ID>E</cbc:ID><cbc:Percent>0</cbc:Percent><cac:TaxScheme><cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID></cac:TaxScheme></cac:TaxCategory>
</cac:AllowanceCharge>
```

## Affected Fields

- [BT-95 Document level allowance VAT category code](/resources/xrechnung/bt-95-document-level-allowance-vat-category-code)
- [BT-31 Seller VAT identifier](/resources/xrechnung/bt-31-seller-vat-identifier)
- [BT-32 Seller tax registration identifier](/resources/xrechnung/bt-32-seller-tax-registration-identifier)
- [BT-63 Seller tax representative VAT identifier](/resources/xrechnung/bt-63-seller-tax-representative-vat-identifier)

## Related Rules

- [BR-E-02](/resources/kosit-validator-errors/br-e-02-exempt-line-seller-vat-id)
- [BR-E-04](/resources/kosit-validator-errors/br-e-04-exempt-charge-seller-vat-id)
- [BR-E-06](/resources/kosit-validator-errors/br-e-06-exempt-allowance-rate-zero)

## Validation Tools

- [Official KoSIT Validator](https://github.com/itplr-kosit/validator): Run the official KoSIT validator with the XRechnung configuration to check EN 16931 and XRechnung rules.
- [Convert PDF to XRechnung](/pdf-to-xrechnung): Find validation errors during conversion and review each correction.

## Related Resources

- [Official Specification](https://docs.peppol.eu/poacc/billing/3.0/rules/ubl-tc434/)
- [Test Suite](https://github.com/itplr-kosit/xrechnung-testsuite)
- [All validation errors](/resources/kosit-validator-errors): Overview of the EN 16931, XRechnung and Peppol validation rules explained here.