errorEN 16931

BR-18:Invoice line price required

Each invoice line must have a price amount (item net price).

Severity
Fatal
Rule set
EN 16931
Country
All EU
Fix type
INPUT REQUIRED

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Unit Price

What is BR-18?

BR-18 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the PriceAmount element under InvoiceLine > Price in the UBL invoice XML.

When this rule fires, the invoice is non-compliant and will be rejected by Peppol access points and national validation services. The sending system receives a rejection response and the invoice does not reach the buyer.

Target path: XPath: /Invoice/cac:InvoiceLine/cac:Price/cbc:PriceAmount

Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Tax authorities require the fiscal representative to be fully identified.

BR-18 is a hard failure. Invoices that trigger this rule are rejected at the access point and never reach the recipient. In Peppol networks, this means your sending system receives an MLR (Message Level Response) with a rejection status. The invoice must be corrected and re-sent, adding delay to your payment cycle.

Validator Behavior

  • ·Causes invoice rejection
  • ·Error returned: BR-18
  • ·Specification: EN 16931

How to Fix It

1.

Set unit price

Price for one unit of the item

2.

Add currency

Include currencyID attribute

3.

Verify calculation

Quantity × Price should equal LineExtensionAmount

Before / After

Failing XML
<cac:PartyName>
  <cbc:Name><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:Name>
</cac:PartyName>
Corrected XML
<cac:PartyName>
  <cbc:Name>correct-value</cbc:Name>
</cac:PartyName>

Technical Reference

XPathXPath: /Invoice/cac:InvoiceLine/cac:Price/cbc:PriceAmount
SpecEN 16931
StrategyRequires user input: Legal name of the tax representative. Cannot auto-derive because this is a legal entity acting on behalf of the seller for VAT purposes.

Code Example

<cac:Price>
  <cbc:PriceAmount currencyID="EUR">10.00</cbc:PriceAmount>
</cac:Price>

Common Causes

  • ·TaxRepresentativeParty section added but name missing
  • ·Fiscal representative configured without PartyName
  • ·VAT registration via representative not fully set up
  • ·Template missing tax rep name field mapping
  • ·Cross-border tax representative record incomplete

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-18 automatically. See the fix response →

Commonly Seen In

All invoicing software

Frequently Asked Questions

Each invoice line must have a price amount (item net price).

Add PriceAmount element with price per unit. You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.

Yes, BR-18 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission to ensure your invoice is accepted by the recipient's system.

Many instances of BR-18 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's Fixer tool. Upload your invoice and the tool will identify and fix common issues, including invoice line price required.

BR-18 is commonly seen in exports from All invoicing software. These software packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment to meet full compliance standards.

See Also

Related Errors

Last updated: 27 February 2026

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