warningBELpeppol-bis-3

BR-BE-02:Belgian VAT number recommended

Belgian invoices should include the BTW/TVA number in format BE + 10 digits.

Severity
Warning
Rule set
peppol-bis-3
Country
BEL
Fix type
INPUT REQUIRED

Engine Classification

Business data required · Explicit input workflow · No assumptions made

Required input: Belgian VAT Number (BTW/TVA)

What is BR-BE-02?

BR-BE-02 is a warning validation rule defined in the peppol-bis-3 specification (BEL national rules). It validates the CompanyID element under Party > PartyTaxScheme in the UBL invoice XML.

This is a soft validation failure. The invoice may pass initial transmission, but non-compliant values in this field can cause problems during tax audits, buyer-side processing, or downstream VAT reconciliation.

Target path: XPath: /Invoice/cac:AccountingSupplierParty/cac:Party/cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyID

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Why This Error Matters

VAT number is required for intra-EU B2B invoicing and VAT reporting.

BR-BE-02 is a soft failure. The invoice may pass initial validation, but the non-compliant field can cause issues at the receiving end — tax authorities may flag it during audits, buyer ERP systems may fail to process it, or VAT reconciliation may produce mismatches. Fixing warnings before they accumulate prevents larger compliance gaps.

Validator Behavior

  • ·Generates validation warning
  • ·Rejected by PEPPOL Access Points
  • ·Error returned: BR-BE-02
  • ·Specification: peppol-bis-3

How to Fix It

1.

Get BTW number

Format: BE + 0 + 9 digits (10 digits total)

2.

Include leading zero

First digit after BE is always 0

3.

Add to invoice

Place in PartyTaxScheme section

XML Example

Generic example based on the rule's target XPath. Your actual XML structure may differ.

Before
<!-- Incorrect value -->
<cbc:CompanyID>INVALID</cbc:CompanyID>
After
<!-- Corrected value -->
<cbc:CompanyID>VALID_VALUE</cbc:CompanyID>

Technical Reference

XPathXPath: /Invoice/cac:AccountingSupplierParty/cac:Party/cac:PartyTaxScheme/cbc:CompanyID
Specpeppol-bis-3

Code Example

<cac:PartyTaxScheme>
  <cbc:CompanyID>BE0123456789</cbc:CompanyID>
  <cac:TaxScheme>
    <cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
  </cac:TaxScheme>
</cac:PartyTaxScheme>

Common Causes

  • ·Missing leading zero
  • ·Using enterprise number only
  • ·Wrong format

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-BE-02 automatically. See the fix response →

Commonly Seen In

Exact OnlineOctopusBillitYuki

Frequently Asked Questions

Belgian invoices should include the BTW/TVA number in format BE + 10 digits.

Add Belgian VAT number with BE prefix. You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.

BR-BE-02 is a warning that may not always cause rejection, but it indicates a potential compliance issue that should be addressed to ensure full compatibility.

Many instances of BR-BE-02 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's Fixer tool. Upload your invoice and the tool will identify and fix common issues, including belgian vat number recommended.

BR-BE-02 is commonly seen in exports from Exact Online, Octopus, Billit, Yuki. These software packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment to meet full compliance standards.

Related Errors

BR-BE-01

Enterprise Number Recommended

Last updated: 18 January 2026

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Handle BR-BE-02 Automatically in Your Pipeline

The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.

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