How do I fix BR-CL-17?

A VAT Category Code is not a valid UNCL5305 code. Valid codes: S=standard, Z=zero, E=exempt, AE=reverse charge, K=intra-community. You can also use Invoice Navigator's compliance engine to correct this automatically in your pipeline.

Is BR-CL-17 a critical error?

Yes, BR-CL-17 is a critical error that will cause invoice rejection. It must be fixed before submission.

Can BR-CL-17 be automatically fixed?

Many instances of BR-CL-17 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's compliance engine. The fix is applied in your pipeline with full audit evidence.

errorEN 16931

`BR-CL-17`:Invoice tax categories MUST be coded using UNCL5305 code list

A VAT Category Code is not a valid UNCL5305 code. Valid codes: S=standard, Z=zero, E=exempt, AE=reverse charge, K=intra-community.

Severity

Fatal

Rule set

EN 16931

Country

All EU

Fix type

AUTO-FIX

Confidence

90%

Engine Classification

Suggest VAT category based on rate and context: 0% could be Z or E, standard rates suggest S. User must confirm due to tax compliance implications.

Confidence: 90% · Applied automatically in pipeline

What is BR-CL-17?

BR-CL-17 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the ram:CategoryCode element 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: ram:ApplicableTradeTax/ram:CategoryCode

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Tax categories must use standard codes for VAT reporting.

BR-CL-17 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.

Invoice Navigator can automatically correct this error in your pipeline. The fix is applied with full audit evidence, so your compliance trail remains intact.

Validator Behavior

·Causes invoice rejection
·Error returned: BR-CL-17
·Specification: EN 16931

Before / After

Failing XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue: Invoice tax categories MUST be coded using UNCL5305 code lis -->
</Invoice>

Corrected XML

<Invoice>
  <!-- Issue resolved per EN 16931 -->
</Invoice>

Technical Reference

XPathram:ApplicableTradeTax/ram:CategoryCode

SpecEN 16931

Operationnormalize

StrategySuggest VAT category based on rate and context: 0% could be Z or E, standard rates suggest S. User must confirm due to tax compliance implications.

Common Causes

·VAT category code not from UNCL 5305 list
·Custom tax category code used instead of standard
·Tax type stored as description not code (S, Z, E, etc.)
·Invalid VAT category code for EN16931
·National tax code not mapped to UNCL 5305

Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-CL-17 automatically. See the fix response →

Handle BR-CL-17 Automatically in Your Pipeline

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

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BR-CL-17:Invoice tax categories MUST be coded using UNCL5305 code list