BR-CO-22:Document charge reason required
Each Document level charge (BG-21) shall contain a Document level charge reason (BT-104) or a Document level charge reason code (BT-105), or both.
Engine Classification
Add default charge reason code AAA when both reason text and code are missing
Confidence: 85% · Applied automatically in pipeline
What is BR-CO-22?
BR-CO-22 is a fatal validation rule defined in the EN 16931 specification. It validates the AllowanceChargeReasonCode 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: //cac:AllowanceCharge[cbc:ChargeIndicator='true' and not(cbc:AllowanceChargeReason) and not(cbc:AllowanceChargeReasonCode)]/cbc:AllowanceChargeReasonCode
Why This Error Matters
Invoice rejected. Buyers must know what charges they're paying for.
BR-CO-22 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-CO-22
- ·Specification: EN 16931
How to Fix It
Add reason code
Add AllowanceChargeReasonCode (BT-105) with a valid UNTDID 7161 code like AAA (Service charge) or FC (Freight)
Or add reason text
Alternatively, add AllowanceChargeReason (BT-104) with descriptive text
Verify placement
Ensure reason is within the same AllowanceCharge element where ChargeIndicator=true
Before / After
<Invoice> <cac:AllowanceCharge>INVALID_CODE</cac:AllowanceCharge> </Invoice>
<Invoice> <cac:AllowanceCharge>VALID_CODE</cac:AllowanceCharge> </Invoice>
Technical Reference
//cac:AllowanceCharge[cbc:ChargeIndicator='true' and not(cbc:AllowanceChargeReason) and not(cbc:AllowanceChargeReasonCode)]/cbc:AllowanceChargeReasonCodeCommon Causes
- ·Document charge has no reason text or code
- ·AllowanceCharge (charge) missing both reason fields
- ·Surcharge added without explanation
- ·Template missing charge reason fields
- ·Generic charge applied without categorization
Seeing this in production? The API handles BR-CO-22 automatically. See the fix response →
Frequently Asked Questions
BR-CO-22 occurs when a document level charge (surcharge) exists but has no reason code (BT-105) or reason text (BT-104) explaining what the charge is for.
Add either AllowanceChargeReasonCode with a valid UNTDID 7161 code (e.g., AAA for Service charge, FC for Freight) or AllowanceChargeReason with descriptive text.
Yes, BR-CO-22 is a business rule violation that will cause invoice rejection. Buyers need to understand what charges they are being billed for.
Yes! Invoice Navigator automatically adds the default reason code AAA (Service charge) when no reason is provided. This is a standard charge code from UNTDID 7161.
See Also
Related Errors
Last updated: 27 February 2026
Handle BR-CO-22 Automatically in Your Pipeline
The compliance engine auto-remediates this error with controlled safety policies and evidence pack generation.