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BR-20:Tax scheme must be VAT

The tax scheme identifier must be "VAT" for European invoicing.

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NEEDS INPUT

Requires user input: Two-letter ISO 3166-1 country code for the tax representative's country.

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Why This Error Matters

Invoice rejected. Country code is mandatory for VAT jurisdiction determination.

How to Fix It

1

Check all TaxScheme

Find all TaxScheme/ID elements

2

Set to VAT

Value must be exactly VAT

3

Case sensitive

Must be uppercase VAT

Code Example

<cac:TaxScheme>
  <cbc:ID>VAT</cbc:ID>
</cac:TaxScheme>

Technical Details

XPath: //cac:TaxScheme/cbc:ID

Common Causes

  • Tax representative address missing country code
  • Country stored as full name not ISO code
  • IdentificationCode not mapped for rep address
  • Tax rep country assumed same as seller
  • Country field not mandatory in rep setup form

Commonly Seen In

All invoicing software

Frequently Asked Questions

The tax scheme identifier must be "VAT" for European invoicing.
Set TaxScheme ID to "VAT". You can also use Invoice Navigator's automatic Fixer tool to correct this instantly.
Yes, BR-20 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-20 can be automatically corrected using Invoice Navigator's Fixer tool. Upload your invoice and the tool will identify and fix common issues, including tax scheme must be vat.
BR-20 is commonly seen in exports from All invoicing software. These software packages sometimes generate invoices that need adjustment to meet full compliance standards.

Related Errors

BR-19

Tax category code required

BR-CO-10

Sum of VAT category amounts incorrect

Last updated: 18 January 2026

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