erroren16931

BR-CO-19:Invoice period must have at least one date

If Invoicing period (BG-14) is used, the Invoicing period start date (BT-73) or the Invoicing period end date (BT-74) shall be filled, or both.

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remove_empty_element

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Why This Error Matters

An empty invoice period element serves no purpose and violates the EN16931 specification. If you include an invoice period, it must specify at least one date to indicate the billing period covered.

How to Fix It

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Before & After Fix(BR-CO-19)

Before (Invalid)
<cac:InvoicePeriod>\n  <!-- Empty - no dates -->\n</cac:InvoicePeriod>
After (Valid)
<cac:InvoicePeriod>\n  <cbc:StartDate>2026-01-01</cbc:StartDate>\n  <cbc:EndDate>2026-01-31</cbc:EndDate>\n</cac:InvoicePeriod>

Compare the invalid XML structure with the corrected version. The fix ensures compliance with validation rules.

Code Example

<!-- Option 1: Add dates -->\n<cac:InvoicePeriod>\n  <cbc:StartDate>2026-01-01</cbc:StartDate>\n  <cbc:EndDate>2026-01-31</cbc:EndDate>\n</cac:InvoicePeriod>\n\n<!-- Option 2: Remove empty element entirely -->

Technical Details

BR-CO-19 validates that when an InvoicePeriod element exists in the invoice, it must contain at least a StartDate (BT-73) or EndDate (BT-74). An empty InvoicePeriod element is not valid.

Common Causes

  • Template includes empty InvoicePeriod by default
  • Export process creates structure without populating dates
  • Copy-paste from another invoice forgot to update dates
  • Conditional logic error in invoice generation

Frequently Asked Questions

BR-CO-19 occurs when an InvoicePeriod element exists in the invoice but contains no StartDate (BT-73) or EndDate (BT-74). The period element must have at least one date.
Either add dates to the invoice period (StartDate and/or EndDate), or remove the empty InvoicePeriod element entirely. Invoice Navigator can fix this automatically.
Yes, BR-CO-19 is a business rule violation that will cause invoice rejection. An invoice period must have at least one date to be valid.
Yes! Invoice Navigator automatically removes empty InvoicePeriod elements when no dates are present. This is a safe structural fix with no data loss.

See Also

EN 16931 Validator

Check your invoice now

Related Errors

BR-CO-18

Line extension amount calculation error

BR-CO-20

Invoice line period dates required

Last updated: 17 January 2026

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