Error codes · EN 16931 · Germany
DE-R-006Fixable here
Seller contact telephone required (XRechnung) in Germany
This is the rejection, word for word: „[DE-R-006] German XRechnung invoices must include a telephone number (BT-42) for the seller contact person in the Seller Contact group (BG-6).“
Why this matters in Germany
Germany requires e-invoicing using XRechnung (UBL), XRechnung (CII), ZUGFeRD 2.x. An invoice with this error is rejected; it cannot be processed under Germany's rules.
Invoice will be rejected by German XRechnung validators. Germany has additional mandatory fields beyond EN16931 baseline, including seller contact details, complete addresses, and buyer reference (Leitweg-ID).
What to have readyThe missing value from your purchase order, contract or bookkeeping.
What we doThis requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:Telephone` (BT-42).
How to fix DE-R-006
01Identify the missing dataGerman XRechnung invoices must include a telephone number (BT-42) for the seller contact person in the Seller Contact group (BG-6).
02Provide the required valueThis requires user input to resolve. Provide the correct value for `cbc:Telephone` (BT-42).
03Re-validate your invoiceUpload the corrected invoice to confirm DE-R-006 is resolved.
If you enter it yourself in your invoicing software
Before
<cac:Contact> <cbc:Telephone><!-- invalid or missing value --></cbc:Telephone> </cac:Contact>
After
<cac:Contact> <cbc:Telephone>correct-value</cbc:Telephone> </cac:Contact>
Germany e-invoicing requirements
| Phase | Status | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| B2G | Live (Nov 2020) | All federal suppliers |
| B2B receiving | Live (Jan 2025) | All German businesses |
| B2B sending | Jan 2027 | >€800K annual revenue |
| B2B sending | Jan 2028 | All businesses |
Known causes
German invoice missing seller telephone
BT-42 Seller contact telephone not provided
cbc:Telephone in seller contact empty or absent
Contact phone number mandatory for XRechnung
German public sector requires phone contact