Prerequisites
- Exact Online subscription with Accountancy or Sales module
- Company details fully configured (address, VAT number, KvK/BCE number)
- Customer records with complete address and tax information
- Administrator access to configure e-invoicing settings
Step-by-Step Setup
Verify company master data
Navigate to Settings > Company > General. Ensure your company name, address, VAT number (BTW-nummer), and KvK number (NL) or BCE number (BE) are complete. These map directly to UBL Seller (BG-4) fields. Missing data causes BR-06 and BR-08 errors.
Configure customer records for UBL
In CRM > Accounts, open each customer and verify: full company name (maps to BT-44), address with postal code and country (BG-8), and VAT number if applicable. For B2G customers, add the buyer reference (Kenmerk) in the reference fields.
Enable UBL output for sales invoices
Navigate to the invoicing settings and ensure electronic invoicing is enabled. Select UBL 2.1 as the output format. Exact Online will generate UBL XML alongside the PDF for each invoice.
Create and export a test invoice
Create a test invoice in Sales > Invoices. After posting, download the UBL XML from the invoice detail view. Check that all mandatory fields are populated: invoice number (BT-1), issue date (BT-2), currency (BT-5), and line items.
Validate the UBL output
Upload the exported UBL XML to Invoice Navigator to validate against EN 16931 rules. Fix any reported errors in the source data before sending to customers.
Common Exact Online Errors
Why this happens in Exact Online
Company name in Exact Online is incomplete or uses an abbreviated trading name instead of the full legal entity name required by EN 16931.
How to fix it
Go to Settings > Company > General and enter the full legal company name. This maps to BT-27 (Seller name) in the UBL output.
Why this happens in Exact Online
Invoice created without specifying the currency, or the default currency is not configured in the company settings.
How to fix it
Set the default currency in Settings > Company > Financial. Ensure each invoice has a currency selected in the header.
Why this happens in Exact Online
Company address in Exact Online does not include the country code, which is required for the Seller postal address (BG-5).
How to fix it
Navigate to Settings > Company > General > Address and ensure the country is selected from the dropdown.
Pre-Export Checklist for Exact Online
Before exporting UBL 2.1 from Exact Online, verify these items:
- 1Verify company legal name, address, and VAT number are complete
- 2Confirm customer address includes country code
- 3Check that KvK number (NL) or BCE number (BE) is populated
- 4Ensure invoice has line items with quantities and unit prices
- 5Verify default currency is set correctly
Validate Your Output
After exporting UBL invoices from Exact Online, use the Invoice Navigator API to validate them against all EN 16931 business rules. The validator checks both structural completeness and data accuracy, identifying Exact Online-specific configuration issues.
Validate UBL 2.1FAQ
What UBL version does Exact Online generate?
Can I customize the UBL output from Exact Online?
Related Guides
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Validate UBL 2.1 Invoice