Fix BR-19: Seller tax representative postal address missing

BR-19 in your own invoice? Upload the file and find every error in seconds.

What does BR-19 mean?

If the invoice names a Seller tax representative party (BG-11), it must also carry that party's postal address (BG-12). The address sits as ram:PostalTradeAddress under the tax representative party. The rule applies only if a tax representative is stated.

Common causes of BR-19

The element ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty contains no ram:PostalTradeAddress.
Only name and VAT identifier were set, the address was forgotten.
The address element is present but completely empty.

How to fix BR-19

Find the faulty spot in the XML. Open the XML of the invoice and go to field BG-12 along this XPath://rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement/ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty/ram:PostalTradeAddress
Apply the fix. Add a ram:PostalTradeAddress with the address of the tax representative inside ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty; it must contain at least ram:CountryID (BT-69). Without a tax representative, leave out the whole element ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty.
Validate again. Save the file and validate it again to check that BR-19 is no longer reported.

Concrete fix

Add a ram:PostalTradeAddress with the address of the tax representative inside ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty; it must contain at least ram:CountryID (BT-69). Without a tax representative, leave out the whole element ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty.

XPath

//rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement/ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty/ram:PostalTradeAddress

Before / after: the XML example

This is the spot in question before and after the fix (Cross Industry Invoice, ZUGFeRD/Factur-X).

Wrong

<ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty>
  <ram:Name>Steuerkanzlei Weber und Partner</ram:Name>
  <ram:SpecifiedTaxRegistration>
    <ram:ID schemeID="VA">DE123456789</ram:ID>
  </ram:SpecifiedTaxRegistration>
</ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty>

Correct

<ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty>
  <ram:Name>Steuerkanzlei Weber und Partner</ram:Name>
  <ram:PostalTradeAddress>
    <ram:PostcodeCode>10115</ram:PostcodeCode>
    <ram:LineOne>Friedrichstrasse 12</ram:LineOne>
    <ram:CityName>Berlin</ram:CityName>
    <ram:CountryID>DE</ram:CountryID>
  </ram:PostalTradeAddress>
  <ram:SpecifiedTaxRegistration>
    <ram:ID schemeID="VA">DE123456789</ram:ID>
  </ram:SpecifiedTaxRegistration>
</ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty>

Frequent questions about BR-19

Which address fields must I fill?

At minimum ram:PostalTradeAddress must be present and contain the country code ram:CountryID (see BR-20). Street, postcode and city complete the address.

Where does the address belong?

As ram:PostalTradeAddress directly under ram:SellerTaxRepresentativeTradeParty within ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement.

Must I always state the address?

Only if a tax representative is named. Without a tax representative the address is not required at all.

Related error codes

Check BR-19 automatically

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