Fix BR-29: Invoicing period end date is before the start date

BR-29 in your own invoice? Upload the file and find every error in seconds.

What does BR-29 mean?

If the invoice carries both an invoicing period start date (BT-73) and an invoicing period end date (BT-74), the end must be the same as or later than the start. Both dates sit in ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod as udt:DateTimeString in format 102 (YYYYMMDD). The rule only applies when both dates are set.

Common causes of BR-29

Start date and end date were swapped.
A typo in the date, for example the wrong month or the wrong year.
The end date was set to a day before the start.

How to fix BR-29

Find the faulty spot in the XML. Open the XML of the invoice and go to field BT-74 along this XPath://rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeSettlement/ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod/ram:EndDateTime/udt:DateTimeString
Apply the fix. Correct ram:EndDateTime (BT-74) in ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod so that it is the same as or later than ram:StartDateTime (BT-73). Both values in format 102 (YYYYMMDD), for example 20260430.
Validate again. Save the file and validate it again to check that BR-29 is no longer reported.

Concrete fix

Correct ram:EndDateTime (BT-74) in ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod so that it is the same as or later than ram:StartDateTime (BT-73). Both values in format 102 (YYYYMMDD), for example <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260430</udt:DateTimeString>.

XPath

//rsm:SupplyChainTradeTransaction/ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeSettlement/ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod/ram:EndDateTime/udt:DateTimeString

Before / after: the XML example

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

Wrong

<ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod>
  <ram:StartDateTime>
    <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260401</udt:DateTimeString>
  </ram:StartDateTime>
  <ram:EndDateTime>
    <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260331</udt:DateTimeString>
  </ram:EndDateTime>
</ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod>

Correct

<ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod>
  <ram:StartDateTime>
    <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260401</udt:DateTimeString>
  </ram:StartDateTime>
  <ram:EndDateTime>
    <udt:DateTimeString format="102">20260430</udt:DateTimeString>
  </ram:EndDateTime>
</ram:BillingSpecifiedPeriod>

Frequent questions about BR-29

May the end be the same as the start?

Yes. A period of a single day is allowed, start and end date may be equal. Only an end before the start is invalid.

Which format do the dates use?

As udt:DateTimeString with format='102', that is YYYYMMDD without separators, for example 20260430.

What if I only have one date?

Then the rule does not apply. It only checks the case where start (BT-73) and end (BT-74) are both set.

Related error codes

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