Fix BR-38: Reason for the charge (BT-104/BT-105) missing

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What does BR-38 mean?

Every document level charge must be justified, as free text or as a reason code. That keeps the surcharge transparent.

Common causes of BR-38

The charge contains neither ram:Reason (BT-104) nor ram:ReasonCode (BT-105).
The field ram:Reason is present, but empty.
The reason was shown only in the PDF layout, not stored in the XML.

How to fix BR-38

Find the faulty spot in the XML. Open the XML of the invoice and go to field BT-104 along this XPath://ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeSettlement/ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge/ram:Reason
Apply the fix. Every document level charge (BG-21) needs a reason: either the free text ram:Reason (BT-104) or the reason code ram:ReasonCode (BT-105) per UNTDID 7161. Add at least one of the two elements to the affected ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge with ChargeIndicator=true.
Validate again. Save the file and validate it again to check that BR-38 is no longer reported.

Concrete fix

Every document level charge (BG-21) needs a reason: either the free text ram:Reason (BT-104) or the reason code ram:ReasonCode (BT-105) per UNTDID 7161. Add at least one of the two elements to the affected ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge with ChargeIndicator=true.

XPath//ram:ApplicableHeaderTradeSettlement/ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge/ram:Reason

Before / after: the XML example

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

Wrong

<ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
  <ram:ChargeIndicator><udt:Indicator>true</udt:Indicator></ram:ChargeIndicator>
  <ram:ActualAmount>15.00</ram:ActualAmount>
</ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>

Correct

<ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
  <ram:ChargeIndicator><udt:Indicator>true</udt:Indicator></ram:ChargeIndicator>
  <ram:ActualAmount>15.00</ram:ActualAmount>
  <ram:Reason>Versandpauschale</ram:Reason>
</ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>

Frequent questions about BR-38

Is the free text enough, or do I need the code?

One of the two is enough. You can give ram:Reason (BT-104) as plain text or ram:ReasonCode (BT-105) from the list UNTDID 7161. Both together are allowed, but not required.

Where do I find suitable reason codes for BT-105?

In the code list UNTDID 7161, for example 'FC' for freight cost or 'ABK' for miscellaneous charges. If no code fits, simply use the free text BT-104.

Related error codes

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