Fix BR-CO-23: Invoice line allowance reason (BT-139/BT-140) missing

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What does BR-CO-23 mean?

Every invoice line allowance must carry a reason as text or as a code. That explains the deduction.

Common causes of BR-CO-23

The line allowance was stated with an amount only, without a reason or reason code.
The reason code (BT-140) was written into the wrong element.
The allowance reason was lost when single lines were imported.

How to fix BR-CO-23

Find the faulty spot in the XML. Open the XML of the invoice and go to field BG-27 along this XPath://ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement/ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge[ram:ChargeIndicator/udt:Indicator='false']
Apply the fix. Every invoice line allowance (BG-27) must contain a reason as text (BT-139, 'ram:Reason') or as a code (BT-140, 'ram:ReasonCode'). Add at least one of the two elements in the affected 'ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge' of the line (with 'ram:ChargeIndicator' = false).
Validate again. Save the file and validate it again to check that BR-CO-23 is no longer reported.

Concrete fix

Every invoice line allowance (BG-27) must contain a reason as text (BT-139, 'ram:Reason') or as a code (BT-140, 'ram:ReasonCode'). Add at least one of the two elements in the affected 'ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge' of the line (with 'ram:ChargeIndicator' = false).

XPath//ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement/ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge[ram:ChargeIndicator/udt:Indicator='false']

Before / after: the XML example

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

Wrong

<ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement>
  <ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
    <ram:ChargeIndicator><udt:Indicator>false</udt:Indicator></ram:ChargeIndicator>
    <ram:ActualAmount>5.00</ram:ActualAmount>
  </ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
</ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement>

Correct

<ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement>
  <ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
    <ram:ChargeIndicator><udt:Indicator>false</udt:Indicator></ram:ChargeIndicator>
    <ram:ActualAmount>5.00</ram:ActualAmount>
    <ram:ReasonCode>95</ram:ReasonCode>
    <ram:Reason>Positionsrabatt</ram:Reason>
  </ram:SpecifiedTradeAllowanceCharge>
</ram:SpecifiedLineTradeSettlement>

Frequent questions about BR-CO-23

How does BR-CO-23 differ from BR-CO-21?

BR-CO-21 concerns allowances on document level (BG-20), BR-CO-23 allowances on line level (BG-27). Both require a reason as text or as a code, only at a different place in the XML.

For a line discount, is the code alone enough?

Yes. For BR-CO-23 either the reason code (BT-140, 'ram:ReasonCode') or the free-text reason (BT-139, 'ram:Reason') is enough. One of the two must be present.

Related error codes

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