BR-FXEXT-03: Only VAT numbers are allowed for parties other than the seller

What it means

Apart from the seller, a party in an Extended file can only be identified for tax purposes by a VAT number. The check looks at every tax registration ID (ram:SpecifiedTaxRegistration/ram:ID) outside the seller's own details and requires its schemeID to be VA. The parties named in the rule are the ship-to party (on a line or on the whole invoice), the ultimate ship-to party, the ship-from party, the sales agent, the buyer's tax representative, the product end user, the buyer's agent, the invoicer, the invoicee, the payee and the payer.

Why it matters

Only the seller may carry other kinds of tax ID next to the VAT number. For every other party, software that processes the Extended profile expects a VAT number and has no place for any other kind of tax ID, so the file fails the check.

How to fix it

Find the party in question, such as the ship-to address, the invoicee or the payee, and look at its tax or VAT field. If it holds a VAT number, make sure the identifier type is VA. If it holds a national tax number, such as a German Steuernummer, remove it for that party. If your software always writes another scheme for that party, ask the supplier how to switch it to the VAT number.

The rule as published

Only a VAT registration ID may be provided for the following business partners: the line level Ship-To (BT-X-66), the line level Ultimate-Ship-To (BT-X-84), the Sales-Agent (BT-X-340), the Buyer-Tax-Representative (BT-X-367), the Product-Enduser (BT-X-144), the Buyer-Agent (BT-X-411), the document level Ship-To (BT-X-161), the document level Ultimate-Ship-To (BT-X-180), the Ship-From (BT-X-199), the Invoicer (BT-X-223), the Invoicee (BT-X-242), the document level Payee (BT-X-257), the Payer (BT-X-481), or the payment-term-specific Payee (BT-X-509).

Where this rule applies