What it means
The invoicing period (BG-14), or the period on a line (BG-26), sits in BillingSpecifiedPeriod and may hold only a start date and an end date. This rule checks that there is no Description element, a free text that describes the period.
Why it matters
EN 16931 describes a period by its dates alone, so a file with a text description inside the period does not meet the standard. It fails and is rejected.
How to fix it
Delete the Description element from BillingSpecifiedPeriod. If the wording matters, such as 'Monthly support', put it in an invoice note (BT-22) or in a note on the line it belongs to (BT-127). Make sure the start and end dates are filled in, as they now carry the period.
The rule as published
Description shall not be used. Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| EN 16931 (CII) | 1.3.17 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (CII) | 3.0.2 |
| NLCIUS (CII) | 1.0.3.13 |
| France CTC (CII) | 1.4.0-04 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether CII-DT-071 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- CII-DT-072 Write the invoicing period end as a plain date
- CII-DT-073 Leave the complete date-time out of the invoicing period
- CII-DT-074 Leave the open flag out of the invoicing period
- CII-DT-075 Leave the season code out of the invoicing period
- CII-DT-076 Leave the identifier out of the invoicing period
- CII-DT-077 Leave the name out of the invoicing period