What it means
For each invoice line, the rule counts all ram:IncludedNote/ram:Content elements under ram:AssociatedDocumentLineDocument. The total must be zero or one, even if the text elements are in separate notes.
Why it matters
The line note (BT-127) has a single text field. Splitting text between separate notes does not satisfy this rule if the line still has more than one ram:Content element.
How to fix it
Combine the text you need to keep into one ram:Content element within a single ram:IncludedNote in the affected ram:AssociatedDocumentLineDocument. Remove the extra text elements and any extra notes, then check the file again.
Once the file is corrected, check it again for free: Validate an invoice against EN 16931
Or fix the invoice in a form and download the corrected file, for 1 credit: Fix a rejected e-invoice
The rule as published
Content should exist maximum once 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-SR-040 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- CII-SR-041 Remove subject codes from line notes
- CII-SR-042 Remove identifiers from line notes
- CII-SR-043 Remove the subject element from the line note
- CII-SR-044 Remove the content code from the line note
- CII-SR-045 Remove the generic product ID
- CII-SR-046 Add the scheme for the product's standard identifier