What it means
The check requires Reference to be absent directly under ApplicableHeaderTradeAgreement. It does not prohibit the supported buyer reference (BT-10), purchase order number (BT-13) or other correctly represented references.
Why it matters
EN 16931 gives supported references specific meanings and fields. This general Reference element does not identify which of those meanings applies.
How to fix it
Check what the Reference value identifies. Use the buyer reference (BT-10) if it is the reference supplied by the buyer for that purpose, or the purchase order number (BT-13) if it identifies the buyer's purchase order. Do not relabel an unrelated reference. Remove the general Reference element and recheck your file.
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
Reference should not be present 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-442 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- CII-SR-443 Remove the payment means ID
- CII-SR-444 Remove the payer account's ProprietaryID
- CII-SR-445 Remove tax details from the price before discount
- CII-SR-446 Remove tax details from the net unit price
- CII-SR-447 Remove the end customer's order reference from the line
- CII-SR-448 Remove the end customer's order reference from the header