What it means
When a number is marked with scheme 0151, it must be an Australian Business Number (ABN). The test needs exactly 11 digits that also pass the official ABN check calculation. Spaces inside the number, as an ABN is often written (12 345 678 901), make it fail. The check applies wherever the scheme is used: in the electronic address (BT-34 or BT-49), in a party identifier (such as BT-29 or BT-46) and in a company registration number (such as BT-30 or BT-47).
Why it matters
Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 requires values marked with scheme 0151 to contain 11 digits and pass the ABN check calculation.
How to fix it
Enter the 11 digits of the ABN with no spaces. Look the number up in ABN Lookup, the public register of the Australian Business Register, to confirm there is no mistyped digit. If the number is not an ABN, change the scheme to the one that fits the number you hold.
Once the file is corrected, check it again for free: Validate a Peppol BIS invoice
Or fix the invoice in a form and download the corrected file, for 1 credit: Fix a rejected e-invoice
The rule as published
Read the rule on the publisher's site
Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (invoice) | 2026.5 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (credit note) | 2026.5 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether PEPPOL-COMMON-R050 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R052 A Danish chamber of commerce number must be 10 digits
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R053 A Danish SE number must be DK followed by 8 digits
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R054 A Dutch KvK number must be 8 digits
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R055 A Dutch OIN must be 20 digits
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R057 A Dutch KvK establishment number must be 12 digits
- PEPPOL-COMMON-R049 A Swedish organisation number must be 10 valid digits