What it means
The rule checks that the element cbc:CopyIndicator is not at the top of the invoice or credit note. In UBL this is a yes or no flag that marks a document as a copy of an earlier one. EN 16931 has no field for it.
Why it matters
EN 16931's UBL rules exclude the document-level copy indicator, whether its value is true or false.
How to fix it
Delete the cbc:CopyIndicator element directly under the invoice or credit note root, rather than changing its value to false or leaving it empty. If your XML export template adds it, remove it from the template too. Export again and recheck the 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
A UBL invoice should not include the CopyIndicator Where this rule applies
| Rule set | Version |
|---|---|
| EN 16931 (UBL) | 1.3.17 |
| EN 16931 (UBL credit note) | 1.3.17 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL) | 3.0.2 |
| XRechnung 3.0 (UBL credit note) | 3.0.2 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (invoice) | 2026.5 |
| Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 (credit note) | 2026.5 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (invoice) | 2.0.3.13 |
| SI-UBL 2.0 / NLCIUS (credit note) | 2.0.3.13 |
| France CTC (UBL invoice) | 1.4.0-04 |
| France CTC (UBL credit note) | 1.4.0-04 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Invoice 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
| CIUS-RO UBL Credit Note 1.0.9 | 1.0.9 |
Check your file
Drop your e-invoice to see whether UBL-CR-004 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-CR-005 The file should not contain a document UUID
- UBL-CR-006 The file should not contain an issue time
- UBL-CR-007 The file should not contain a pricing currency code
- UBL-CR-008 The file should not contain a payment currency code
- UBL-CR-009 The file should not contain an alternative payment currency
- UBL-CR-010 The file should not contain an accounting cost code