What it means
The check searches the whole file for a unitCodeListAgencyIdentifier attribute. In UBL it can sit on the quantity of a line (BT-129) and give the code of the agency that maintains the list of unit codes used for the unit of measure (BT-130). One occurrence anywhere in the file is enough to trigger the warning.
Why it matters
EN 16931 asks you to omit unitCodeListAgencyIdentifier from UBL invoices and credit notes.
How to fix it
It is worth fixing when your invoicing software adds it to every invoice. Ask the supplier to stop writing unitCodeListAgencyIdentifier. If you build the XML yourself, keep unitCode and remove unitCodeListAgencyIdentifier from every element that has it. 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
Unit code list agency identifier attribute should not be present 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-DT-14 still fails, and which other rules do.
Related rules
- UBL-DT-15 Leave out the unitCodeListAgencyName attribute
- UBL-DT-16 Leave out the listAgencyName attribute
- UBL-DT-17 Leave out the listName attribute
- UBL-DT-18 Leave out the name attribute (except on the payment means code)
- UBL-DT-19 Leave out the languageID attribute
- UBL-DT-20 Leave out the listURI attribute