E-FACTURATIE ONTCIJFERD

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Peppol error codes

BR-29: period end date is before the start date

By Philippe Kimpe and Jelle Heyvaert, authors of E-facturatie Ontcijferd · Updated on 11 October 2026

Error code BR-29 means: the invoicing period ends before it starts.

Rule set: EN 16931 · Severity: error (fatal): an Access Point rejects the invoice · Checked against the official rules of May 2026

What does BR-29 mean?

The validator shows this message (as worded in the official rules):

[BR-29]-If both Invoicing period start date (BT-73) and Invoicing period end date (BT-74) are given then the Invoicing period end date (BT-74) shall be later or equal to the Invoicing period start date (BT-73).

If you state an invoicing period with a start and end date (BT-73 and BT-74, cac:InvoicePeriod), the end date must be equal to or later than the start date. In addition, the XML always uses the YYYY-MM-DD format for dates.

Common causes

  • The export swapped the start and end date.
  • Someone entered a date in the wrong format, so day and month changed places.
  • For a credit note, the software copied the period in reverse order.

How to fix it as the sender

  1. Check in the software which field is the start date and which the end date.
  2. Use the YYYY-MM-DD format in the XML.
  3. Finally, validate the invoice again.

Received an invoice with this error?

An invoice with this error is not compliant. Ask the supplier for a corrected invoice and do not change the XML yourself.

Example in the XML

❌ Wrong

<cac:InvoicePeriod>
  <cbc:StartDate>2026-10-31</cbc:StartDate>
  <cbc:EndDate>2026-10-01</cbc:EndDate>
</cac:InvoicePeriod>

✅ Correct

<cac:InvoicePeriod>
  <cbc:StartDate>2026-10-01</cbc:StartDate>
  <cbc:EndDate>2026-10-31</cbc:EndDate>
</cac:InvoicePeriod>

Both snippets come from a complete test invoice that we checked with our validator: the wrong version gives exactly this message, the correct version no errors at all.

Try this error in the validator →

Good to know

A one-day period is allowed, because start and end date may be equal. Besides BR-29, a similar rule, BR-30, applies to periods per invoice line.

Check your invoice

Drop your XML into the free validator. You see right away whether this error still occurs, with a link to the explanation for every message.

Go to the Peppol validator →

Official rule

The full rule with its technical test (Schematron) is in the official Peppol documentation:

Related error codes

  • BR-CL-23: The unit of a quantity is not a valid code from the official list.
  • PEPPOL-EN16931-R002: The invoice contains more than one note at document level.

Frequently asked questions about BR-29

May the BR-29 period be in the future?

Yes. The rule only checks the order of start and end date, so it does not matter whether the period has already passed.

Is an invoicing period mandatory?

Not according to the standard. However, if you invoice a service over a period, such as a subscription, the period makes the invoice clearer.

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