Peppol error codes

PEPPOL-EN16931-R110 / R111: line period outside the invoice period

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

Error code PEPPOL-EN16931-R110 / PEPPOL-EN16931-R111 means: the period of an invoice line starts before (R110) or ends after (R111) the period of the invoice.

Rule set: Peppol BIS Billing 3.0 · Severity: error (fatal): an Access Point rejects the invoice · Checked against the official rules of May 2026

What does PEPPOL-EN16931-R110 / PEPPOL-EN16931-R111 mean?

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

[PEPPOL-EN16931-R110]-Start date of line period MUST be within invoice period.
[PEPPOL-EN16931-R111]-End date of line period MUST be within invoice period.

An invoice can have an invoice period (BG-14) and each line its own period (BG-26). When there is an invoice period, every line period must fall within it. PEPPOL-EN16931-R110 checks the start date of the line, PEPPOL-EN16931-R111 the end date. The invoice period is therefore the widest period on the invoice, and the lines sit within it.

Common causes

A subscription invoice states the current month as invoice period, while a line covers a quarter or a year.
A line with a correction for a previous month keeps its original period.
The software fills in the invoice period automatically with the month of the invoice date.

How to fix it as the sender

Choose an invoice period that covers all lines, from the earliest start date to the latest end date.
Or leave the invoice period out and only state the period per line.
You can also split invoices that combine periods of different months. Validate 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

<!-- invoice period: October 2026 -->
<cac:InvoiceLine>
  ...
  <cac:InvoicePeriod>
    <cbc:StartDate>2026-09-01</cbc:StartDate>
    <cbc:EndDate>2026-11-30</cbc:EndDate>
  </cac:InvoicePeriod>

✅ Correct

<!-- invoice period: October 2026 -->
<cac:InvoiceLine>
  ...
  <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

The invoice period is also one of the possible ways to state when the service took place. So choose it deliberately, and not just to fill in the field.

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-DEC-23: The net amount of an invoice line has more than two digits after the decimal point.
PEPPOL-EN16931-R120: The net amount of an invoice line does not equal quantity × unit price, plus charges and minus allowances on that line.

Frequently asked questions about PEPPOL-EN16931-R110 / PEPPOL-EN16931-R111

Is an invoice period mandatory?

No, the invoice period and the line period are optional. If you state both, the line period must fall within the invoice period.

Can the line period be the same as the invoice period?

Yes. The rule only requires that the line period does not fall outside it.

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