Validation is a central component of electronic invoice exchange, ensuring that e-invoices comply with the formal, structural, and content-related requirements of EN 16931. It covers the verification of syntax, data content, consistency, and business logic rules. Depending on the context, different validation layers interact with one another—from syntax and profile validation through to transport validation, for instance within interoperable networks such as Peppol. The VAT Application Decree likewise recognizes validation as an important tool for sending and receiving e-invoices, recommending the use of suitable validation software, for example to prevent content errors or to verify format conformity.

For businesses, this creates the need to embed validation mechanisms consistently throughout their process and system landscapes. Errors must be clearly classified, transparently documented, and handled through defined correction and reprocessing procedures. Missing or inadequate validation leads to unprocessable invoices, process failures, and legal risks. The decisive factor here is that an electronic invoice is only considered received if it is technically processable and compliant with EN 16931.

Within the “Validation” Competence Center, experts analyze rule sets and verification mechanisms and assess their impact on process quality and compliance. The goal is to establish consistent quality standards, safeguard automation, and situate validation requirements within regulatory and technical developments.

Key Priorities

Systematization of validation requirements and rule sets

Assessment of validation mechanisms along digital process chains

Classification of validation layers (syntax, semantics, business logic, transport)

Analysis of real-world validation results to identify common sources of error

Derivation of robust strategies for error handling and process reliability