PDF/A errors are only warnings for domestic invoices (BR-FX-DE-03)
- Standard: ZUGFeRD
- Severity: warning
- Affected fields: BT-40, BT-55
Meaning
If seller and buyer are both in Germany and the XML file is valid, a PDF/A error (BR-HYBRID-02) becomes a warning. Every other error in the PDF, such as missing metadata (BR-HYBRID-03), stays an error. This follows ZUGFeRD 2.5.2.
Possible causes
- The PDF is not a valid PDF/A-3 or PDF/A-4f, but the XML file is valid.
- Seller and buyer are both located in Germany (BT-40, BT-55).
How to fix it
- For buyers abroad, switch your invoicing software to PDF/A-3; there the PDF/A error remains an error.
- Check the country codes (BT-40, BT-55). If one party is outside Germany, the downgrade does not apply.
Example from the test bench: PDF with an embedded XRechnung, but not PDF/A (BR-HYBRID-02)