Fixing "ZUGFeRD/XRechnung still needs …" export blockers
What each e-invoice export blocker means (VAT ID prefix, IBAN checksum, SEPA account type, 0% tax, Leitweg-ID, Skonto lines) and how to clear it.
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When an electronic invoicing format is selected in Your Details, TimeBill validates your data live against the official EN 16931 rules (plus the German BR-DE rules for XRechnung). If anything required is missing or invalid, the export button in the Generate Invoice sheet stays disabled and the footer lists every open item under "<Format> still needs:". This is by design: TimeBill never silently downgrades to a plain PDF when you asked for a ZUGFeRD, Factur-X, or XRechnung document.
You can see the same checklists before you even open the generator: Your Details shows "Still required for <Format>: …" for your seller data, and the customer editor shows "Ready for <Format>" or "Still needed for <Format>: …" for the buyer side.
The most common blockers and their fixes
VAT ID has no country prefix
The VAT ID (labeled USt-IdNr. for Germany, N° TVA for France) must include the country prefix (DE123456789, not 123456789). German sellers can alternatively enter a Tax Number (Steuernummer) for the German formats. Edit it in Your Details → Electronic Invoicing.
Invalid IBAN or wrong account type
The IBAN is checksum-validated. A single mistyped character blocks the export, so re-check it against your bank statement. E-invoices also require the Account Type to be SEPA (EU); the other account types (US Banking, UK Banking, and so on) cannot be embedded in an e-invoice. Both live in Your Details → Payment Information.
Tax rate is 0% (or shouldn't be)
A 0% tax rate is only accepted when the small-business exemption toggle is enabled: Kleinunternehmer (§ 19 UStG) for Germany or VAT exempt (franchise en base, art. 293 B CGI) for France. The reverse also applies: with the exemption enabled, a rate above 0 is blocked. Adjust the toggle in Your Details and the rate in the Generate Invoice sheet.
XRechnung wants more than ZUGFeRD
XRechnung additionally requires your City, Post Code, Email, and Phone in Your Details, plus a buyer reference on the customer. For German public-sector buyers that is the Leitweg-ID / Buyer Reference (optional) field in the customer editor, together with the customer's city, post code, and email. The field is optional in the form, but XRechnung export won't proceed without a buyer reference. See XRechnung for German public-sector clients and Customer fields for electronic invoicing.
Skonto lines in Payment Terms are malformed
If you offer an early-payment discount (Skonto) in the Payment Terms field, any line starting with # must follow the exact XRechnung format:
#SKONTO#TAGE=14#PROZENT=2.00#
optionally with #BASISBETRAG=...# appended. Anything else starting with # fails validation with the error that payment-terms lines starting with '#' must be Skonto entries in the exact XRechnung format.
Nothing to bill
An e-invoice must contain at least one invoice line. If every task is already billed and there are no cost items, either track new work or enable Include Already Billed Tasks.
Not a blocker: the Premium gate
Clicking Generate XRechnung XML without TimeBill Premium opens the purchase screen instead — that's licensing, not validation. See Free vs. TimeBill Premium.
If a listed requirement seems wrong after you've filled everything in, reach out via the in-app Help → Contact Support menu or the contact form.