Common ERiC errors and what they mean
Updated: July 2026 · ~5 min read · eBilanz Fabrik (a tool, not tax advice)
ERiC (ELSTER Rich Client) is the official component that checks your e-Bilanz before sending and transmits it to the Finanzamt in authenticated form. If ERiC reports an error, the data set has not yet been accepted — the good news: most errors fall into just a few clearly explainable categories.
What is ERiC?
ERiC stands for ELSTER Rich Client. It is the software component provided by the German tax administration that validates tax data sets, encrypts them, and transmits them via the ELSTER interface. Every serious e-Bilanz software — including eBilanz Fabrik as a registered ELSTER software vendor — uses ERiC for the actual transmission. That is why you see ERiC messages when something is wrong during sending.
The most common ERiC errors by category
Certificate or password not accepted
The ELSTER certificate has expired, the file does not match the password entered, or the password is wrong. Without valid authentication the Finanzamt accepts no transmission.
Fix: check the password, verify the expiry date in Mein ELSTER, and renew or recreate the certificate if needed. More in the ELSTER certificate guide.
Tax number invalid or wrong format
The tax number entered is incomplete, has a transposed digit, or does not match the expected unified format. ERiC checks the tax number before sending.
Fix: copy the tax number exactly from your tax notice. How the 13-digit format is formed is explained in the tax-number guide.
Balance sheet does not balance (assets ≠ liabilities)
The most common content error: total assets do not match total liabilities and equity, a mandatory value is missing, or the P&L is inconsistent. ERiC rejects the data set until it is consistent.
Fix: check the balance sheet and P&L for completeness and for equal totals. eBilanz Fabrik checks assets = liabilities before sending and flags any gaps.
Wrong or outdated taxonomy / mapping
The e-Bilanz must conform to the official HGB XBRL taxonomy in its valid version. A value is mapped to a wrong or no-longer-valid position, or an outdated taxonomy is used.
Fix: use the current taxonomy version and check the mapping of positions. eBilanz Fabrik maps the values to the valid HGB taxonomy.
Connection or transfer error
Sending was interrupted — for example by a broken internet connection or a temporary unavailability of the ELSTER servers. The data set itself may be correct.
Fix: check the connection and start the transmission again later. Filing only counts as completed once you have the Transferticket.
ERiC error messages contain different texts and return codes depending on the version; the categorisation above is for understanding the categories, not for diagnosing a specific code. Without guarantee.
Why eBilanz Fabrik catches many of these errors
A large share of ERiC rejections comes from avoidable content errors — a balance sheet that does not balance, or a wrongly formatted tax number. eBilanz Fabrik checks the values before sending: assets against liabilities, completeness of mandatory entries, and the mapping to the HGB XBRL taxonomy. So you see issues in plain language before anything is sent to the Finanzamt at all.
Note: eBilanz Fabrik checks technical transmittability and formal plausibility — not the substantive correctness of your bookkeeping, and it is not tax advice. Without guarantee.
Upload your annual accounts, have them checked, approve — we transmit to the Finanzamt via ERiC and you receive the Transferticket. Assets = liabilities is checked in advance.
Create your e-Bilanz →FAQ
What is ERiC?
ERiC (ELSTER Rich Client) is the official software component of the German tax administration that validates tax data — including the e-Bilanz — before sending and transmits it to the Finanzamt in authenticated form. If ERiC reports an error, the data set has not yet been accepted. Without guarantee.
Why does ERiC say my balance sheet does not balance?
ERiC checks plausibility: total assets must equal total liabilities and equity, and the P&L must be consistent. If something is off, transmission is rejected until the data set is consistent. Without guarantee.
Is an ERiC error a problem with my certificate?
Not necessarily. ERiC errors have various causes: a wrong certificate password or an expired certificate, an invalid tax number, plausibility or taxonomy errors, or a broken connection. The error message usually names the category. Without guarantee.
eBilanz Fabrik is a transmission tool and gives no tax advice. Registered ELSTER software vendor. Information on ERiC, error categories and the process without guarantee; the tax administration's specifications govern. Price: 24,95 € (regularly 29,95 €) per filing, net plus 19 % VAT.