The file contains non-ASCII characters error when validating or lodging the Taxable Payments Annual
Legacy KB ID: 5005
Question
Why is my Taxable Payments Annual Report (TPAR) lodgement rejected?
I get the error:
The file contains non-ASCII characters.To lodge a file electronically you must first create a file that is generated from your software in a format and version supported by our systems. Scanned images or forms, screen prints, spreadsheets and word processing files (for example .pdf, .doc, .xls, .jpg, .tiff) cannot be lodged via the file transfer function on our portals. More information can be found at: www.ato.gov.au/filetransfer or contact your software developer.
Answer
Remove illegal characters from your Company Name and Supplier Names.
The issue
Some characters cannot be translated into ASCII format.
The ATO’s portals cannot interpret an export file that contains non-ASCII characters and will fail to validate the TPAR export file or reject it when lodged.
Non-ASCII characters are some of the non alpha-numeric characters on a keyboard, like:
- Windows Naming Convention characters: < > : “ / \ | ? *
- Other non-alphanumeric characters: ~ ! @ # $ % ^ & ( ) + = `
We suggest that you avoid any of these characters in your Company Name, Supplier and Customer Name fields.
Detailed Instructions
- Go to Company -> Company Information.
- Under Company Name and Legal Name, ensure your company name does not contain non-alphanumeric characters.
- Go to Supplier Centre and examine your Supplier Names.
- Remove or Replace any non alpha-numeric characters.
- Generate your TPAR report and export file again.
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