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VAT - Error: 'Failed to load VAT Return XML' or 'Unable to load VAT Verify results'

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Summary

This article explains what to do if you get either of these error messges in Sage 50 Accounts when you try to open a VAT Return.

Description

When trying to open an archived VAT Return you may get the messages  'Failed to load VAT Return XML' or 'Unable to load VAT Verify results'

Cause

This could be due to missing or corrupted files.

Resolution

Check if the files are present
  1. On the menu bar, click Help then About.
  2. Under Program Details, make a note of the Data Directory.
  3. Browse to the folder that contains the Accdata folder in the Data Directory. For example, if your data path is C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2016\COMPANY.001\ACCDATA, browse to the COMPANY.001 folder.
  4. Open the VATRTNS folder, check if the files are present for the relevant VAT Return.

EXAMPLE: The VAT Return for 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2015 would be in the 2015 folder under the file name, VAT Return 01012015 - 31032015.xml

If the files are present, they may be corrupt, for further help please refer to our help guide.

If the files aren't present, continue to the section To restore missing files

 

Restore missing files

If the files are missing, you can copy them from a previous backup:

  1. On the menu bar, click File then Back up and take a backup of your current live data.
  2. On the menu bar, click File then Restore and restore a previous backup.
  3. On the menu bar, click Help then About. Under Program Details, make a note of the Data Directory.
  4. Browse to the folder that contains the Accdata folder in the Data Directory. For example, if your data path is C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2016\COMPANY.001\ACCDATA, browse to the COMPANY.001 folder.
  5. Right-click on the folder VATRTNS then click Copy. Right-click on your desktop then click Paste.

    CAUTION: Sage 50 Accounts v21 and above - Before pasting these files, you must ensure that you either stop the Data Service or lock Sage Drive if in use. For details of how to do this, please refer to our help guide.



  6. On the menu bar, click File then Restore and restore the backup you made in step 1.
  7. On your desktop, right-click on the folder VATRTNS then click Copy.
  8. Browse to and right-click on the folder from step 4 then click Paste. If requested to merge folders or replace files, select Yes.

 

We recommend checking that you are always using the most up to date version of your software. You can check this using our help article.

 

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