Error: 'NINO wrong format' when submitting a Full Payment Submission (FPS)

What to do if you see this error when you submit an FPS in Sage 50 Payroll.

When submitting your Full Payment Submission (FPS), you may get the error message:

'NINO wrong format'

This occurs when there are invalid characters in the National Insurance Number (NINO) of an employee.

A NINO is made up of two letters, six numbers and a final letter, which is always A, B, C, or D.

For example - QQ 12 34 56 A

• The characters D, F, I, Q, U, and V are not used as either the first or second letter of a NINO prefix
• The letter O is not used as the second letter of a prefix
• Prefixes BG, GB, KN, NK, NT, TN and ZZ are not to be used

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Check NI numbers

To identify which employee has an invalid NI number, click the Health Check or Payroll Assistant button.

 NOTE: The option available depends on your licence, however they both check for invalid NI numbers. 

Amend any invalid NI numbers in the employee record and then submit the Full Payment Submission.

To do this:

1. Highlight the Employee.
2. Right-click and selection Open Employee.
3. Click the Employment tab.
4. Check/amend the N.I. Number.
5. Click Save, then click Close.

You can then retry the FPS.

If you're unsure what the national insurance number should be, contact HMRC.