No archive created after submitting a CIS Return

Summary

This article explains how to view the transactions from your CIS return if no monthly archive has been created after you submitted a CIS Return to HMRC in Sage 50 Accounts.

Cause

After submitting a CIS Return to HMRC, in some instances, no monthly archive is created. This can be caused by one of the following:

  • Polling delays
  • Closing the submission before it is complete
  • Issues generating PDF files
  • The financial year is yet to be closed

 

Resolution

NOTE: If you receive the message 'Empty Archive - No Archived CIS data was found for (year)' Within the Monthly Return Archive, select the current year.

Once the CIS return has been submitted, it is not possible for archives to be built retrospectively. Providing HMRC have received the submission, if you want a list of transactions from your CIS return, you can use one of the following workarounds:

Attach the Day Book reports to the CIS nominal codes

You'll have to amend the Day Books: Paid Invoices (Detailed) report to just show nominal codes applicable to the CIS transactions. For help amending the report, please contact Sage Report Design Support.

  • Suppliers > Reports > Day Book Reports, run the Day Books: Paid Invoices (Detailed) report for the nominal codes applicable to CIS transactions.

    TIP: If you only want to see subcontractors on this report, please contact Sage Report Design Support.

You can save this report as a PDF file and attach it to the appropriate nominal codes. This ensures that the CIS data is held historically, even if clear audit trail is run.

Restore a backup and re-submit CIS return

Restore a backup prior to submitting the CIS return, re-submit the return and choose other submission method. This creates the CIS archive which you can then print.

NOTE: For the other submission method option to appear You must change the PC date to 20th of the Month after the current CIS period in the data. For example, if the current CIS period appears in the software as 05/01/2012, you must change the PC date to 20/02/2012.

Create a replacement CIS return and place it in the archive folder

If you're unable to restore a backup, as a workaround, follow the steps below to create an archive for the missing month.

NOTE: The workaround doesn't create a drillable report, and doesn't create a report for each subcontractor.

Run the Contractor Monthly Return report for the missing month

  1. Click Subcontractors.
  2. Clear > Reports > Returns.
  3. Select Contractor Monthly Return > Export.
  4. Export the report as PDF for the missing month, with the file name MonthlyReturn.pdf, and save to the Windows desktop.

    NOTE: The tax month ends on the 5th of each month. For example, 5 March.

Create a folder for the missing month

  1. Help > About > make a note of the data directory, for example C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2015\COMPANY.000\ACCDATA.
  2. Using the data directory path, browse to the folder for the current year, in the CIS archive folder.

    TIP: The folder is located in the Company.XXX folder. For example, C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2015\Company.000/CIS/2014/

  3. Create a folder for the missing month. For example, 5th Mar or 5th Apr
  4. Copy the MonthlyReturn.pdf from your desktop into the new folder.

The report will now be viewable in the archive.

Solution Properties

Solution ID
210513074524740
Last Modified Date
Mon Jun 23 10:04:13 UTC 2025
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