Submission errors

Summary

How to troubleshoot submission errors in Sage Payroll.

Description

Sometimes errors happen when submitting RTI (Real Time Information) data to HMRC. Use the steps in this guide to resolve them.

Each error covers:

An explanation of HMRC terminology
Detailed steps to resolve the error

Resolution

Before you can resolve the issue, you must find what the error message is. If you already know what it is, check the list below.

▼How to find the full error number

Select Summary in the menu bar.
Find the HMRC Real Time Information (RTI) Scheme section.
Select Resolve.
Make a note of the error number.
Find the error number from the list below, and work through the solution.

List of errors

▼Error 1046

The HMRC servers don’t recognise the credentials you’ve entered into your payroll.

Follow the steps in our article Failed FPS submission error (1046)
The HMRC gateway may also by busy. Try the submission again later

▼Error 4065

This error is caused by:

A character that HMRC don’t accept, such as ~ @ # $ [ \ ] ^ _ { }
Mandatory information is missing from your Payroll data

To resolve this error check for spaces and special characters in the employee's name, address, and NI fields.

To do this:

Select the Employees tab.
Select the employee name you want to check.
In the Personal Details section, make sure the employee's NI number is correct. Remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
Select the Forename and Surname fields and remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
In the Contact Details section, select each field that contains the employee address. Remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
If there’s nothing in the Street 2 field, you’ll need to enter the missing details. This may mean splitting the house number and street name if they’re both included in the Street 1 text field.
Pay particular attention to the Postcode, as a double space between numbers will cause the issue.
Select Save, and re-try the submission.

If the issue persists, check there are no special characters or spaces at the start or end of your business address.

To do this:

Select your business name from the top right corner of SBC Payroll.
Select Manage Business Account.
Select each field that contains details of the business address and remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
Select Save and re-try the submission.

▼Error 4084

There’s a negative amount in an employee pay. This could include National Insurance, among other things.

The error occurs if you refund an amount through a pay run, but the amount is greater than the year-to-date total.

HMRC doesn’t allow any negative values in employee pay.

For example:

An employee’s pension year-to-date total is £20. You refund them £30 in a pay run, HMRC won't accept a value of -£10.

To resolve this error, run the p11 and check if the brought forward values are correct.

From the Year End tab, in the Tax year to report on drop-down, select the relevant tax year.
Select Review Employee Pay (P11), then View P11 for all employees.
Check the opening balance information is correct, and that there are no missing periods that you can’t account for.
To correct an opening balance, select Employees and highlight the employee you need to amend.
Select the Opening Balance tab and correct the values.

If the P11 values are correct, and you still need to refund the employee an amount from a previous tax year, read Correcting errors after year end.

This will allow you to refund the employee without triggering the 4084 error.

NOTE: Opening balances only appear if you migrated to SBC Payroll and entered opening balances during the setup process.

▼Error 4085

This error is caused by:

A character that HMRC don’t accept, such as ~ @ # $ [ \ ] ^ _ { }
Mandatory information is missing from your Payroll data

Check for spaces and special characters in the employee's name, address, and NI fields.

To do this:

Select Employees then the employee name you want to check (do this for each employee included in the submission for this pay run).
On the Employee Details tab, select Edit.
In the Personal Details section, check the employee's NI Number. If the NI number is correct, remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
Select the Forename and Surname fields. Remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
In the Contact Details section, check the employee's address. Remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
If there’s nothing in the Street 2 field, enter the missing details. This may mean splitting the house number and street name if they’re both included in the Street 1 text field.
Pay particular attention to the Postcode, as a double space between numbers will cause the issue.
Select Save, then re-try the submission.

If the issue persists, check there are no special characters or spaces at the start or end of your business address.

To do this:

Select your business name from the top right corner of the SBC Payroll screen.
Select Manage Business Account.
Select each field that contains details of the business address and remove any spaces from the start or end of the text.
Select Save, then re-try the submission.

▼Error 5001

If you’re submitting information for a previous tax year, HMRC won’t accept the submission.

HMRC can help with manual submissions of payroll information for a previous tax year. Contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline on 0300 200 3200.

▼Error 7801

This occurs if the Accounts Office Ref or PAYE Reference in SBC Payroll isn’t correct.

To resolve this error:

Select Settings from the menu bar.
Select Payroll Settings.
Check the Accounts Office Ref or PAYE Reference field.
Select Save, and re-try the submission.

▼Error 7802

You haven’t activated your online services account for PAYE submissions. If you act as an agent without your client's authorisation.

Periodically, HMRC will automatically close PAYE schemes that have had no activity for some time.

To resolve this, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline: 0300 200 3600 and ask them to activate your account.

If you’re submitting as an agent, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline: 0300 200 3600 for help checking your agent services account set up.

▼Error 7782/7953

This occurs when there’s an invalid Corporation Tax reference.

To check:

Select Settings from the menu bar.
Select Payroll Settings.
Check the Corporation Tax is correct.
Select Save.
Retry the submission.

▼Error 7806

This means HMRC aren't expecting this employer to start filing RTI returns until a later date.

You may have just registered your PAYE scheme with HMRC.

It may not yet be live.

To resolve this, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline on 0300 200 3200 and ask them to check your RTI start date.

▼Error 7815

This means HMRC has cancelled your employer scheme.

This indicates that there has been £0 RTI submissions for at least three months. If this happens, HMRC can close the company’s payroll scheme.

To resolve this, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline on 0300 200 3200.

▼Error 7818

This means HMRC has cancelled your employer scheme.

This indicates that there has been £0 RTI submissions for at least three months. If this happens, HMRC can close the company’s payroll scheme.

To resolve this, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline on 0300 200 3200.

▼Error 7911

You're sending an EPS (Employer Payment Summary) to HMRC to make them aware there’s no payment due. You’re doing this before the 5th of the tax month.

To resolve this, wait until after the 5th of the tax month before you submit the return.

Read our Nil payment Employer Payment Summary (EPS) guide.

▼Any other error number

The errors we show come to us from HMRC at the time of the submission.

The errors listed in our article are the more common errors that occur.

If you are experiencing an error that we haven't listed, contact HMRC’s Employer Helpline on 0300 200 3200.

▼No error number

No error message at all could mean a problem in Payroll Settings.

Check the Accounts Office Reference Number and PAYE reference for invalid characters.

To check:

Select Settings from the menu bar.
Select Payroll Settings.
Check the Accounts Office Ref and PAYE reference for invalid characters.
Select Save.
Retry the submission.

Solution Properties

Solution ID: 222001000101774
Last Modified Date: Mon Mar 24 09:57:36 UTC 2025
Views: 0

Submission errors

Summary

Description

Resolution

List of errors

This error is caused by:

To do this:

To do this:

For example:

This error is caused by:

To do this:

To do this:

To check:

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