How to Resolve (GTC) W2 Processing Errors

If your W2 file upload was rejected by the Georgia Department of Revenue because it contained errors, please review the information below and contact your software vendor to resolve any errors.

Reviewing Error Messages

  1. Sign into the Georgia Tax Center (GTC)
  2. Review your specific “Error Message” acknowledgement file that was attached to the GTC notice you received. 
    You can forward your acknowledgement file to your software vendor for assistance correcting any errors.
  3. Search for the words “Error Message” in the file that was rejected. If the file contains any rejected employers/records, searching for “Error Message” will help you find what the problems are. In the sample error files below, look for the highlighted sections for help on what to search for in addition to “Error Message” and contact your software vendor to correct any errors.
  4. Please DO NOT re-submit your information until you have contacted your software vendor and corrected any errors.
  5. After you have corrected any errors, log back into GTC and under your account upload your corrected file.
  6. Continue to check the GTC Correspondence tab for any updated information about processing your corrected W2 file.

Sample Error Messages

  • #1 Sample Error Message - Unit of Work

    <Transmission xmlns="https://etax.dor.ga.gov/"
    xmlns:efile="http://www.irs.gov/efile">
    <TransmissionAcknowledgment xmlns="">
    <AcknowledgmentTimestamp>2018-05-
    22T15:56:26</AcknowledgmentTimestamp>
    <TransmissionStatus>Accept</TransmissionStatus>
    <TrackingId />
    </TransmissionAcknowledgment>
    <AcknowledgementList>
    <Count>1</Count>
    <AcceptCount>0</AcceptCount>
    <RejectCount>1</RejectCount>
    <Acknowledgement>
    <DocumentID>999999999</DocumentID>
    <EIN>999999999</EIN>
    <StateCode>GA</StateCode>
    <TaxYear>2017</TaxYear>
    <ErrorList ErrorCount="1">
    <Error ErrorId="1">
    <ErrorCategory>Unit-ofWork</ErrorCategory>
    <RuleNumber>66</RuleNumber>
    <ErrorMessage>Each RE record must contain a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN) in position 8-16.</ErrorMessage>
    <Severity>Reject</Severity>
    <LineNumber>2</LineNumber>
    <Position>0</Position>
    </Error>
    </ErrorList>
    </Acknowledgement>
    </AcknowledgementList>
    </Transmission>

  • #2 Sample Error Message - Unit of Work

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <Transmission xmlns="https://etax.dor.ga.gov/"
    xmlns:efile="http://www.irs.gov/efile">
    <TransmissionAcknowledgment xmlns="">
    <AcknowledgmentTimestamp>2018-05-
    31T15:09:37</AcknowledgmentTimestamp>
    <TransmissionStatus>Accept</TransmissionStatus>
    <TrackingId />
    </TransmissionAcknowledgment>
    <AcknowledgementList>
    <Count>99</Count>
    <AcceptCount>0</AcceptCount>
    <RejectCount>99</RejectCount>
    <Acknowledgement>
    <DocumentID>9999999999</DocumentID>
    <EIN>999999999</EIN>
    <StateCode>GA</StateCode>
    <TaxYear>2017</TaxYear>
    <ErrorList ErrorCount="1">
    <Error ErrorId="1">
    <ErrorCategory>Unit-of-Work</ErrorCategory>
    <RuleNumber>38</RuleNumber>
    <ErrorMessage>Each employer must have at least one RS record.</ErrorMessage>
    <Severity>Reject</Severity>
    <LineNumber>10746</LineNumber>
    <Position>0</Position>
    </Error>
    </ErrorList>

  • #3 - File(s) uploaded successfully

    <Count>1906</Count>
    <AcceptCount>1906</AcceptCount>
    <RejectCount>0</RejectCount>
    <Count>1906</Count> This is the specific number of files you sent the Department of Revenue)
    <AcceptCount>1906</AcceptCount>This is the specific number of files the Department of Revenue accepted
    These numbers should be the same
    And the
    <RejectCount>0</RejectCount> *(This should = 0 if your files did NOT have errors)

  • #4 - Sample Error Message Fatal Error

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <Transmission xmlns="https://etax.dor.ga.gov/"
    xmlns:efile="http://www.irs.gov/efile">
    <TransmissionAcknowledgment xmlns="">
    <AcknowledgmentTimestamp>2018-05-
    31T15:09:19</AcknowledgmentTimestamp>
    <TransmissionStatus>Reject</TransmissionStatus>
    <TrackingId />
    <ErrorList ErrorCount="1">
    <Error ErrorId="1">
    <ErrorCategory>Transmission Value</ErrorCategory>
    <RuleNumber>12</RuleNumber>
    <ErrorMessage>The RA record must contain a contact
    name.</ErrorMessage>
    <Severity>Reject</Severity>
    <LineNumber>1</LineNumber>
    <Position>0</Position>
    </Error>
    </ErrorList>
    </TransmissionAcknowledgment>
    </Transmission>

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How do I find the specific accounts in error?

    Search for the words “ErrorMessage” in the file that was rejected or may contain rejected records. If the file contains any rejected employers/records, searching for “ErrorMessage” will help you find what the problems are. In the sample error files below, look for the highlighted sections for help on what to search for in addition to “ErrorMessage”.

  • What are the specific W2 Processing Errors and what do they mean?

    Fatal = (The entire file failed, all information must be resubmitted) This type of error is a file level error. Fatal errors are file format errors for example a record (line) is either missing or in the wrong position in the file

    Unit of Work = (Some of the files were processed, resubmit the employer file) unit of work errors are employer level errors. Most errors of these errors are caused by missing or invalid date.

    Transmission Value = (The entire file failed, all information must be resubmitted) this type of error is a file level error. They are caused by missing contact information, please verify all contact information is correct and resubmit the file

    Transmission Total = (The entire file failed, all information must be resubmitted) this type of error is a file level error. It happens when the number of W-2s in the file did not match the number of W-2 reported in the W-2 total fields

  • Why did I receive a confirmation number if there were errors?

    The confirmation number was given to acknowledge receipt of the files only.

  • Will this impact the CSV Files I sent to the Georgia Department of Revenue?

    No, if you submitted your W2 files via CSV format you are NOT impacted by these errors

  • Where do I find my specific error acknowledgement file?

    The file will be attached to the GTC System Message Board notice that was sent from the Georgia Department of Revenue.

  • Can I compare the counts in the Transmission Acknowledgement file?

    Yes, you can compare the counts you sent to the department of revenue against the number of files we accepted.

Additional Error Messages

Complete List of W2 Processing Error Messages