Invalid formatting error when transmitting T4, T4A, or T5018 slips to CRA

Issue

Some customers are experiencing the following error during transmission of T4, T4A, or T5018 slips via internet file transfer on the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) website:

“invalid formatting detected in one or more fields”

Cause

The CRA has informed us that this error occurs when fields within the slip return contain invalid characters.

Workaround

Before attempting to transmit the slips, verify that the fields on company/employee name, address, or contact information fields do not contain extra blank spaces or invalid characters (for example, % ^ $ @ # &).

Note: This error is just a warning and does not mean your return will be rejected. Users can select the “I want to proceed without correcting these errors” box to bypass the warning and file the slips.

Additional assistance

You can contact CRA for further assistance if you still have trouble submitting your T4 slip.