e@syFile Error: "The ETI Calculated reported on the EMP501 does not balance with the IRP5/IT3(a) certificates"

You are completing the EMP501 declaration on e@syFile and when checking the ETI recon and wanting to save/file the information, it does not want to save the information and returns the error.

The ETI Calculated reported on the EMP501 does not balance with the IRP5/IT3(a) certificates

NOTE:  Any errors encountered during the completion of the EMP501 declaration on e@syFile, or, any pre-submission validation errors encountered on e@syFile, fall outside the scope of of our Support Desk. We provide the steps below that resolves the issue but if you are unable to resolve the error and you require assistance, you can either contact the SARS support desk, speak to a registered tax practitioner or click here to book a consultation.

Possible Resolution: Rounding

When you run your IRP5/IT3a report to create your live file to import into e@syFile, the Summary Report will print a breakdown of your monthly ETI values. It will list each month, example:

If you add these values together, you will get R 4872.26

However, the EMP501 declaration ETI Recon values on e@syFile do not work with cents, so the values are rounded. If you compare the values in the report at the top and you look at the way the values are displayed on e@syfile, you will see each month is rounded:

If you add the rounded values together you get a total of R4 874, however, the actual value imported on the ETI recon is R4 872.26.

What SARS does here is to round the value R4 872.26 to R4 872 and then compare it to the R4 874, which shows you are out by R2. The message that you are not balancing is then as a result of rounding. You will need to revisit each months values on the ETI recon and reapply rounding up or down until they balance to the total rounded value of R4 872.

Possible Resolution: Multiple Company Export

• If the values reported against 4118 on the ETI recon on e@syFile are zero, investigate how many companies were included in the IRP5 file run.
• We found that in some instances there are non-monthly and monthly companies on the same PAYE number, therefore all included in the IRP5 run, however only the non-monthly companies are set up for ETI. In these scenarios no ETI is exported.
• Access each company, go to the Basic Company Information Screen, ETI tab, make sure the Eligible tick is on in each company
• Generate your IRP5 files again, import and redo your declaration

Possible Resolution: ETI Adjustments were done on the payrolll

• If the values reported against 4118 on the ETI recon on e@syFile are different to what you declared on your original EMP201, investigate which months are different
• You can use the values printed in the IRP5/IT3a Summary Report for ETI and compare each month to the value displayed on the ETI Recon
• If ETI values were changed on the payroll and the EMP201 was not amended, the recon will not balance
• You will need to determine if the payroll system is now correct or incorrect and make the relevant changes.
• If ETI values increased on the payroll and it is correct, you can only claim the original amount as the time has now lapsed for any ETI changes to be made. An ETI take-on will need to be done to import the original values.
• If the ETI values are less on the payroll and is correct, you will need to reduce the ETI value on the ETI recon accordingly and this will then impact your recon showing you owe SARS.