Tips and FAQs for Uploading your CSV File

If you're having trouble uploading your CSV, here are some frequent troubleshooting tips:

I changed the headers and checked the format but still can't upload my CSV.

• You can follow the instructions here to be sure that you correctly updated the headers in your CSV file. 
• Please match the letter case found for each Header in our Template. We recommend copying and pasting the Header row directly into your CSV file.

Can I include extra columns in the headers? 

• No, the header columns should only be the ones listed in our sample CSV. Currently, your CSV file must match the title and order exactly.

Is Sales Tax Included? Shipping? Handling? Discounts?

• The total_sales column does not include sales_tax.
• The total_sales column should include any shipping_amount, handling_amount, and discount_amount.
• shipping_amount, handling_amount, and discount_amount should all be positive values and are not factored into the "Order Total"
• Here's a sample screenshot of how you can enter in the data and how it displays in TaxJar under Transaction Details: 
  

 What should be the values of each field?

• Please be sure that all values for "refunds" are negative and that all values for "orders" are positive.
• Please note that transaction_type is either "order" or "refund"
• The date format should follow one of the following: 
  • 2019-01-21 11:23:56 UTC
  • 2019-01-24 15:48:38 -8:00 
  • 1/2/19
• The order_id should be unique and can be alphanumeric. As we show here, re-using the same order_id will over-write an existing order. 

In the sample CSV, what does the column "provider" refer to?

• The provider refers to the cart where the sale took place. For example; "amazon", "ebay", "paypal" etc. (make sure any official integrations are all listed in lower case.)
• You can also create your own provider name such as "my store" or "cash" for transactions that did not originate from an integrated cart.

 Some of my transactions failed to upload. How can I find out what the problem was?

• If any of your transactions fail to import, you can see the reason by clicking the number under "Failed Transactions" on your CSV Imports page.

• Doing this will download a CSV file containing a new column which explains why the transaction failed.
  

  

• You can edit the errors in this new file in order to re-import the transactions, but be sure to delete the errors column otherwise the CSV will not upload successfully.
• Also, be sure that you do not upload any empty rows since they will also fail to upload. 

 What if I don't have the customer names? Can I still upload the transactions?

• Yes, as you can see here when you download the sample CSV, there are certain values that can be left blank and your CSV will still upload successfully. 

 Why would information such as the "Reported Date" change for a CSV transaction?

• Did you update the CSV using the method we mention here?
• Please note that updating a transaction after you've recorded a payment in a previous period (and locked the report) will change the "Reported Date" to the date that your updated the transaction.

 Can I leave out the zipcode in a transaction

• Although your transaction will upload without a zip code, we highly recommend using the zip code field to increase the accuracy of your reports.

How to import refunds or partial refunds via CSV

If you import transactions via CSV and need to include refunds, you'll need to follow the guidelines below to ensure the uploaded transaction is recognized as a refund in our system.

To upload CSV records of refunds, please add a digit at the end of the Refund id for the original transaction.

• If the order number for a refunded transaction remains the same as the initial order, the new file you upload will overwrite the initial upload and our system will not properly recognize the refund.
• If you issue multiple or partial refunds for a transaction, each refund or partial refund will need a unique digit in order to be recognized as a unique refund related to the original order id. (If a new digit is not added to each additional refund, then only the last refund in your CSV will be recorded because the previous refunds with the same id will be updated in place.)
• Here's an example:
  
  Original Order id: 1234 
  First refund id: 1234_refund_1 
  Second refund id: 1234_refund_2

You can link the refund to the original order that is being refunded by adding a  "transaction_reference_id" column in your CSV.

• You should enter the original order's ID number in this field.
• This is important in order for our system to display your refunds appropriately in your State Reports, and we have more details on how refunds are displayed in your State Reports and which State Reports reflect prior period refunds. 

How to fix the "Invalid Header" error for CSV uploads

I tried to upload a CSV and got an "Invalid Header" error. What should I do next?

This error is usually caused by formatting or white space changes in the header of the CSV file you're attempting to upload.

You can fix this very quickly by copying the entire header row from our Sample CSV file.

• Make sure you click on the "1" cell in the file to instantly highlight the entire row and then click "ctrl + c" on your keyboard to copy the full row, rather than highlighting the individual filled out cells) as seen in the image below:

Once you've copied this row from the Sample file, click on the same cell (1) in the file you're trying to upload and paste the original row in your file to overwrite the current header that's causing the error.

• After you paste in the new row, make sure you save the new file with a file extension of '.csv' and also be sure that is it UTF-8 encoded.
• From there, you can upload again and it should import successfully.