Pre-tax file errors & warnings: Contributions files

Process

• Files uploaded to the /pretax/contributions folder will be processed within 1-2 hours.
• Pre-tax demographics files should always be processed first. Followed by pre-tax elections files then pre-tax contributions files. Subsequent files will be processed one hour after its predecessor (ex: the pre-tax contributions file will process one hour after the elections file has processed)
• If individual rows contain errors, the file will continue processing the remaining valid records.
• Rows with warnings are still processed. Rows with errors are not processed, created, or updated. 
• You will receive automatic notifications when a file is processed, with or without errors or warnings. See Pre-tax file processing notification for more information.
• You can also visit Forma Admin to monitor the processing status of any pre-tax file. See Forma Admin File Manager Guide for more information.

Troubleshooting

• Follow the instructions to edit the row of error, then load the contributions file with only the records that were errored out. Do NOT reload the full file, as it will cause further errors.
• If you need to make an HSA reversal, reach out to [e-mail] for assistance.

Follow the instructions below to fix any errors, then upload a new contributions file with only the records that were errored out. Do not reload the entire file.

Contributions File Errors

Error Code	Error Message	More info
CT001	Error: Missing required field: [Errored Field]. Required columns not provided.	The file must include the required fields outlined here. All records will be errored out if the entire column is missing.
CT001	Error: Missing required field: [Errored Field]. Header names are blank or invalid.	Header names must match the standard header name. For example: “Account Type “ is invalid as there is a blank at the end of the word, it should be "Account Type” All records will be errored out when the file is processed if a header name is invalid.
CT001	Error: Missing required field: [Errored Field]. Data is missing in a required column.	Ensure that the required data is provided for each record in every mandatory column.
CT002	Error: Invalid Account Type format	Account Type can be FSA, LPFSA, DCFSA, HSA, Transit, Parking, Transit_PT, Parking_PT, or any alternative values listed in Appendix 2.
CT002	Error: Deposit Amount format is invalid.	Deposit amount must be in numeric format. Any field that requires a number must follow a certain format. Follow the instructions in Appendix 2 > Number (float) for more information.
CT002	Error: Funding Date format is invalid.	Use YYYYMMDD or MMDDYYYY in "Funding Date" field. Follow Appendix 2 > Date for more information.
CT002	Error: Funding Type is invalid	Use Payroll or Rollover in "Funding Type" field.
CT002	Error: Funding Type Reset only applies to commuter plans	Use Payroll or Rollover in "Funding Type" field.
CT004	Error: Record type value is incorrect	Use CT as record type for contributions files.
CT010	Error: Employee is not found	Could not locate the employee record in the system with the provided Employee ID and Employee Work Email Address. For more information about this error, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions File Error CT010
CT013	Error: Funding Date is invalid	Funding Date must fall within the correct period. For more information about this error, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions File Error CT013
CT014	Error: Deposit can't be made to a permanently inactive account.	Permanently Inactive is a status only used when the account is created incorrectly. We do not process contributions to a permanently inactive account. If you wish to process the contribution, update the account status through the elections file.
CT017	Error: Deposit Amount is missing.	Could not process the deposit because the deposit amount is missing. For more information about this error, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions File Error: CT017
CT018	Error: Employee Deposit Amount will cause the employee's total contributions to fall below $0	Negative deposit amounts are allowed to correct contributions for DCFSA, FSA, LPFSA, Parking, Transit, Parking_PT, and Transit_PT. However, the system cannot process a deposit that will cause the employee's total contribution to fall below $0. For more information about this error, refer to the article Processing Negative Contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT018, CT019, CT021, CT031
CT019	Error: Employer Deposit Amount will cause the employer's total contributions to fall below $0	Negative deposit amounts are allowed to correct contributions for DCFSA, FSA, LPFSA, Parking, Transit, Parking_PT, and Transit_PT. However, the system cannot process a deposit that will cause the employer's total contribution to fall below $0. For more information about this error, refer to the article Processing Negative Contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT018, CT019, CT021, CT031
CT020	Error: An existing deposit was found with the same funding date and identical amounts	Could not process this deposit because the same "Funding Date" already exists in this account. For more information about this error, refer to the article Duplicate contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT020, CT042
CT021	Error: Deposit Amount will cause account balance to be below $0	Negative deposit amounts are allowed to correct contributions for DCFSA, FSA, LPFSA, Parking, Transit, Parking_PT, and Transit_PT. However, the system cannot process a deposit that will cause the total contributions to fall below the total spending. For more information about this error, refer to the article Processing Negative Contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT018, CT019, CT021, CT031
CT022	Error: Deposit Amount will cause the combined employee's and employer's contributions year to date to exceed annual election or IRS limit	Could not process the deposit because it will cause the combined employee and employer contributions year-to-date to exceed the annual election or IRS limit. For more information about this error, refer to the article Contributions cannot be added: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT022, CT023, CT025, CT032, CT033
CT023	Error: Deposit Amount will cause the combined employee's and employer's contributions month to date to exceed monthly election maximum or IRS limit	Could not process the deposit because it will cause the combined employee and employer contributions year-to-date to exceed the monthly election or IRS limit. For more information about this error, refer to the article Contributions cannot be added: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT022, CT023, CT025, CT032, CT033
CT025	Error: Deposit Amount will cause combined employee's and employer's contributions year to date to exceed the IRS limit	Could not process the deposit because it will cause combined employee and employer contributions year-to-date to exceed the IRS limit. For more information about this error, refer to the article Contributions cannot be added: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT022, CT023, CT025, CT032, CT033
CT029	Error: Funding Date cannot be before Account Start Date	Employee can only receive deposits on or after the account starts. For example, John is a new hire enrolled in a 2026 FSA. John was hired on July 15th, 2026 and the FSA starts on August 1st, 2026. Any contributions with a funding date prior to 2026-08-01 will be errored out.
CT031	Error: HSA Deposit Amount cannot be negative	HSA deposits cannot be reversed by sending negative amounts in the contributions file. If you would like to remove HSA contributions, reach out to [e-mail] For more information about this error, refer to the article Processing Negative Contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT018, CT019, CT021, CT031
CT032	Error: Employee Deposit Amount will cause employee's contributions year to date to exceed employee's annual election	Could not process the deposit because employee's contributions year-to-date will exceed their annual election. For more information about this error, refer to the article Contributions cannot be added: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT022, CT023, CT025, CT032, CT033
CT033	Error: Employer Deposit Amount will cause employer contributions year to date to exceed employer's annual election	Could not process the deposit because the employer contributions year-to-date will exceed the employer annual election. For more information about this error, refer to the article Contributions cannot be added: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT022, CT023, CT025, CT032, CT033
CT040	Error: Employee will receive contributions via the auto-deposit calendar	Could not process the deposit because this account is linked to an auto-deposit calendar.  If you would like to change the deposit method from auto-deposit to contributions file, contact your CSM or email [e-mail] For more information about this error, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions File Error CT040
CT041	Error: Employee has both negative and positive HSA contributions	Could not process the HSA deposit because positive and negative amounts are found. For more information about this error, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions Error: CT041
CT042	Error: File contains multiple deposits with the same Funding Date for the employee	No deposit is processed because there are multiple deposits with the same Funding Date for the employee. For more information about this error, refer to the article Duplicate contributions: Pre-tax Contributions File Errors CT020, CT042

Contributions File Warnings

Warning Code	Warning Message	More Info
CT101	Warning: An existing deposit was found on the same funding date but with different amounts	The deposit is processed. However, there was another deposit that occurred using the same "Funding Date." For more information about this warning, refer to the article Pre-tax Contributions File Warning CT101
CT104	Warning: HSA deposit cannot be posted when HSA bank account is not active	The warning notifies you that attempted HSA contributions are on hold and will be distributed to the employee after they complete CIP verification. You can download the HSA CIP Report to check an employee's CIP status. Forma will still deduct the funds from your external funding account, even if we are unable to distribute them immediately.
CT105	Warning: Deposit Amount will cause the combined employee's and employer's contributions to exceed the annual maximum by $1	This deposit has been processed, even though the combined employee and employer contributions exceeded the annual maximum by $1. If you would like to correct the over-contribution, enter a negative deposit in the contribution file, re-upload it through the admin portal, and confirm that the status shows as Successful.
CT106	Warning: Deposit Amount will cause the combined employee's and employer's contributions to exceed the monthly maximum by $1	This deposit has been processed, even though the combined employee and employer contributions exceeded the monthly maximum by $1. If you would like to correct the over-contribution, enter a negative deposit in the contribution file, re-upload it through the admin portal, and confirm that the status shows as Successful.
CT107	Warning: Deposit Amount will cause employee's contributions year to date to exceed employee's annual election by no more than $1	This deposit has been processed, even though the employee contribution exceeded their annual election by no more than $1. If you would like to correct the over-contribution, enter a negative deposit in the contribution file, re-upload it through the admin portal, and confirm that the status shows as Successful.
CT108	Warning: Deposit Amount will cause employer's contributions year to date to exceed employer's annual election by no more than $1	This deposit has been processed, even though the employer contribution exceeded the employer annual election by no more than $1. If you would like to correct the over-contribution, enter a negative deposit in the contribution file, re-upload it through the admin portal, and confirm that the status shows as Successful.