What does the FVU actually check?
The FVU is a format checker, and keeping that in mind avoids a lot of misplaced confidence. It reads a prepared return against the notified data structure and reports whether the file conforms. It does not know whether the deduction was computed correctly, whether the right section was applied, or whether the challan covers the liability.
A return that passes the FVU is a return that can be accepted for filing. Whether it is correct is settled later, when the department processes it and raises defaults, which is a separate loop involving the justification report.
Which FVU version applies?
Version selection is driven by the year of the statement, not by the date of filing, and there are three bands in play.
- FVU version 1.1 applies to statements pertaining to tax year 2026-27 onwards.
- Version 9.5 applies to statements from financial year 2010-11 up to financial year 2025-26.
- Version 2.191 applies to statements up to financial year 2009-10.
A correction filed today for an older quarter therefore uses the older utility.
The same split runs through the return preparation utility, where version 1.1 covers financial year 2026-27 onwards and version 6.0 covers financial year 2007-08 up to 2025-26. Versions move, so the download page is the thing to check rather than a remembered number.
How do you read the error file?
A run produces one of two outcomes. If the file has format level errors, an error file is generated giving the location of each error, the error code and the description of that code. If it has none, the .fvu output file is generated instead.
The loop is to correct what the error file names and pass the return through the FVU again, repeating until the run is clean. There is no partial acceptance, so a single unresolved error keeps the whole return unfilable.
What comes out of the utility, and what goes with it?
The upload file carries the same filename as the input file with the extension changed to .fvu. A return prepared as a text file therefore leaves the utility as a matching .fvu file, and that is the one furnished.
Form 27A goes with it, and since 1 February 2014 it has to be the copy the FVU generated rather than one filled in separately. The other acceptance conditions are equally mechanical.
- The file must not span multiple media.
- There must be no overwriting or striking on Form 27A.
- No bank challan or TDS certificate copy is filed with the return.
- The media must be virus free.
If any of these are not met, the return is not accepted.
How to validate a TDS return with the FVU
On tinpan.proteantech.in, signed in as the employer
Prepare the return in the notified data structure
The return is prepared in the file format notified for the relevant form and year, in clean text ASCII format with txt as the filename extension. The return preparation utility published on the TIN site is one way to produce it.
Download the FVU version for that year
Download the utility matching the year of the statement. Version 1.1 covers tax year 2026-27 onwards, version 9.5 covers financial year 2010-11 up to 2025-26, and version 2.191 covers up to financial year 2009-10.
Pass the return through the utility
Run the prepared return file through the FVU. The utility checks whether the file contains any format level errors.
Read the error file if one is produced
Where errors exist, an error file is generated displaying the error location and the error code together with the description of that code.
Correct and revalidate until the run is clean
Rectify what the error file names and pass the return through the FVU again, repeating until an error free file is produced.
Keep the .fvu upload file
A clean run generates the upload file, which carries the same filename as the input file with the extension .fvu. This is the file that is filed.
Take the Form 27A the utility generates
Form 27A has to be the copy generated by the FVU, a requirement in force from 1 February 2014, duly filled and signed by an authorised signatory in physical form.
Meet the acceptance conditions
The return file must not span multiple computer media, and there must be no overwriting or striking on Form 27A. No bank challan or copy of a TDS or TCS certificate is filed with the return, and the media must be virus free.
What goes wrong
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| A correctly prepared return will not validate | The FVU version does not match the year of the statement. Three versions are in circulation, split by the year the statement pertains to. | Use version 1.1 for tax year 2026-27 onwards, version 9.5 for financial year 2010-11 up to 2025-26, and version 2.191 for up to financial year 2009-10.Protean TIN, e-TDS FAQ, Verification of e-TDS/TCS Return |
| The utility produces an error file rather than an upload file | The return contains one or more format level errors. The FVU produces either an error file or a .fvu file, never a partially valid output. | Read the error location, code and description in the error file, correct the return, and pass it through the utility again until it is error free.Protean TIN, e-TDS FAQ, Verification of e-TDS/TCS Return |
| The return is rejected even though it validated | Acceptance depends on conditions beyond the file itself, including the Form 27A that goes with it and the state of the media. | Check that Form 27A was generated by the FVU and carries no overwriting or striking. Confirm that no challan or certificate copies are enclosed, that the file does not span multiple media, and that the media is virus free.Protean TIN, e-TDS FAQ, Preparation of e-TDS/TCS Return |
| A manually prepared Form 27A is refused | From 1 February 2014 it is mandatory to submit the Form 27A generated by the FVU. | Generate Form 27A from the utility as part of the validation run rather than filling one in separately.Protean TIN, e-TDS FAQ, Preparation of e-TDS/TCS Return |
Steps last read from the source documents on
Frequently asked questions
Which FVU version should I use?
It depends on the year of the statement. Version 1.1 applies to statements pertaining to tax year 2026-27 onwards, version 9.5 to financial year 2010-11 up to 2025-26, and version 2.191 to statements up to financial year 2009-10.
What is the .fvu file?
The upload file the utility generates when a return validates cleanly. It carries the same filename as the input file with the extension .fvu, and it is the file that is furnished.
Does passing the FVU mean my return is correct?
No. The FVU checks whether the file conforms to the notified data structure. Whether the deduction and the challans are right is determined when the department processes the return.
Can I fill in Form 27A myself?
Not since 1 February 2014. The Form 27A submitted has to be the one generated by the FVU.
Where Engage fits
Format errors mostly come from the data rather than the utility: a missing PAN, a malformed date, a deductee row that does not tie to a challan. Engage produces the return from the payroll run with those fields already populated and checked, so the validation pass is a confirmation rather than the first time the data is examined.
See Engage Payroll