Troubleshooting Upload Errors

Common Issues & Solutions

"File Format Not Recognized"

Problem: We can't read your CSV

Check:

• File ends in .csv (not .xlsx, .xls, .txt)
• File is actually CSV when opened in text editor
• No special formatting or colors from Excel
• Encoding is UTF-8

Fix:

1. Open file in text editor (not Excel)
2. Check it shows comma-separated values
3. Save as UTF-8 if needed
4. Try uploading again

"No Transactions Found"

Problem: Your CSV has data but we found 0 transactions

Check:

• Headers exist in first row (Date, Pair, Type, etc.)
• Data starts in row 2 (not row 3 or later)
• No blank rows above data
• All required columns present

Fix:

1. Delete any blank rows at top
2. Verify headers: Date, Pair/Symbol, Type, Amount
3. Check that data rows start immediately after headers
4. Remove any summary rows at bottom
5. Upload again

"File Too Large"

Problem: File exceeds 50MB or 100K rows

Solution:

• Split file by year: 2024_trades.csv, 2025_trades.csv
• Or by quarter: Q1_2025.csv, Q2_2025.csv
• Upload in multiple batches
• Contact support for enterprise processing

"Unrecognized Exchange Format"

Problem: We detected your exchange but CSV structure is unusual

Try:

• Export again from exchange with default settings
• Check exchange's export options (sometimes there are variants)
• Ensure no custom formatting applied
• Email CSV to support@taxformatter.com

We can often add custom support quickly!

"Special Characters Causing Issues"

Problem: Non-English characters breaking the parser

Fix:

1. Open CSV in text editor
2. File → Save As
3. Select UTF-8 encoding
4. Save
5. Upload again

"Duplicate Transactions Detected"

Problem: Same trade appears multiple times

Causes:

• Exported overlapping date ranges
• Downloaded multiple times from exchange
• Exchange lists same trade in multiple formats

Fix:

• Remove duplicate rows manually
• Use date range in export to avoid overlap
• Contact support if uncertain

"Timestamp Mismatches"

Problem: Dates not parsing correctly

Solutions:

• Check date format (MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY)
• Remove time if only date needed
• Standardize all dates to same format
• Use YYYY-MM-DD for clarity

"Missing Required Columns"

Problem: Exchange export missing essential data

Required:

• Date (when trade happened)
• Pair/Symbol (what asset)
• Type (BUY/SELL/etc)
• Amount (quantity)

If missing from export:

• Check exchange export options
• Try "detailed export" or "full report"
• Contact exchange support
• Email us for potential workaround

"File Encoding Issues"

Problem: Special characters appear as ??? or garbled text

Fix:

1. Open CSV in text editor
2. Select all (Ctrl+A)
3. Copy
4. Create new file
5. Paste
6. Save as UTF-8
7. Upload

Advanced Troubleshooting

Check Your CSV Structure

Open in text editor and verify format:

✅ Good:
Date,Pair,Type,Amount
2025-01-15,BTC/USD,BUY,0.5

❌ Bad:
Date | Pair | Type | Amount
2025-01-15 | BTC/USD | BUY | 0.5

(We need commas, not pipes)

Validate CSV Online

Use a CSV validator before uploading:

• https://csvlint.io
• https://www.convertcsv.com/csv-viewer-editor.htm

Test with Sample Data

Create a small test CSV with just 5 rows before uploading your full file.

Still Having Issues?

Contact Support:

• Email: support@taxformatter.com
• Include: exchange name, file sample (anonymized)
• We respond within 24 hours

We can often add custom exchange support or troubleshoot specific issues!