The name that matters
The donations sheet in HMRC's template is called R68GAD_V1_00_0_EN. Charities Online looks for that sheet by name. If it is renamed, for example to "Sheet1" or "Gift Aid 2026", the system cannot find your donations.
How it gets changed by accident
- Double-clicking the sheet tab and typing a friendlier name.
- Copying the sheet into a new workbook, which can add "(2)" or similar to the name.
- Starting from your own spreadsheet and adding HMRC's headings to it, instead of starting from HMRC's template.
- Opening the LibreOffice version in Excel, or the other way round, and saving it in another format.
How to fix it
- Look at the tab at the bottom of the window. It should read exactly
R68GAD_V1_00_0_EN. - If it does not, rename it back, or start again from a fresh template from GOV.UK.
- Keep only HMRC's sheet in the file. Do not add extra sheets for your own notes.
This page is general guidance based on HMRC's published schedule spreadsheet guidance and template, checked on 20 October 2026. It is not tax advice, and HMRC's own pages take priority if they change. Donor Schedule is not affiliated with HMRC.
Let the free checker find these for you
Load your donation export and see every row HMRC is likely to reject, with the reason and the fix. Nothing is uploaded, and you don't need an account.