This article provides solutions for errors you may encounter when using the "Rostering by Deputy with Xero" integration between Deputy and Xero, purchased through Xero.

Before you read

• Target audience: This article is for users with  Location Manager or System Administrator access.
• Plan restrictions: This article is only for customers who purchased the "Rostering by Deputy with Xero" through their Xero subscription.

This article covers:

• How do I fix export errors?
• Frequently asked questions

How do I fix export errors? 

Before you troubleshoot

If an export fails partway through, check the pay run in Xero to see which employees' timesheets were processed and which weren't. This narrows down which employee or timesheet is causing the problem. When you re-export, select only the affected timesheets; don't re-export everything. Exporting all timesheets again overwrites the previous successful exports.

"Employees Not Found" error

Deputy cannot match one or more team members to their Xero profile because the connection between Deputy and Xero timed out or the token expired.

1. Try the export again.
2. If it continues to fail, go to Integrations and click Xero.
3. Check the connection status.
4. If there's an error with the token, click Reconnect and try the export again.

"Timesheet is not a Draft Timesheet" error

A timesheet already exists in Xero for this team member for the same pay period and has been approved. This happens when someone approves timesheets directly in Xero or when another system pushes data into Xero.

1. In Xero, go to Payroll, then click Timesheets.
2. Find the approved timesheet for the affected team member.
3. Revert the timesheet to Draft.
4. Return to Deputy and re-export the timesheet.

"Timesheet already exists" or "Timesheet cannot be overwritten" errors

These errors occur when a team member has a timesheet in Xero for the same pay period that Deputy didn't create. Another integration or a manual submission in Xero has created a conflict.

1. In Xero, find the conflicting timesheet.
2. Decline or delete the timesheet.
3. Revert the status to Draft.
4. Re-export the data from Deputy.

 Superannuation errors

Xero requires superannuation details before it will accept timesheet data for a team member. This error means the team member does not have superannuation configured in their Xero pay template.

1. In Xero, open the team member's profile.
2. Click the Pay Template tab.
3. Add the required superannuation details.
4. Re-export from Deputy.

"Add Pay Items Failed" error

A pay item (earnings rate) in Xero has not been allocated to an expense account. This applies to both active and inactive pay items.

1. In Xero, go to Settings, Payroll Settings, Pay Items, then click Earnings.
2. Make sure every earnings line is allocated to an expense account.
3. If an inactive pay item is the cause, reactivate it, assign the expense account, then deactivate it again.
4. Try the export again in Deputy.

"Validation exception — hire date" error

Xero will not accept timesheet data for a period that starts before a team member's official hire date.

1. In Xero, check the team member's Employment tab.
2. Confirm their start date is on or before the first day of the pay period.
3. Update the date if needed.
4. Re-export from Deputy.

Allowance-related errors

An allowance in the team member's pay rate is configured incorrectly in Xero. This happens when an allowance is a fixed amount in Xero, but Deputy expects an hourly rate, or vice versa.

1. In Xero, go to Settings, Payroll Settings, then click Pay Items.
2. Check that the allowance configuration matches the data Deputy is sending.
3. Compare the export codes on the Deputy export screen against the Xero pay item names.
4. Update the Xero configuration to match Deputy.

What do I do if the daily Xero API rate limit is reached?

Xero limits each account to 5,000 API requests per day. This is rare, but it can happen if you run a large number of exports or syncs in one day.

• Wait until the next calendar day and try the export again.
• If you regularly hit this limit, contact Deputy support to coordinate with Xero.

Frequently asked questions

What do I do if I exported timesheets with the wrong pay rate?

You can change this without starting over:

1. In Deputy, unapprove the affected timesheets.
2. Edit the team member's pay rate to the correct rate.
3. Re-approve the timesheets and confirm the new rate applied in the timesheet history.
4. Re-export the affected timesheets to Xero.
5. In Xero, check the draft pay run to confirm the corrected rates appear.

If the timesheets in Xero have already been approved, revert them to Draft in Xero before re-exporting from Deputy.

What do I do if my timesheets were exported, but the rates in Xero look wrong?

Deputy overwrites the employee's pay template in Xero with whatever rates are configured in Deputy at the time of export. If the rates look wrong in Xero, check the team member's pay rate in Deputy; that's what was sent. Update the rate in Deputy, unapprove the timesheets, re-approve, and re-export.

Why didn't some team members' timesheets export?

Check these requirements in order:

• Pay rates: Confirm the team member has a pay rate in Deputy.
• Employment type: Salaried and contractor timesheets don't export to Xero. Salary information in Deputy is for scheduling cost insights and reporting only; salary is managed directly in Xero.
• Date range: Confirm the team member worked and has approved timesheets within the selected pay run date range.
• Approval status: Make sure the timesheets are approved in Deputy as only approved timesheets are exported.

What do I do if an earnings rate in Xero was renamed and now I'm getting duplicates?

Don't rename earnings rates in Xero that were created by a Deputy export. Deputy matches the earnings rate name; if you change it in Xero, Deputy creates a new one on the next export. If you've already renamed one, you can update the export code in Deputy to match the new Xero name, but it's simpler to rename it back in Xero.

Why has the daily sync stopped working?

If the person who originally connected Deputy to Xero leaves your organization or loses access to Xero, the sync stops.

You'll know the sync has stopped if pay calendar data or leave balances aren't updating. Deputy doesn't currently send a proactive notification when the sync breaks; you'll notice it when the data goes stale.

1. Ask a user with Xero admin permissions to log in to Deputy.
2. Go to Integrations, then click Xero.
3. Click Reconnect to restore the sync.

Why can't I import a team member from Xero?

The team member import modal validates mandatory fields before allowing an import. If a team member is greyed out or flagged, they are missing required information in Xero. This is usually because they do not have a pay calendar assigned.

1. In Xero, open the team member's profile and assign them to a pay calendar.
2. Make sure all other mandatory contact and employment fields are filled.
3. Return to Deputy and try the import again.

What errors does the "Rostering by Deputy with Xero" integration eliminate?

The "Rostering by Deputy with Xero" integration uses automated syncing and payroll ID matching to prevent several common errors found in standard setups. Because of this automation, you will not encounter these issues:

• Name or email mismatch errors: The integration matches team members using a unique Xero payroll ID instead of names or email addresses.
• Pay calendar mismatch errors: The daily sync pulls pay calendar data automatically, so you select from a dropdown menu instead of entering dates manually.
• "Pay Element not found" errors: Deputy automatically creates earnings rates in Xero during the first export.
• "No Payroll Calendar found" errors: Pay calendars sync daily, and the system prevents you from importing team members who do not have one assigned.
• "Scope not recognised" errors: This integration is built specifically for Australian accounts, which removes regional configuration errors.
• Leave code mismatch errors: Leave types sync daily between Deputy and Xero to keep codes consistent.

Related articles

• Import your team members to Deputy from Xero (for "Rostering by Deputy with Xero")
• Pay rate configuration guide (for "Rostering by Deputy with Xero")
• Timesheet export guide (for "Rostering by Deputy with Xero")