Error excel Form 3 and Form4

Hi Neha,

This is a fairly common issue with LLP Form 3 and linked Form 4 filings, especially when there's a change involving resignation of a designated partner and appointment of a nominee of a body corporate.

The error message:

“partners data in excel is not as per Form 3”

usually means data mismatch or formatting error between the details entered in Form 3 and the partner details uploaded in Form 4 Excel.

Here are some tips to troubleshoot and fix this issue:

1. Exact Matching of Partner Details in Both Forms

• Ensure that the name, DIN/PAN, date of appointment/resignation, and partner type are exactly the same in Form 3 and Form 4.

• Even a small spelling difference or an extra space can cause a mismatch.

• Check the partner’s status (designated/nominee) matches exactly in both forms.

2. Body Corporate Partner Details

• For the body corporate (company) as a designated partner, make sure the CIN (Corporate Identification Number) is correct.

• The nominee partner appointed by the body corporate must be entered correctly with valid DIN or PAN.

• Confirm that the nominee partner's details are not repeated or conflicting in the Excel sheet.

3. Check Excel Formatting

• Download the latest MCA-approved Excel template for Form 4 from the MCA portal.

• Make sure you haven’t edited or modified any formulas or hidden columns in the Excel.

• Use the exact template format provided without adding extra rows or columns.

• Do not change the header rows or column names.

4. Date Formats

• Date of resignation/appointment should be in the proper format (dd/mm/yyyy) and consistent across both forms and Excel.

• Incorrect date formats often cause rejection.

5. Order of Partners

• Sometimes, the order of partners in the Excel sheet should correspond with the order in Form 3.

• Try arranging the partners in the same sequence.

6. Clear Cache / Try Different Browser

• Clear your browser cache or try using a different browser.

• Sometimes MCA portal cache causes validation issues.

7. Validate Using MCA Portal

• Use the MCA’s built-in “Check Form” or “Validate” option before uploading to catch errors early.

If Still Fails:

• Re-download fresh Form 3 and Form 4 templates.

• Re-enter partner details carefully without copy-pasting from other files.

• Sometimes the MCA portal can be buggy — waiting and trying again after a few hours/days might help.

• Keep following up with MCA Helpdesk.