How to Generate a RELIEF Importations DAT File in BIR Online Tools

Generating a RELIEF Importations DAT file means converting a completed Excel workbook of quarterly import entries into the delimited format the BIR’s RELIEF program expects. In BIR Online Tools’ RELIEF Importations tool, that’s the same three-step flow as the other RELIEF listings: download a template, upload your completed data, and let the app validate and convert it.

This guide is part of the App Guide series and follows on from the RELIEF overview. The worked example uses the template’s own built-in example rows, which validate successfully as uploaded.

How do you generate a RELIEF Importations DAT file step by step? #

1. Download the Excel template #

Open RELIEF from the sidebar, then Importations. Click Download Excel Template — it arrives with example import entries already on the detail sheet.

2. Fill in your import entries #

Replace the example rows with your quarter’s importations — import entry number, dutiable value, charges, and exempt or taxable goods amounts. Only .xlsx files are accepted.

3. Upload and review validation #

Click Upload Excel File and select your completed workbook. Every row is read and validated before anything converts to a DAT file.

4. Download the DAT file #

Once validation passes, click Download DAT File. The generated file also saves automatically to your DAT Repository.

What do the computed totals mean? #

The validation summary totals the figures a RELIEF Importations listing reports: total dutiable value, total charges, total exempt goods, total taxable goods, and total VAT payable, alongside how many detail rows were parsed and how many distinct import entries they represent. Rows sharing the same Import Entry number are combined into one DAT detail line, with amounts summed — matching how importations are reported per entry rather than per line item.

Frequently asked questions #

What does the RELIEF Importations template ask for? #

The template captures each import entry — import entry number, dutiable value, charges, and whether the goods are exempt or taxable — with example rows already filled in to show the expected format.

Where does the importer information on the DAT file come from? #

Importer details are pulled from your active company profile rather than typed into the spreadsheet, so set up your company under Company Info before uploading.

How does BIR Online Tools handle multiple lines for the same import entry? #

Rows sharing the same Import Entry number are combined into one DAT detail line, with their amounts summed, matching how RELIEF Importations listings report per entry rather than per line item.

What happens if my uploaded importations file has errors? #

BIR Online Tools reads every row first, then shows a table of every validation error — sheet, row, field, message, and value — before it will let you convert anything to a DAT file.

Summary #

Generating a RELIEF Importations DAT file in BIR Online Tools takes four steps: download the template, fill in your quarter’s import entries, upload for validation, and download the finished DAT file once validation passes. See RELIEF Sales or RELIEF Purchases for the other two listings, or the RELIEF overview for the module’s filing deadline and full context.