Upcoming SEPA Banking Changes for Sage Customers in Ireland

Upcoming changes to Irish banking file requirements may affect how payment files are generated from Sage and uploaded to Irish banking providers.

These changes are particularly relevant for customers based in the Republic of Ireland using Irish banks, as well as Northern Ireland customers who operate an Irish company within Sage and use the Generate Payments process or generate SEPA payment files from within the software.

What is changing?

Irish banking providers are moving towards updated ISO 20022 payment file standards. As part of this change, AIB has confirmed that customers submitting bulk payment files will need to update their file format before Thursday 12 November 2026.

After this date, payment files that do not meet the required format may fail when submitted to the bank.

What does this mean for Sage users?

Sage has confirmed that businesses who need to continue using SEPA eBanking in Sage 200 will need to be on Sage 200 2025 R1.

For Sage 50 customers, Sage 50 Accounts v32.0 and above will be compatible with the new formatting requirements.

Customers will also need to check that the relevant eBanking plugin is in place, so their system can support the new banking file requirements once they come into effect.

Sage has advised that these changes are not compatible with earlier versions.

What should you do next?

We recommend reviewing your current Sage version in good time, so any required upgrade or plugin change can be planned properly ahead of the deadline.

This is especially important if your business relies on SEPA payment file generation as part of your regular finance processes.

How Innov8 can help

Innov8 can support you by:

  • Checking whether your current Sage version may be affected
  • Talking through your upgrade options
  • Providing an upgrade quotation and estimated timeline
  • Planning any required changes around your business requirements

If you would like to discuss your current Sage setup or request a quotation, please contact your Account Manager or email info@innov8.co.uk.