How To Fix FCO_COPA203 - Characteristic &1 (&2) is relevant for legal reporting -> See long text

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: FCO_COPA - SFIN message class for CO-PA relevant issues

• Message number: 203

• Message text: Characteristic &1 (&2) is relevant for legal reporting -> See long text

What causes this issue?

You want to realign characteristic &V1& (&V2&). As operating concern
&V3& is (also) defined for account-based profitability analysis, you can
activate this type of profitability analysis in a controlling area and
fiscal year. In this case account-based line items are posted to G/L
line item table ACDOCA.
The characteristics contained in table ACDOCA are realigned as well in
most cases. However since characteristic &V1& is relevant for G/L it is
not updated in table ACDOCA, as this would lead to forbidden changes in
legal reporting.
The following characteristics are therefore never updated in table
ACDOCA:
BUKRS (company code)
KOKRS (controlling area)
FKBER (functional area)
GSBER (business area)
PRCTR (profit center)
PPRCTR (partner profit center)
SEGMENT (segment)
Coding block extension fields in structure CI_COBL, which are created as
CO-PA characteristic, as such fields may serve for legal reporting as
well and may be subject to document splitting

System Response

Characteristic &V1& is only updated in segment level table &V4&.

How to fix this error?

Note that this behavior leads to differences between your costing-based
and account-based profitability reporting regarding characteristic &V1&
(if both types of profitability analysis are activated). Costing-based
reporting will show the realigned values whereas account-based reporting
will still show the originally posted values.
More information can be found in the online help under <LS>Profitability
Analysis -> Simplified Profitability Analysis -> Structures and Master
Data -> Master Data -> Realignment</>.

Procedure for System Administrators

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message FCO_COPA203 - Characteristic &1 (&2) is relevant for legal reporting -> See long text ?

  The SAP error message FCO_COPA203 indicates that a characteristic in the Controlling Profitability Analysis (CO-PA) is relevant for legal reporting, which means that it must be handled in a specific way to comply with legal requirements. This error typically arises when you are trying to post or process data in CO-PA, and the system identifies that certain characteristics are not set up correctly for legal reporting.
  Cause:
  
  Missing Configuration: The characteristic in question may not be properly configured for legal reporting in the system.
  Inconsistent Data: The data being processed may not meet the requirements for legal reporting, leading to this error.
  Incorrect Settings: The settings for the CO-PA characteristics may not align with the legal reporting requirements.
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check Configuration: Review the configuration settings for the CO-PA characteristics in the SAP system. Ensure that all necessary characteristics are correctly set up for legal reporting.
  
  Navigate to the configuration settings in the SAP system (Transaction code: SPRO) and check the settings under Controlling -> Profitability Analysis -> Account-Based CO-PA or Costing-Based CO-PA.
  
  
  
  Review Characteristic Settings: Identify the specific characteristic mentioned in the error message (indicated by &1 and &2) and verify its settings.
  
  Ensure that the characteristic is marked as relevant for legal reporting if required.
  
  
  
  Data Consistency Check: Perform a data consistency check to ensure that the data being processed complies with the legal reporting requirements.
  
  You may need to run reports or use transaction codes like KE30 to analyze the data.
  
  
  
  Consult Documentation: Refer to the long text of the error message for additional details on what specific actions are required. This can provide insights into what needs to be corrected.
  
  
  Seek Help from SAP Support: If the issue persists after checking the configuration and data, consider reaching out to SAP support for further assistance.
  
  
  Related Information:
  
  Transaction Codes: Familiarize yourself with relevant transaction codes such as KE30 (Report for CO-PA), KE24 (Display CO-PA Document), and SPRO (Customizing).
  SAP Notes: Check for any SAP Notes related to this error message, as they may provide specific fixes or updates.
  Documentation: Review SAP documentation on CO-PA and legal reporting to understand the requirements and best practices.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the FCO_COPA203 error and ensure that your CO-PA characteristics are correctly configured for legal reporting.