Who needs to prepare XBRL?

Asked by: Prof. Jackie Pfannerstill  |  Last update: September 11, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (32 votes)

XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) is primarily prepared by public companies, listed entities, and, depending on the jurisdiction, certain private companies or large enterprises to submit financial data to regulators. Key preparers include companies filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), European firms complying with ESEF regulations, and entities filing in countries like Singapore (ACRA) and the Netherlands (KVK).

Who requires XBRL?

The SEC Rule—“Interactive Data to Improve Financial Reporting”—requires domestic and foreign companies using GAAP and foreign private issuers using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to provide their financial statements in the XBRL format as an exhibit to their periodic and current reports and ...

Who is responsible for preparing financial statements?

4. Directors prepare financial statements; audit committees monitor the integrity of financial information. 5. Auditors audit the financial statements and perform other procedures on other parts of the annual report.

When did XBRL become mandatory?

Since most data collection formats are static and do not allow users to interact with data, the SEC in 2009 mandated XBRL as the format in which companies submit quarterly and annual financial information.

What is the purpose of filing XBRL?

XBRL stands for eXtensible Business Reporting Language, a global standard for digital business reporting. It enables seamless data exchange between organisations and regulators, ensuring accuracy and compliance for business information.

Official XBRL Certification for Professionals - Explained by Industry Leaders

29 related questions found

Who is required to file XBRL?

All companies (limited or unlimited by shares), including dormant companies, are required to file XBRL FS in accordance with the filing requirements. Find out more about who needs to file financial statements.

Who is applicable to XBRL?

Applicability of XBRL Filing for Companies

Every company with a turnover of or more than Rs. 100 crore. Every company with a paid-up capital of or more than Rs. 5 crore.

What companies are exempt from the XBRL?

The following categories of entities are also not required to file XBRLs:

  • The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)-regulated finance businesses.
  • Licensed insurers, merchants and commercial banks.
  • Solvent-exempt private enterprises (solvent EPCs)

Who uses XBRL?

Businesses, regulators, governments, analysts, investors, and accountants all use XBRL. Some of the use cases for XBRL include: Businesses – To provide information to regulators, move data around, manage risk, and measure activity.

Which regulatory body requires filings in XBRL?



Public companies in the U.S. are required to submit their financial statements in XBRL format as part of their periodic SEC filings. This includes key documents such as Form 10-K (annual reports) and Form 10-Q (quarterly reports).

Who has the responsibility for preparing financial statements in accordance with GAAP?

The responsibility for preparing financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) lies with corporate management.

What are the red flags during an audit?

Too many deductions taken are the most common self-employed audit red flags. The IRS will examine whether you are running a legitimate business and making a profit or just making a bit of money from your hobby. Be sure to keep receipts and document all expenses as it can make things a bit ore awkward if you don't.

Who needs to prepare financial statements?

Section 292 of the Corporations Act 2001 (Corporations Act) requires the following entities to prepare financial reports:

  • all disclosing entities.
  • public companies.
  • companies limited by guarantee (except small companies limited by guarantee)

What is the penalty for not filing XBRL?

If a company fails to file the copy of the Financial Statements in XBRL format to MCA within prescribed time limit, it is liable to attract penalty, the provisions which are listed as follows: Company: Fine of Rs. 1,000 for everyday till default continue (maximum of Rs. 10,00,000)

Do you need a CPA to do a compilation?

Accountants who are not CPAs can prepare financial statements that may meet your business needs. However, a compilation report, review report or audit report cannot be attached to any financial statements prepared by a non-CPA. Nor can a non-CPA prepare a “Notice to Reader”.

How do accountants use XBRL?

XBRL enables preparers to utilize software to tag all financial items in their business reports to the elements within a taxonomy. This is accomplished with an Instance Document which can be electronically exchanged and validated between computers or viewed in a human readable format (this is called rendering).

Is XBRL mandatory?

Although XBRL is required by the SEC, the demographics of XBRL users is far wider than the pool of businesses that complete SEC filings. Business filers are one user group for the markup language. Analysts and investors make up additional user groups.

Who are the 7 users of financial information?

It provides 10 examples of financial information users: 1) management, 2) investors, 3) customers, 4) competitors, 5) government agencies, 6) employees, 7) investment analysts, 8) lenders, 9) suppliers, and 10) the general public.

What are the 4 types of financial statements?

The four core financial statements are the Balance Sheet (snapshot of assets, liabilities, equity), the Income Statement (revenues, expenses, profit over time), the Cash Flow Statement (cash inflows/outflows over time), and the Statement of Shareholders' Equity (changes in owner investment over time), all crucial for understanding a company's financial health.
 

Who needs to do XBRL filing?

Applicability of XBRL Filing

This includes: Public companies listed on the Indian stock exchange, including their Indian subsidiaries. Companies with ₹100 crore or more as their annual turnover. Companies having a paid-up capital of Rs 5 Crore or more.

What is the 2 year rule for small companies?

The two-year rule. The “two-year rule” is a provision that applies when determining a company's size for corporate reporting purposes. A company qualifies as micro, small or medium-sized once it has met the size limits in its first ever financial year or otherwise in two consecutive financial years.

Who is exempt from the FinCEN?

All entities created in the United States — including those previously known as “domestic reporting companies” — and their beneficial owners are now exempt from the requirement to report beneficial ownership information (BOI) to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA ...

Why do we need XBRL?

XBRL can connect companies directly with data users, providing verified information for precise analysis. It also increases the speed and accuracy with which intermediaries such as data providers can consume information and offer insights.

Who are the users of XBRL?

In many countries, common users of XBRL include: regulators of stock exchanges and securities, banking regulators, business registrars, revenue reporting and tax-filing agencies, and national statistical agencies.

Who is not required to prepare CFS?

Exemption from Preparing Consolidated Financial Statements:

  • The company should be a wholly/partly-owned subsidiary of another Company.
  • Such subsidiary company should neither listed nor being under the process of listing on any stock exchange in India or outside India.