XBRL

XBRL, which stands for eXtensible Business Reporting Language, is a standardized markup language used for reporting and exchanging business and financial information in a machine-readable format. It is designed to facilitate the preparation, analysis, and exchange of financial information, making it easier to compare and analyze data across different organizations and systems.

XBRL allows financial information, such as financial statements, to be tagged with machine-readable labels that represent specific financial concepts or elements, such as revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities. These tags provide a standardized way to identify and describe financial information, making it more consistent and understandable for users, including investors, regulators, analysts, and other stakeholders.

Some key features and benefits of XBRL include:

  1. Standardization: XBRL provides a standardized way to represent financial information, ensuring consistency and comparability across different organizations and systems. This makes it easier to analyze and compare financial data, both within an organization and across different organizations.

  2. Efficiency: XBRL automates the process of preparing, analyzing, and exchanging financial information, reducing manual effort and the risk of errors associated with manual data entry. It also facilitates data validation, integrity checks, and automated data analysis, which can improve the accuracy and efficiency of financial reporting and analysis.

  3. Transparency: XBRL enables more transparent financial reporting by providing a standardized and structured format for financial information. This makes it easier for users to understand and interpret financial data, and promotes greater transparency and accountability in financial reporting.

  4. Accessibility: XBRL allows financial information to be shared and exchanged electronically in a machine-readable format, making it more accessible and usable for different stakeholders, including investors, analysts, regulators, and other users. It also enables the integration of financial information into various software applications and systems.

  5. Flexibility: XBRL is extensible, meaning that organizations can create their own customized tags to represent specific financial concepts or elements that are unique to their industry or reporting requirements. This provides flexibility and adaptability to organizations in representing their financial information in a way that is most relevant to their specific needs.

  6. Compliance: XBRL is used by many regulators around the world for financial reporting requirements, including filing financial statements with regulatory bodies. Compliance with XBRL reporting requirements can help organizations meet regulatory obligations and streamline the reporting process.

In summary, XBRL is a standardized markup language that provides numerous benefits, including standardization, efficiency, transparency, accessibility, flexibility, and compliance, for reporting and exchanging financial information in a machine-readable format. It has been widely adopted by organizations and regulators around the world to improve financial reporting and analysis, and facilitate more informed decision-making.

In India, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has mandated the use of eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) for certain categories of companies for filing their financial statements with the Registrar of Companies (RoC). The requirement for XBRL filing in India is governed by the Companies (Filing of Documents and Forms in Extensible Business Reporting Language) Rules, 2015, under the Companies Act, 2013.

As per the rules, the following categories of companies in India are required to file their financial statements in XBRL format with the RoC:

  1. All companies listed with any stock exchange in India and their Indian subsidiaries, including overseas companies listed in India.
  2. All companies having a paid-up capital of Rs. 5 crore or above, or a turnover of Rs. 100 crore or above, in any financial year.
  3. All companies that are required to prepare consolidated financial statements under the Companies Act, 2013, or Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS).

These companies are required to file their financial statements, including balance sheet, profit and loss account, cash flow statement, and other prescribed documents, in XBRL format along with the traditional PDF version of the financial statements, with the RoC within the prescribed timelines.

The XBRL filing in India is aimed at improving the accuracy, comparability, and transparency of financial reporting, and facilitating efficient analysis of financial data. It is also aligned with the global trend of using XBRL for financial reporting, as many countries around the world have adopted or are considering the use of XBRL for regulatory reporting by companies.

Companies in India subject to XBRL filing requirements need to ensure compliance with the applicable rules, including proper tagging of financial data as per the XBRL taxonomy specified by the MCA, validation of the XBRL instance document, and timely submission of the XBRL and PDF versions of the financial statements to the RoC. Non-compliance with the XBRL filing requirements can result in penalties and fines under the Companies Act, 2013.

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