SINGAPORE · ACRA XBRL FILING

Singapore ACRA XBRL
Financial Statements Filing

Determine your filing requirements, map your financial statements and review the results against the source documents.

Enquire about XBRL ↗Check filing requirements ↓

Requirements depend on the company, financial year, filing status and current ACRA rules. The appropriate filing must be assessed from the company’s information.

First, check whether financial statements must be filed

Gather the company type, listing or regulatory status, EPC and solvency status, financial year and accounting standards, and details of subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures. Determine whether company or consolidated financial statements apply.

Confirm the preparation and filing obligationsA dormant relevant company meeting all conditions or a solvent exempt private company (EPC) may not need to file financial statements. Check all exemption conditions. Audit exemption does not automatically mean filing exemption.
Determine the filing formatCheck special categories such as banks, finance and insurance companies, companies limited by guarantee and companies approved to use other accounting standards. Other companies are assessed by size and public accountability.
Check the attachments and reporting periodFor example, Simplified XBRL requires a PDF copy of the financial statements authorised by directors.

Where information is missing: The exemption and filing format cannot be determined reliably without company type, solvency, public accountability, applicable statements and financial-year data.

Official source: ACRA filing requirements and exemptions ↗

Which XBRL template applies?

SIMPLIFIED XBRL

Smaller and non-publicly accountable

Both revenue and total assets for the financial year must be no more than S$500,000, together with the other applicable conditions. Simplified XBRL is filed with a directors-authorised PDF of the statements.

FULL XBRL

Other companies required to file

Relevant Singapore companies that are not exempt or in a special category and do not qualify for Simplified XBRL generally file Full XBRL.

SPECIAL CASES

Check separately

Qualifying banks, finance and insurance companies may file XBRL financial statements highlights and PDF. Companies limited by guarantee, companies approved to use other standards and foreign-company branches have separate requirements.

Use the relevant financial statements for the size test. Where subsidiaries, associates or joint ventures are involved, check ACRA’s consolidated-figure rules and applicable exceptions. Foreign-currency figures must be translated as required; the S$500,000 thresholds are not prorated for a short financial year.

Official source: ACRA company categories and templates ↗

Map financial statement items to the ACRA taxonomy

Start with the approved statements and confirm the amount, period and reporting entity. Select concepts according to their definitions, not merely similar names.

One-to-one and combined mapping

A source item may map directly to one concept, while several items may be combined. ACRA guidance requires an explanatory XBRL footnote for combined items.

Splitting, best fit and Others

Split only when supported by verifiable details. Consider a best-fit concept when appropriate; use Others only when no relevant concept is available, with the explanation and breakdown required by ACRA guidance.

Information not disclosed in AGM financial statements should be left blank under ACRA’s mapping guidance. Do not treat an undisclosed item as zero; review mandatory fields and tool messages in context.

Official source: ACRA taxonomy mapping guidance ↗

Illustrative mapping example

This is a hypothetical teaching example in Singapore dollars, not a real company or a validated filing. Assume a non-EPC company with no public accountability, revenue of S$400,000 and total assets of S$300,000, outside the special categories. If all other conditions are met, the initial assessment is Simplified XBRL plus a directors-authorised PDF.

Source item	Concept	Amount and period	Reason and review
Turnover	Revenue	SGD 400,000; year ended 30 June 2026; company	One-to-one; confirm the source and period.
Inventory S$60,000 and work in progress S$40,000	Inventories	SGD 100,000; 30 June 2026; company	Combined mapping: 60,000 + 40,000 = 100,000; explain the components in a footnote.

A mapping record should also identify comparative figures, currency and units, company or group, concept references, source pages and review points. The example is not a complete set of financial statements or an XBRL file.

Review even after validation

Compare current and prior periods, currency, units and signs; check company and group scope.
Reconcile assets, liabilities and equity, profits and cash flows to the source statements. Investigate differences without inventing figures.
Check that any required full-statement text block, online review copy and attachments are complete, legible and consistent with the approved statements.
Correct genuine errors or, if applicable, seek an ACRA exemption for a specific business rule. Investigate possible errors; correct mistakes and retain the rationale for confirmed exceptions.
Have the mapping, footnotes and final filing independently reviewed.

Automatic validation can identify some rule and formatting issues but cannot prove that accounting judgements or a filing are correct. This example has not been tested in BizFinx.

Official source: ACRA XBRL filing and support ↗

Preparation and filing process

Confirm the requirements and scopeCheck the company, financial year, financial statements and applicable template; agree responsibilities and the documents needed.
Prepare the mappingMap the approved financial statements to the applicable taxonomy and document significant judgements and footnotes.
Validate and reviewCheck the XBRL file and online review copy, resolve errors and reconcile the statements.
Confirm and fileAn authorised person follows the applicable BizFinx and Bizfile process; responsibilities are agreed before engagement.

ACRA released BizFinx Preparation Tool 4.0.1 on 19 October 2026; the transition must be completed by 30 November 2026. Check the current tool and rules before filing.

Official source: ACRA BizFinx Preparation Tool ↗

Documents needed for XBRL filing

Prepare the complete financial statements for the financial year and confirm the company and reporting details. Required attachments depend on the template and the company’s circumstances.

Financial statements and comparatives

Complete statements tabled at the AGM or circulated to members, preferably in editable Word or Excel format.
These generally include the directors’ statement, financial position, income, cash flow and changes in equity statements and notes, plus an auditor’s report where applicable.
Current and comparative figures and relevant notes or schedules supporting item classifications and breakdowns.

Company information and applicable attachments

Company name, UEN, financial year end, reporting currency and accounting standards; provide applicable company and consolidated statements for a group.
A directors-authorised PDF is also required for Simplified XBRL or applicable banks/insurance financial statements highlights.
Previous XBRL filings may be provided for reference where available; they are not mandatory for every company.
For an engagement, agree the filing authority and secure transfer method. Passwords and one-time codes are not needed.

Official sources: ACRA preparation and filing ↗ · Formats and attachments ↗

Are there penalties for not filing XBRL?

If a company must submit XBRL financial statements with its annual return but does not prepare them in time, this may affect timely completion of the annual return. ACRA charges a late lodgment penalty if the annual return is filed after its deadline.

Annual return up to 3 months lateS$300

For annual returns due on or after 14 January 2022.

Annual return more than 3 months lateS$600

For annual returns due on or after 14 January 2022.

These amounts are annual return late lodgment penalties; they are not a fixed penalty automatically charged for every missing XBRL filing. Depending on the circumstances, ACRA may take other enforcement action, including composition or prosecution. First check whether the company is required to file XBRL.

Official source: ACRA late annual return penalties and enforcement ↗

Service fees

ACRA XBRL financial statements filing service feeS$500

Confirm the service scope, document preparation and filing responsibilities before engagement.

Other possible feesTo be confirmed

Confirm any applicable government or third-party charges before engagement.

Frequently asked questions

Must every company file XBRL?

No. Check whether the company must file financial statements, then determine the applicable format. Some companies may file only PDF or be exempt when the conditions are met.

Can a company use Simplified XBRL if only one of revenue or assets is within S$500,000?

No. Both thresholds must be met, along with the non-public-accountability and other applicable conditions.

Does audit exemption mean financial statements need not be filed?

No. Audit exemption, preparation and filing obligations are separate questions.

Can an undisclosed item be entered as zero?

Not automatically. Check ACRA guidance and the applicable field and validation requirements; zero and undisclosed are different.

Can a possible error be ignored?

Investigate it first. Correct mistakes, and where the data is confirmed correct, follow the applicable process and record your reasoning.

What does the S$500 service fee cover?

Confirm the scope, financial statement preparation, filing responsibilities and any other charges with an adviser before engagement.

Need help with XBRL filing?

Tell us your company type, financial year and the support you need. Do not send passwords, verification codes or unnecessary personal information in an initial enquiry; agree on a secure method before sending financial statements.

Contact an adviser ↗