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To further the spreading and promoting of the knowledge of Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL),China Secretariat of XBRL (Aounting Division under the Ministry of Finance)launched the XBRL handbook prepared to introduce XBRL-related knowledge,principles and applications,for your reference.
China
eXtensible Business Reporting language
-What you should know about
From reading our Basics,you can:
·Know about the fuss of the popular XBRL in the aounting industry
·Have a general knowledge about the application of XBRL
If you are a professional in the aounting or puting business,after proceeding to our Advanced section,you can know more about
·Principles of XBRL’s operation
·Relevant information about the application of XBRL
ntents
01.Basics
01.What is XBRL
02.Advantages of XBRL
04.Solutions XBRL provides
06.XBRL in China
08.Application of XBRL worldwide
10.Advanced
10.Basic Principles of XBRL
14.Specifications
15.Relevant
15.mpliance Test
15.Inline XBRL
15.XBRL GL
16.XBRL International
16.XBRL China
Basics
What is XBRL
XBRL,or eXtensible Business Reporting Language,is a new electronic format for financial reporting.It provides an alternative that amends the inefficiency that es with nverting and using traditional electronic financial reports.
XBRL is:
A language that uses specific vocabulary and grammars to word and structure
financial reports in a way puters are able to “read”and “understand”.
A format that is more suitable for financial reports and provides an inparable alternative for saving and delivering financial reports to Microsoft Office Word,Excel,PDF and HTML formats.
A standard,a set of which XBRL is established upon,both technical and professional.XBRL realizes its advantages when XBRL and financial reports both abide to the standard.
rporates can produce financial reports in XBRL formats through XBRL software or the XBRL module in finance software.
A language
XBRL
A format
A standard
Advantages of XBRL
XBRL vs.Traditional Reports
Traditional financial reports are information written in words that are prehensible for human brains;whereas XBRL like a Quick Response de can be “read”by puters.
Traditional financial reports are like vehicles,the type of the carrier varies with
different ntents;whereas XBRL is built like trains that can be disassembled or extended to achieve multiple goals at the same time.
In pics:XBRL-Banks-Tax-Investors
mpared to traditional electronic financial reports,the most outstanding feature of XBRL is that files are produced by the puter based on working principles of aounting.
Elements
XBRL will disassemble the ntent of a financial report to elements of information (one element uld be a figure or a clause),each of which uld be extracted from the report for analysis.
Logics
XBRL does not only include information elements in its financial reports,but also depicts logics between elements,including articulation,hierarchical relations,orders of presentations in reporting and relations between tables.The puter can “understand”the ntent of the report based on these logical relations and then process intelligently.
Standards
The standardization of traditional file formats only takes to the technical level but has not touched the level of ntents,say,an universal standard for professional language.XBRL,on the other hand,has achieved such standardization:it defines mon elements in financial reporting (e.g.moary capital)so as to pare information from different rporates and in various systems.
Extendibility
XBRL can provide extended definition to original ntents aording to your needs.The extending will of urse not affect the original ntents.This will affiliate personalized demands while ensure the mon standards applied in financial reporting,in order to fulfill multiple requirements with one report.
Solutions XBRL provides
Duplicate entering
Many of us have e across this dilemma:we have found the report we want but not in the right format which,unfortunately,can not be nverted.This left only one choice that is to enter the information again.The duplication will rce efficiency and also is easy to make mistakes.
A XBRL format can be nverted to any format automatically.XBRL will produce information in elements and arrange them in aordant with orders of presentation and hierarchies.Thus information can be rearranged in any other format with the help of nverting software.
Duplicate reporting
Most rporates face a problem now is that they have to submit separate financial reports to departments like banks,taxation,security and audition.Though the ntents are mostly similar,departments have their specific yet different requirements.To make things worse,these departments will also ask for different formats.rporates in the end have to write multiple versions of reports.
XBRL can satisfy these various demands with just one report.As XBRL provides unified definitions for mon information and specialized extended ones to meet various demands,this would enable XBRL to deliver all information with one set of reporting.Departments can extract information they need within the report XBRL produced,in order to take the burden off rporates’shoulders.
Auto-analysis of financial reports
As traditional financial reports do not include logic relations at professional levels;therefore,for puters,financial reports make no differences from other documents.mputers do not know which files are financial reports and,of urse,will not process the ntents aording to professional logics of finances and aounting.This is when manpower has to be involved in the professional levels.
Based on professional logics in finances and aounting (relationships between elements)and definitions of mon elements,puters with the supports of XBRL are able to analyze historical data of rporates and automatically process auto focusworldwide,which will save the input of manpower and enhance efficiency.
Cross-system information exchange
A mon problem in the aounting business is that there is a barrier existed between information in different systems.For instance,data are stored in different systems where formats and definitions differ,as rporates normally do not have a unified system.Additionally,supervision divisions though possess financial information of a rporate,they can not share or pare this information due to they are often written in different formats or based on different definitions.The chaos in formats and definition all add up to sts on reporting for rporates and also create holes for supervision.
XBRL is a plain text file format that can be processed in any puter systems.Meanwhile,as XBRL has achieved standardization at professional levels,puter systems can process information in a XBRL file on the foundation of a unified definition and logics,which will avoid misinterpretations of data.Therefore,XBRL can work as a bridge that nnects systems to affiliate their information exchange.It uld improve munication and information sharing inside panies.
XBRL,in nclusion,can rce sts on production and use of aounting information,advance efficiency on data processing,explore in-depth use of information and improve the level of supervision in the society.
XBRL in China
The development of XBRL went through two phases:the use of securities regulatory departments and a more general purpose of taxonomy of standards.
The use in security regulation departments
In May 2002,China’s Securities Regulatory mmission chose XBRL as the standard format for releases in electronic version for listed panies.
Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2004trialed in 50listed panies in Shanghai to submit their abstracts for 2003annual reports in the XBRL format.Shanghai has required listed panies there to adopt XBRL format in quarter,interim and annual reports,both in full texts and abstracts.The public can look up full reports through SSE’s web ( )and make horizontal analysis among financial data in different panies from the same industry.
As such,all panies listed in Shenzhen stock market have realized to use XBRL to produce annual financial reports since January 2005.Shenzhen Stock Exchange also made a “XBRL Information Platform of Listed mpanies”to provide downloads for reports of their listed panies at a fixed interval,horizontal and vertical parison of financial data and files of case studies of some panies.
China’s Securities Regulatory mmission has also launched a program for funds to lease their information in XBRL format on January 2008.So far,all funds from funds management panies have adopted XBRL formats in their daily,quarterly,interim and annual reports on values.The mission also built a web for the release of funds information ( XBRL formats.
The Execution of General Purpose of Taxonomy
The Ministry of Finance together with Banking Regulatory mmission,Securities Regulatory mmission,Insurance Regulatory mmission,State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration mmission,National Audit Office,People’s Bank of China and State Administration of Tax established an aounting informatization mission and anization for XBRL in China on November 2008,which unveils a new phase for the use of XBRL and llaboration between institutions.XBRL China has opened its official web at (http://www.xbrl-)to promote the use of XBRL and tell the world about XBRL’s development and latest results in China.
The ministry released a general purpose of taxonomy of aounting standards (as of information for mon elements and unified definitions of logics between elements,please refer to our Advanced section).China’s standardization administration at the same time published a set of national standards for the operation of XBRL that is written with the lead of the Ministry of Finance.These two documents have symbolized the unified structure and regulations in China for XBRL.
Starting from 2011,the Ministry of Finance then started the execution of the taxonomy of standards.mpanies involved in the standards are required to hand in their annual financial reports in XBRL format to the authority.The standards have vered 18banks (including those listed),13SOEs,5insurance panies,and 169large firms in 34provinces,autonomous regions and cities in China.
The 13SOEs include:
10that apply to the general taxonomy of standards:
And 3that apply to the extended taxonomy in oil and gas industries of standards:
5insurance panies:
18banks:
The proportion of capitals in banks that apply to XBRL in China’s banking industry
71.43%18banks
28.57%others
Other supervision departments have also kicked off their use of taxonomy standards.Banking Regulatory mmission published the banking taxonomy standards on December 2011.The State-owned Assets Supervision has also launched the drafting of taxonomy standards for financial supervision in SOEs.The writing of taxonomy standards marks the start of ordinated application among China’s ernmental departments of XBRL.
Application of XBRL worldwide
With a relatively short history of less than two decades,XBRL has been widely used around the world since ernmental supervision departments,mercial institutions and some international anizations have launched various programs relating XBRL.XBRL will undoubtedly be the new international standard for electronic financial reports in the future.
International application of XBRL
• Standard Business Reporting Program in the herlands (SBR)
This program is jointly launched by the Ministry of Finance,Ministry of Security and Justice,Ministry of General Affairs and Ministry of Enomic Affairs,Agriculture and Innovation.
Before this program,rporates had to submit multiple versions of reports to departments with different ntents and departments worked independently to evaluate and examine the report.
With the help of this program,rporates will only hand in one report in XBRL format.Departments then can acquire data they need from this report automatically.
On one hand,Dutch rporates have relieved the previous 30to 40reports and rced their reporting elements from 200,000to 4,500.
On the other hand,departments are able to ordinate strengthen their llaboration -when any department detected a dangerous signal,others will also be notified.nsequently,rporates will be more prudent to financial reporting.
It is estimated that SBR has saved the herlands an approximately 350million euros in processing data and information on a yearly basis.
SBR has bee the only one legal format for ine tax declaration of both rporates and individuals since January 1,2013.Added-value taxes are also required in XBRL format starting from 2014.Other forms including taxation and annual budgets submitted to the Dutch Bureau of Statistics will use XBRL format in 2015.
• XBRL program in Singapore’s Aounting and rporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
ACRA is Singapore’s business registration authority.It requires that,from November,2007,both public offering and non-public offering panies should submit reports dated from April 30,2007in XBRL formats.
ACRA also launched a service from January 2010for a thorough usage of XBRL financial reports,that anyone can check and analyze XBRL financial reports from Singaporean panies with inter software Open Analytics.With this service,rporates are able to pare their performance with their unterparts and seek improvements.Banks can aess to the pany’s financial information to nduct credit rist assessments.Investors can sig for profitable potentials.Analysts also can monitor and analyze performance of any pany or industry.
ACRA also plans to provide free data analysis service every time rporates submit full XBRL financial reports,in order to deepen rporates’understanding of the system and realize its importance in business decision making.The service will demonstrate to the management their previous performance and analyze future trends.mparison with their unterparts in the same industry and other industries will also be available based on interactive forms.ACRA are actively municating with private sector for more analysis services on XBRL reports.
• Taxonomy program of the mmittee of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)
In the ntext of XBRL’s globalization,the International Aounting Standards mmittee Foundation (IASCF)has started the drafting of IFRS since 2002and formed a XBRL team in 2005,in a bid to promote a global use of IFRS.
The first draft of taxonomy for international financial reporting was released on November 2002for llecting opinions.Based on the bound version of 2002international financial reporting,IASCF published the 2008IFRS taxonomy on March 1,2008.IASCF also established a ordinated working model for writing and publishing the taxonomy:every year after the new IFRS is published,the XBRL team will start to work on the writing of the taxonomy for the next year.When the bound file of the new IFRS is published the next year,taxonomy that goes with it will then be released as well.
The IFRS taxonomy is widely used in untries that adopt IFRS,including Singapore,Denmark,South Korea,Japan,Israel,Australia,the herlands,Chile,South Africa,Spain,UK and Saudi Arabia.More untries are now thinking of adopting XBRL and IFRS taxonomy.
Other influential institutions that adopts XBRL:
• Electronic Data Gathering,Analysis,and Retrieval System (EDGAR)of the U.S.Securities and Exchange mmission
• Central Data Repository (CDR)of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination uncil (FFIEC)
• The Australian Standard Business Reporting
• The Electronic Disclosure for Investors’work (EFI)of Japan’s Financial Services Agency (FSA).
• rporates’pulsory online declaration and online payment of the UK’s HM Revenues and Customs (HMRC)
• The Eurofiling program of European Banking Authority
Advanced
Basic Principles of XBRL
XBRL is built on the basis of eXtensible Markup Language (XML)which marks elements in plain texts and standard formats.
<anization nature= “ernmental institution”>
<name>The Ministry of Finance, People’s Republic of China</name>
<address>3 Henansanxiang, Sanlihe, Xicheng District, Beijing</address>
<tel>
<de>010</de>
<number>6855-1114</number>
</tel>
</anization>
This part of XML de clearly states information of the Ministry of Finance and the logic relations between elements.The puter,for instance,is able to know that <de> and <number> are both subordinated to <tel>.
All information processing systems (including PC and mobile devices)are able to open and process files written in plain texts.Therefore,XBRL can be used in diverse information processing platforms to exchange information across platforms.
Specifications
XBRL uses the grammar of XML to mark information elements and logic relations between elements with “arcs”.This unified language and grammars of presentation and marking will enable XBRL applications to understand and process.
Specifications are standards that stipulate the use of words and grammars.XBRL regulations are written by XBRL International,aiming at the unification of language and grammars worldwide and the universal use of XBRL.The national specification of XBRL in China is written based on XBRL International’s standards.
Taxonomy
At professional levels,every XBRL application has a set of standard definitions for professional ncepts,including elements embedded in the reporting,the nature of the element (e.g.debit balances or credit balances,instant or duration)and relations between elements (e.g.articulation).This set of definitions is standards at professional levels (a data dictionary)which we call taxonomy.
Taxonomy is a set of XML files nsisting of Schema (defining elements and their natures)and Linkbase files (depicting relations between elements).Linkbase files include:
Definition Linkbase describes the defining relations between elements.For example,of those prising a table,which ones are lines,which are rows and which are subordinated to another.
Calculation Linkbase describes numerical relations between elements which would facilitate the puter to detect mistakes.
Presentation Linkbase describes sequence and hierarchy of presentation of elements in financial reporting.
Label Linkbase describes names (labels)of elements adopted in different circumstances.For instance,the element “nstruction in progress”respectively has a Chinese and English name in reports in both languages,while is called “opening balance”or “closing balance”in Statements of Changes,or “total”in Statements for nstruction Details.This then requires different labels.
Reference Linkbase describes specifications that disclosed elements rely on,for users to better understand the report.
XBRL’s “eXtensible”refers to the extensibility of taxonomy.In one application system,universal information is defined in basic taxonomy whereas localized or specialized information has an extended definition based on the general taxonomy.The extension will cite basic taxonomy and define elements and relations that are not vered in the basic taxonomy.The extended taxonomy can be further extended to satisfy more special reporting demands.
The general taxonomy published by the Ministry of Finance in October 2010is the basic taxonomy in China’s XBRL application system.On the foundation of the disclosure requirements for financial reporting in China’s rporates aounting standards,it defines universal elements generally used in financial reporting of panies.The ministry also has released extended taxonomy for gas,banking and other industries,based on the basic taxonomy,to fulfill special disclosure requirements of different industries.
XBRL’s taxonomy
Linkbase
Elements in Schema files
Instance documents
Instances documents are XML files prising actual data in financial reporting.Data in documents each have rresponding elements that are defined by schema files in taxonomies (one element might have multiple data limey opening and closing balance;or some elements may not have actual data like the name of a table.Also with other various reasons,elements are data do not necessarily have a one-to-one rrespondence).An instance together with its group of taxonomies is a full XBRL financial report.
Hence,XBRL financial reports do not only ntain data but also description of data (root data).That is what enables puter to intelligently process XBRL reports.
XBRL’s technical hierarchy
Specification-general taxonomy-extended taxonomy-instance
Examples in des
The following examples from taxonomies and instances will help you better understand principles of XBRL.
• Schema files
The two paragraphs of des on the right tell the puter that there are two elements in the report “other ine”and “fixed assets”and their properties are:
1. Both are of moary item type and therefore,are amounts in figures (if presented in characters,they will be written in words like the name of suppliers.There are also many other element types).
2. Other ine is an amount in a duration while fixed assets happen in an instant.
3. Other ine refers to the credit balance,and fixed assets as debit balance.
In this example,element,moaryItemType,duration,instant,credit and debit are all standard vocabulary of XBRL.The same structure both paragraph use is XBR:’s standard grammar.With standardization on language and grammar,the universal use of XBRL is guaranteed prehensible worldwide.
• Linkbase
Take Presentation Linkbase as an example,des on the right define an arc of presentation (presentationArc)(“arc”refers to relations.As shown on the right,people normally use a arc-shaped arrow to show relationships)The direction of the arc points from assets to current assets.The type of the arc is parent-child.The des have obviously shown the same relation as the picture below.
• Instance
The four paragraphs on the right rresponding with the above example in Schema files demonstrate amounts of elements “other ine”and “fixed assets”in financial reports.They give two numbers of duration for other ine in 2007and 2008,667,751.00and 1,056,647.00,respectively.As for fixed assets,instants in 2007and 2008are 441,098,286.00and 411,689,805.00,respectively.
Apart from the numbers,des will also tell puter their units and decimals,as the unit (unitRef)is Chinese currency Renminbi (Y)and the decimals (decimals)are 2digits after the point.
What we do need to point out is that the above interpretations of des are for readers to better understand XBRL.In real applications,the producing and analyzing of the des are nducted by softwares.Normal users will not deal with des in writing and using XBRL financial reports,but operate at an intelligent interface close to professional ncepts.The intelligent interface for users is also improving with the increasing use of XBRL.
China Aounting Standards (CAS)General Purpose Taxonomy
As CAS Taxonomy has rresponded with IFRS written by IASB,China’s general purpose taxonomy is an extension based on IFRS taxonomy and at the same time use the formula technology.
• Direct use of key elements in IFRS
The general taxonomy cites schema files of IFRS.As of ncepts (elements)that have been defined in the IFRS taxonomy and rrespond with Chinese aounting standards ,the general purpose will directly use the definitions.
• Standards by items
The anization of files of the general purpose will adopt standards by items -every standard will be assigned with one file.Definition linkbase,calculation linkbase,presentation link base and label linkbase will all be placed under rresponding files.The method will strengthen the uniformity between China’s aounting standards and the general purpose of taxonomy,which will facilitate the producing and development of taxonomies as well as aountants to understand and apply.
• Dimension to define of tables
XBRL provides two technologies for the definition of tables -tuple and dimension.Dimension is paratively new to tuple.Under dimension,same tables of different rporates can share one definition in basic taxonomies,which has better parability.Therefore,the dimension technology is widely used globally.Some projects also transfer from tuple to dimension after the latter is released.The general purpose will likewise use the dimension technology as IFRS taxonomies.
• The structure of the general purpose of the taxonomy
The general purpose of taxonomy is an electronic file package which is nsist of files of 4hierarchies.Its structure is show as follows:
Elements of International Financial Reporting Standards
Elements of Aounting Standards
Extended purpose of taxonomies
General entrance
Standard linkbase of the general purpose
Example:Rood directory -files -documents
Relevant
• mpliance test
The mpliance test of XBRL is run to examine whether XBRL applications are up to the standards of XBRL technology.
The basic testing method is to enter XBRL des and,after processed by the software,the result given will be pared to the technology standards.When the result rresponds with the standards,then the test is passed;otherwise,it is failed.There are also two types of tests:one is to test des entered are up to the standards,the result of which will be “affirmative”or “negative”.The other is to process des aording to directions and the results will be des processed.
Every standard of XBRL International has a testing package that includes des and estimated results.The package can run a thorough test to XBRL applications.
The Ministry of Finance and China’s Certification and Areditation Administration (CA)have established a testing system for XBRL software on November 2013.XBRL software will be tested by a different institution to see whether they apply to national standards.Both authorities also enurage rporate to use products that have passed that test.
• Inline XBRL
Inline XBRL (iXBRL)is a new technology of XBRL that integrated webs.XBRL International has published relevant standards for the new er.The new technology focuses on improvements to XBRL instance,that has included HTML as to people can read XBRL reports with an inter browser.The public,thanks to it,can also aess and use XBRL financial reports without professional softwares.
iXBRL has bined XBRL reports with traditional reports.We can see great potentials in it.The technology has been used in tax declarations in UK’s HMRC.
• XBRL GL
XBRL GL (Global Ledger)is a set of taxonomies made by XBRL International.Unlike other taxonomies,XBRL GL put its focuses inside a pany that describe financial information like receipts and lodgers an non-financial information.It is the taxonomy that rporates would like to use for aounting,financial management and other areas.
With the help of XBRL GL,rporates are able to keep a clear and detailed track of their data.An unified format can to applied to every layer of data,from basic receipts to the final draft of financial reports.It will also facilitate in-depth analysis of reports.XBRL GL can also serve as an agent for information exchanges inside the pany (an dictionary of information),so as to resolve munication between departments.
• XBRL International
Founded in April 2000,XBRL International is a non-profitable anization that is promise d of over 600multinational panies,associations and ernmental institutions.The anization aims to promote the global use of XBRL with a keen focus on the writing of universal standards for XBRL technologies.
International meetings will be held twice or three times every year,in order to promote and municate the latest results of XBRL application and discuss the future of XBRL.It is one of the most important event of XBRL.The 21st XBRL International nference was held in Beijing in October 2010,hosted by the Ministry of Finance and XBRL China,jointly.
Board of Directors (BOD)of XBRL International is elected by representative of members of the anization.Standards Board (XSB)and Best Practices Board (BPB)are subordinated to BOD,where several work teams are set up for specific projects like the writing of standards and certificates of taxonomies.XBRL International weles institutions,anizations and staff members from the world to bee part of it.For more information of XBRL International,please visit its web ().
• XBRL in China
XBRL China is a non-profitable and open munication platform for the promotion and application of XBRL.The anization is established in November 2008by the Ministry of Finance,together with together with Banking Regulatory mmission,Securities Regulatory mmission,Insurance Regulatory mmission,State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration mmission,National Audit Office,People’s Bank of China and State Administration of Tax.XBRL China became a member of XBRL International in April 2010.
The structure of the anization includes a directing mittee,a nsulting mittee,a execution mittee and a secretariat that locates in the Aounting Department of the Ministry of Finance (MOF).
XBRL China has been an active participant in international events of XBRL International,to build a munication platform for China and the world.Xi Yingwei,the Deputy Director of the Aounting Department of MOF and the President of the execution mittee of XBRL China is elected as a member of BOD in XBRL International and run for several terms in the BOD.
In October 2010,XBRL China took advantages of hosting the 21st International nference of XBRL and held press nferences for the release of the General Purpose of Taxonomy and the National Technological Standards of XBRL.nsequently,XBRL China has increased its importance and say in the international anization.
For further development,XBRL China weles professionals and experts in the industry to join our mittees and work teams.Applications can be submitted on our web.
For more information about XBRL,please visit XBRL China’s web:
http://www.xbrl-
校对：冯凌
中国会计视野2014年5月4日22：49发布，转载请注明来源和作者。
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