XBRL Filing Requirements: What Singapore Companies Need to Know
Most companies incorporated in Singapore must file their financial statements with ACRA in XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language) format, a machine-readable standard that lets regulators extract and compare financial data automatically, rather than reading a scanned PDF.
Understanding whether XBRL applies to your company, which template to use, and the latest tool requirements is an important part of staying compliant with your annual filing obligations.
Who Must File in XBRL?
All Singapore-incorporated companies limited or unlimited by shares that are required to file financial statements with ACRA must do so in XBRL format, unless a specific exemption applies.
Exempt Categories
Dormant companies
Companies that are dormant under the Companies Act are exempt from filing financial statements and therefore do not file XBRL.
Solvent Exempt Private Companies (EPCs)
Private companies with no more than 20 shareholders, none of which is a corporation, that are solvent. These file a solvency declaration instead of full financial statements. An EPC that becomes insolvent loses this exemption and must file in Full XBRL.
Foreign branch offices (not locally incorporated) generally file their home-country financials and are not required to submit XBRL to ACRA.
Which XBRL Template Applies?
There are three filing formats. Which one applies depends on your company's size and nature:
Simplified XBRL
For smaller, non-publicly-accountable companies. To qualify, both revenue and total assets for the current financial year must each be S$500,000 or less.
Note: This S$500,000 threshold is specific to XBRL eligibility: it is a different test from the S$10 million revenue threshold used for the small company audit exemption. Do not conflate the two.
Full XBRL
Required for public companies, insolvent private companies, and any company that does not qualify for the Simplified XBRL template. Full XBRL covers all four primary financial statements plus notes to the accounts.
Financial Statements Highlights (FSH)
A small subset of companies file a PDF copy of their financial statements together with XBRL Financial Highlights only, a reduced set of data tags rather than a fully tagged set of statements.
| Company Type | Required Format |
|---|---|
| Dormant company | Exempt: no financial statements required |
| Solvent EPC (≤20 shareholders, no corporate shareholders) | Exempt: solvency declaration only |
| Non-publicly-accountable, revenue & assets both ≤ S$500K | Simplified XBRL |
| Public company, insolvent private company, or above S$500K thresholds | Full XBRL |
| Certain specified company types | Financial Statements Highlights + PDF |
Filing Tool: BizFinx Preparation Tool v4.0
XBRL financial statements are prepared using ACRA's BizFinx Preparation Tool. Since 25 February 2026, ACRA requires the use of BizFinx Preparation Tool v4.0 for current filings, following a transition deadline of 15 April 2026.
Version Summary
- v4.0: required for all current XBRL filings from 25 February 2026
- v3.4.1: available only for correcting earlier filings via a Notice of Error; not for new submissions
When to File
XBRL financial statements must be filed alongside your Annual Return, once accounts are finalised, signed, and dated. There is no separate XBRL deadline: the timing follows the Annual Return deadline (7 months after the financial year end for private companies, 5 months for listed companies).
Do not file against draft accounts. Filing XBRL against unfinished or unsigned accounts risks having to refile, which requires a Notice of Error and additional work. Ensure accounts are fully finalised before submission.
Need help with XBRL filing?
Adpeco Integrated Services prepares and files XBRL financial statements as part of our corporate secretarial and accounting services, using the current ACRA taxonomy and BizFinx tools. Contact us to keep your filings compliant and on schedule.