Building an SBR integration
Appfront builds SBR integrations for accountancy firms, software vendors and organisations that want to submit reports digitally to government or banks. Standard Business Reporting is the Dutch standard for exchanging financial messages, using XBRL as the format and the Dutch Taxonomy as the dictionary. We build the integration that prepares and validates messages, sends them via Digipoort or another channel, and shows the status and any errors back to you. So returns and reports come straight from your own system, with no retyping into a portal.
What is an SBR integration?
SBR, Standard Business Reporting, is the arrangement in the Netherlands for exchanging financial data digitally and in a standardised way. Messages are prepared in XBRL under the Dutch Taxonomy and submitted via Digipoort to the Tax Authority, the Chamber of Commerce and other government bodies. Banks use SBR for credit reporting. An SBR integration lets your software prepare and send those messages itself.
Without an integration, it takes a detour. An accountant exports figures, enters them into another package or portal, and submits from there. A software vendor has its clients file manually through the Tax Authority's website. Errors come back by email or on another screen, separate from the administration. And with every new version of the taxonomy, someone has to work out what has changed.
We build custom integrations because they need to match your software and your messages: which message types you submit, which accounting system the data comes from, whether you submit directly via Digipoort or through a service provider, how you handle certificates and authorisations, and how your users want to see the status. The taxonomy and Digipoort are standards; how they fit into your own process is the work.
Messages from your system
Tax returns and reports prepared from the data in your own accounts, following the correct version of the taxonomy.
Validated before submission
Checks against the taxonomy rules before sending, so a message is not rejected by the recipient later on.
Status per message
Receipt, processing and any errors from the recipient returned to your software, linked to the message and the client.
How we build your SBR integration
We start with your messages: which types, how many, from which accounting system, and how they are currently submitted.
Your message types and recipients, the source of the data, the submission channel, and certificates and authorisations.
Messages prepared according to the correct taxonomy from your data, with validation before submission.
Submission via Digipoort or your service provider, handling of status and error messages, and a log per message.
Testing in the test environment, going live per message type, and management when new taxonomy versions are released.
What an SBR integration does in practice
The components below feature in almost every SBR integration. Which ones you need depends on your message types.
Taxonomy
Messages prepared according to the Dutch Taxonomy, with the correct version per message type and period.
Data from your system
Amounts and data from your accounts linked to the elements of the message.
Validation
Checks against the taxonomy rules and the recipient's requirements before sending.
Submission
Sending via Digipoort with a PKIoverheid certificate, or through a service provider.
Status and errors
Receipt confirmations, processing results and error messages returned to the relevant message.
Audit log
For each message: what was sent, when, by whom and with what result.
Who we build an SBR integration for
The integration is intended for those who want to submit SBR messages from their own software.
Accountants
Tax returns and annual accounts for many clients. The status per message and per client is the core.
Software suppliers
Bookkeeping or payroll software that needs to support SBR. The taxonomy and testing matter most.
In-house financial systems
An organisation that wants to submit directly. Submission via Digipoort is what is needed.
Credit reporting
Businesses and advisers who report to banks. The messages for banks are the core.
Technology and integrations
This page is about SBR messages. For accountancy firm software, see our page on accountancy software; for a portal for accountants' clients, our page on an accountant portal; and for bookkeeping integrations, our page on an Exact Online integration. You can read about our way of working at software development.
For XBRL outside Digipoort, such as inline XBRL and reports to supervisory authorities, see our page on an XBRL integration.
Why choose Appfront for your SBR integration?
A return that never arrives has consequences for the client. That is what we build around: messages from your own system, validated before submission, and a status you can always see.
No manual re-keying
Messages come from your own accounts. Nobody types figures into a portal.
Fewer rejections
Validation beforehand catches most errors. Anything that is still rejected is visible straight away.
Ready for new versions
The taxonomy changes periodically. Managing the integration keeps your messages up to date.
Security and privacy in an SBR integration
The integration processes financial data and taxpayer data, which is highly confidential. Certificates are stored securely and used only by the integration. Access is set up by role, and every message is logged with name and time.
The integration runs in a European data centre or in your own environment, with encrypted storage, daily back-ups and two-factor login.
Frequently Asked Questions About an SBR Integration
Questions that accountants and software suppliers ask before getting started.
Standard Business Reporting is the Dutch standard for the digital exchange of financial data, using XBRL as the format and the Dutch Taxonomy as its dictionary. It is used for, among other things, tax returns, filing annual accounts and reporting to banks for credit purposes.
Digipoort is the government facility through which messages from businesses reach, among others, the Tax Authority and the Chamber of Commerce. A direct connection requires a PKIoverheid certificate.
It doesn't have to be. You can also submit through a service provider who handles the connection for you. Which route suits you depends on the number of messages and your own preferences; we'll look at that in the first step.
The message types supported by the Dutch Taxonomy, such as tax returns, annual accounts and credit reports. We will build the types you need.
New versions are published periodically. We maintain the integration so that your messages are prepared according to the correct version.
The integration processes the acknowledgement of receipt and the status notifications from the recipient, and displays them with the message. An error message is returned with the reason.
Check that first. Many accounting packages submit tax returns via SBR, and that is enough if you work with them. Custom development makes sense if you have your own software, if you need message types your package does not offer, or if you, as a supplier, want to include SBR in your product.
SBR messages directly from your own software?
Tell us which messages you submit, from which software and through which channel. We will show you what drafting, validating and submitting look like.