Custom XBRL integration development
Appfront builds integrations for XBRL, the standard for financial and other reporting in structured form. For submissions via Digipoort under the Dutch Taxonomy, see our SBR page. This page covers XBRL beyond that: annual reports in inline XBRL, reporting to supervisory authorities with their own taxonomies, and reading in XBRL documents from others, such as annual accounts for analysis.
What is an XBRL integration?
XBRL is a standard for recording reports, such as annual accounts, in structured form. Each figure is given a meaning according to a taxonomy, so software can read and compare it. In the Netherlands, XBRL is mainly known through SBR: submissions to the Tax Administration, the Chamber of Commerce and Statistics Netherlands via Digipoort under the Dutch Taxonomy. However, XBRL is also used elsewhere, with different taxonomies and different routes.
Listed companies in the EU publish their annual reports with figures tagged in inline XBRL. Financial institutions report to supervisors using their own taxonomies. And lenders and analysts want to ingest other companies' financial statements that are available as XBRL, rather than retyping figures from PDFs. Each of these situations needs an integration that builds or reads the correct XBRL.
We build custom software because XBRL differs per application: which taxonomy applies, which rules the recipient sets, which system the figures come from, or where the imported data needs to go. For submissions via Digipoort, there is our SBR integration. Which obligations apply to your reporting is something you determine with your accountant or adviser; we make sure the software produces or reads the right XBRL.
XBRL from your systems
Reports from your own systems converted to XBRL or inline XBRL under the applicable taxonomy.
Checked in advance
Validation against the taxonomy and the recipient's rules, so a report is not rejected.
Importing others' XBRL
Annual accounts and reports from other parties imported, with the figures immediately available for analysis.
How we build your XBRL integration
We start with your use case: are you creating or reading XBRL, which taxonomy applies, who is the recipient or source, and how things work today.
Whether you create or read, which taxonomy, which recipient or source, and your systems.
Converting figures from your systems into XBRL, or XBRL from others into your systems.
Validation against the taxonomy and rules, with clear error messages.
Testing with real reports, going live, and maintenance when new taxonomies arrive.
What an XBRL integration actually does
The components below come up in almost every XBRL integration. Which ones you need depends on your use case.
Taxonomies
The taxonomy that applies to your reporting, including versions.
Conversion
Converting figures from your systems into XBRL or inline XBRL.
Validation
Validation against the taxonomy and the recipient's rules.
Import
XBRL documents from others imported and parsed.
Analysis
Imported figures available for analysis and comparison.
Audit log
A log per document showing what was created or imported, and the result.
Who we build XBRL integrations for
This integration is for those who build or read XBRL outside the standard submissions via Digipoort.
Listed companies
An annual report with inline XBRL. Tagging the figures is the core task.
Financial institutions
Reporting to supervisory authorities. The taxonomy matters most here.
Lenders
Annual accounts from clients. Importing without retyping is what is needed.
Analysts and data providers
Many documents from others. Comparable figures are the core need.
Technology and integrations
This page covers XBRL outside submission via Digipoort. For submissions under the Dutch Taxonomy, see our page on SBR integration, for sustainability reports, our page on CSRD and ESG reporting, and for accountants, our page on accountancy software. You can read about our approach under building software.
Why Appfront for your XBRL integration?
A figure retyped from a PDF can be wrong, and a report that does not match the taxonomy gets rejected. We build on that: XBRL from your systems, validated upfront, and figures from others without retyping.
Fewer rejections
Validation upfront against taxonomy and rules.
No manual re-keying
Figures from others come directly from XBRL.
Ready for new versions
Taxonomies change; the integration keeps up.
Security and privacy in an XBRL integration
The integration handles financial data that is often confidential until it is published. Access is set up by role, and every document is logged.
The integration runs in a European data centre or in your own environment, with encrypted storage and daily backups.
Frequently asked questions about an XBRL integration
Questions finance teams and analysts ask before getting started.
XBRL is a standard for capturing reports, such as an annual account, in structured form. Each figure is given a meaning according to a taxonomy, so software can read and compare it.
SBR is the Dutch arrangement for submitting reports in XBRL to bodies such as the Tax Authority, the Chamber of Commerce and Statistics Netherlands, via Digipoort, under the Dutch Taxonomy. XBRL is the underlying standard, which is also used elsewhere. There is a separate page for SBR.
A format in which a human-readable document, such as an annual report, and the XBRL tagging of its figures sit in a single file. People read the document, software reads the figures. This means an annual report does not have to be produced twice: once to read and once for software.
Yes. XBRL documents, such as annual accounts, are imported and parsed according to the taxonomy, so the figures are immediately available for analysis without retyping from a PDF. Figures from different companies can be compared, because they share the same meaning under the taxonomy.
Yes. A report is checked against the taxonomy and the recipient's rules, with clear messages about anything that doesn't add up. An error is corrected before the report goes out, rather than after the recipient rejects it.
Taxonomies are updated regularly. In ongoing maintenance, we adapt the integration to new versions so your reports remain compliant and ingested documents are parsed correctly.
For organisations that produce or read XBRL outside the standard submission route, where their package doesn't offer a solution: listed companies, financial institutions, lenders and analysts.
Producing or reading XBRL without the hassle?
Tell us whether you build or read XBRL, which taxonomy applies, and from or to which system. We'll show you what the integration would look like.