Singapore XBRL Filing: Templates, BizFinx and How to File (2026)

Filing financial statements in XBRL is part of the annual return process, not a separate filing. All Singapore-incorporated companies must prepare financial statements, except dormant relevant companies, and must file them with ACRA unless they are exempt. Anything you file as part of your annual return is then available for public purchase, so accuracy matters. The starting requirements are on the ACRA XBRL filing page and the ACRA filing requirements and exemptions page.

Two categories are fully exempt from filing financial statements.

Dormant relevant companies

A dormant relevant company does not need to prepare or file financial statements if it meets all the conditions under section 201A of the Companies Act. The main conditions are a substantial assets test, where total assets at any time during the financial year did not exceed S$500,000 (or consolidated total assets if the company is a parent), the company having been dormant from formation or from the end of the previous financial year with no significant accounting transactions, and the company not being a listed company or a subsidiary of one.

Solvent exempt private companies

A solvent exempt private company (EPC) does not need to file financial statements, although it can choose to file voluntarily. An EPC is a company with fewer than 20 members where no corporation holds a beneficial interest in its shares, directly or indirectly, or a private company owned by the Government and declared an EPC by Gazette. Solvent means the company can meet its debts as and when they are due, and you make an online declaration of solvency when you file your annual return.

If your company is not in either exempt category, the next question is which template you file, which depends on your company type and size.

The BizFinx Preparation Tool is the free desktop tool most companies use to prepare and validate their XBRL financial statements before filing. Since 25 February 2026, the current version is v4.0, built on ACRA Taxonomy 2026 v1.0. Because the 15 April 2026 transition deadline has passed, v4.0 is the required version for current filings. ACRA still keeps the older version 3.4.1 available for one narrow case: correcting errors on financial statements prepared under v3.4 or earlier, through a Notice of Error filing. The full instructions are on the ACRA ways to prepare and file page.

Step 1, Download the tool

Download the free BizFinx Preparation Tool v4.0 from ACRA. It runs locally on Windows.

Step 2, Retrieve your AGM financial statements

The tool treats your annual general meeting financial statements as the source document. They can be in Word or Excel format. For Full XBRL templates, you also submit your full set of financial statements in a single text block element; make sure that text block is legible, complete, and identical to the financial statements tabled at your AGM, because it is converted to PDF, attached to your annual return, and made public.

Step 3, Map line items to the ACRA taxonomy

Map your financial statement line items to the ACRA taxonomy and complete all the tabs in the template. Leave a field blank only where the information is not disclosed in your AGM financial statements. The ACRA taxonomy mapping page explains how the elements are organised.

Step 4, Validate offline

Run the tool's validation once all tabs are complete. It flags two kinds of issue. Genuine errors must be fixed before filing, unless your figures are correct and you apply for an exemption from a specific rule. Possible errors are warnings: if your data is correct, you can acknowledge them and proceed. The time this takes depends on the size and complexity of your financial statements rather than any fixed processing time.

Step 5, Upload to the BizFinx server

Use the Validate and Upload feature to send your XBRL data to the BizFinx server. Remember the 14-day window above.

Step 6, Confirm and upload

Tick the checkbox to confirm the XBRL data is correct, then acknowledge and upload. A confirmation message tells you the upload succeeded. The XBRL is now staged for your annual return.

ACRA gives you three routes to prepare your XBRL financial statements and file them as part of your annual return. They differ in cost, control, and how much you do yourself.

Path A, BizFinx Preparation Tool, do it yourself

Use the BizFinx Preparation Tool to prepare and validate, then file through BizFile+. If you have several XBRL files, the BizFinx Multi-Upload Tool handles them together. This path is free; the trade-off is that you do your own taxonomy mapping and validation.

Path B, Approved accounting software, Seamless Filing

If your accounting software is on ACRA's Seamless Filing list, you can prepare and file your annual return directly from the software. The current list of supported software is on the approved accounting software list (PDF, ACRA). One important limit: Seamless Filing currently supports Simplified XBRL only, so it suits smaller and non-publicly accountable companies, not those that must file Full XBRL.

Path C, Engage a corporate service provider

You can engage a corporate service provider (CSP) to prepare and file your XBRL financial statements for you. This is the paid option, and turnaround varies by provider, but it removes the mapping and validation burden entirely. If you are weighing this route, you can compare Singapore accounting and corporate service providers that include XBRL preparation in their service.

ACRA builds specific business rules into BizFinx, for example to ensure comparative periods are included. If validation flags a genuine error that you cannot fix because your financial statements are actually correct, you can apply for an exemption from that rule. The framework is on the ACRA applying for exemptions page.

What you prepare

You need a completed exemption request form, your company's signed AGM financial statements, and your XBRL file. The form is the XBRL exemption request form.

Cost and timing

The exemption is free. ACRA's published processing time is three to seven working days, depending on the complexity of your case.

How to apply and what happens next

Email your form and attachments to ACRA at acra_xbrl_application@acra.gov.sg, as set out on the ACRA applying for exemptions page. After ACRA processes your request, validate your XBRL file again and check your online validation results. You can then upload to BizFinx if the validation shows possible errors only.

XBRL is not filed on its own. It is uploaded to the BizFinx server and then filed as part of your annual return through BizFile+. That means the XBRL deadline is effectively your annual return deadline.

The annual return deadline

Non-listed companies must file their annual return within 7 months after their financial year end; listed companies have 5 months. So a non-listed company with a 31 December financial year end files its annual return by 31 July of the following year. The official rules are on the ACRA annual return filing page.

Late filing penalties

If you file the annual return after the due date, ACRA applies a late lodgment penalty automatically: S$300 if you file within 3 months after the due date, and S$600 if you file more than 3 months after. The penalty is applied at the point of lodgment in BizFile+. Persistent non-filing can lead to further enforcement, including action against directors.

Sequencing with your tax calendar

The annual return sits alongside your tax filings, not in place of them. Your ECI is due within 3 months of your financial year end and your corporate tax return is due by 30 November. If you want the corporate tax side of the calendar, our Singapore corporate tax filing guide covers Form C, C-S, and C-S (Lite). Lining these up early is what keeps the XBRL upload from becoming a last-minute scramble.

1. Choosing the wrong template. Filing Full XBRL when you qualify for Simplified, or the reverse, means re-mapping the whole set, often under deadline pressure. Confirm your company type and the smaller-company test before you start.
2. Confusing the S$500,000 smaller-company test with the audit exemption threshold. The Simplified XBRL test is revenue and total assets each at S$500,000 or below; the small company audit exemption uses a S$10 million revenue threshold. They are different tests.
3. Uploading to BizFinx too early. The server holds your upload for only 14 days. If your annual return is not filed within that window, you upload again.
4. Running the wrong BizFinx version for the job. Since the 15 April 2026 transition, v4.0 is required for current filings and validates against the current taxonomy. The older v3.4.1 is kept only for correcting earlier filings through a Notice of Error, so do not prepare a current filing in it.
5. Treating validation warnings as blockers, or ignoring genuine errors. Possible errors can be acknowledged and passed if your data is correct; genuine errors must be fixed or covered by an exemption.
6. Applying for an exemption for the wrong reason. Exemptions are for genuine errors you cannot fix, not for time pressure or template preference.
7. Forgetting that the Full XBRL text block is public. The full set of financial statements you submit in the text block is converted to PDF and made publicly available, so it must match what was tabled at your AGM.