Archive for the ‘Center for Data Quality’ Category

Preparing for the iXBRL Mandate – 2019 & Beyond

Friday, November 15th, 2019

RDG is one of the largest filers of iXBRL documents with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Below are some details that we hope will shed some light for you regarding the iXBRL mandate.

What is iXBRL?:

iXBRL is short for Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language. It is essentially a hybrid of your EDGAR & XBRL documents:   HTML + XBRL = iXBRL

Why iXBRL?:

Potential benefits the SEC has outlined regarding the move to iXBRL:

  • Gives the preparer full control over the presentation of XBRL disclosures within the HTML filing.
  • Helps eliminate inconsistencies between HTML and XBRL filings and improve the quality of the data.
  • Enhance the usability of disclosures (already tagged in XBRL) for reviewers and investors who no longer have to view the XBRL data separately from the EDGAR document.

When do you begin filing in iXBRL?

Filers will be required to file with iXBRL with their first Form 10-Q filed for a fiscal period ending on or after:

  • Large accelerated filers that use U.S. GAAP will be required to comply beginning with fiscal periods ending on or after June 15, 2019.
  • Accelerated filers that use U.S. GAAP will be required to comply beginning with fiscal periods ending on or after June 15, 2020.
  • All other filers will be required to comply beginning with fiscal periods ending on or after June 15, 2021.

To review the notes from our June 2019 Webinar on iXBRL implementation, please click here.

What’s a Dimension?

Tuesday, February 27th, 2018

A dimension is a term used in XBRL very often, yet many struggle to understand what dimensions are in XBRL tagging. RDG is hoping to help clarify what exactly a dimension is. We will also have a follow-up post about proper use and placement of dimensions.

Dimensions are used in XBRL to add depth to particular numeric values that can’t be fully expressed using only the US-GAAP concept alone. Dimensional tagging is needed when facts need additional context applied beyond the concept and date.

Dimensions consist of two parts: “Axes” and “Members”. The Axis of the dimension acting as an umbrella for a category of items, and the Member describing the specific item.

For example, the Property, Plant, and Equipment table will have most of the line items tagged with the same US-GAAP concept, even when each line item clearly represents a different category of PP&E. So, to add the necessary depth and to distinguish each line item from the other line items, a dimension would be added.

In this case, the axis “Property, Plant and Equipment, Type [Axis]” would be added to each line item along with a “Member” such as “Land (Member) or Building (Member)”. Most of the time, the US-GAAP taxonomy’s structure will dictate how and when dimensions are used. The SEC has stated that it would prefer the pre-defined dimension schedules to be utilized when possible, but it does allow for the creation of unique dimensions if they are needed.

Another example of the use of dimensions is in The Statement of Changes in Equity. The Statement of Changes in Equity differs from the other main financial statements in that each line item is separated into constituent values that amount to the total in the final column. To differentiate the constituent values in each column, a dimension is applied to each of the facts in addition to the concepts and dates. This is done by adding an Axis and Member to the particular fact.

See example below:

Why did my XBRL tagging change from the last filing?

Tuesday, January 16th, 2018

One of the common questions we receive regarding XBRL tagging is, “Why did the tagging of the document change this period when compared to a previous filing?” This is a great question, with two short answers.

The first reason is that RDG Filings is consistently working to improve the quality of XBRL tagging on a quarterly basis to be consistent with the latest US-GAAP taxonomy and to remain in line with evolving industry standards.

The second is that the US-GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy is updated on an annual basis by FASB. This may or may not result in tagging changes in your document depending on which areas of the taxonomy are adjusted. These changes usually result in updates to best practices, style-guides , and Accounting Standards adjustments by FASB, AICPA and XBRL-US.

Typically, the taxonomy changes are released by FASB in the fourth quarter of the calendar year, but are not supported by the SEC’s EDGAR System until after the first calendar quarter of the next year, so most updates to tagging happen between the end of the first calendar quarter and the filing of any XBRL documents filed after that point.

Our role at RDG is to make sure all of our clients documents are in line with the most recent EDGAR and XBRL guidelines as well as best practices.  When tagging changes are necessary, we will point out what changes were made using our interactive ThunderDome XBRL Viewer.

We are proud of the fact that our XBRL data quality is at the top (99th percentile) of our industry quarter after quarter. There are only a few filing agents that can claim such consistency. The effort of improving XBRL data quality is why RDG Filings was one of the founding members of the XBRL.us Center for Data Quality and why quality and version control of your documents is our main objective.

RDG Filings is Honored to be a Founding Member of the XBRL US Center for Data Quality

Friday, June 26th, 2015

Since the inception of the XBRL mandate, RDG has strived to set the standard for XBRL data quality, and we are proud to be among the leaders in the XBRL community.  That is why—along with Merrill, RR Donnelley, Vintage-a division of PR Newswire, and Workiva—RDG Filings is delighted to be a Founding Member of the XBRL US Center for Data Quality.

The formation of the Center for Data Quality—announced yesterday—is the culmination of months of work by the XBRL US, the Founding Members, and many more people to whom we are grateful.

The Founding Members provide XBRL tagging services and software to a majority of public companies, and they have come together in shared commitment to the importance of improving the quality of the XBRL data that is filed with the SEC.

The advent of the XBRL mandate has been a tremendous improvement to the existing HTML/EDGAR format, and XBRL has become the worldwide standard for the reporting and analysis of financial information.  However, the full benefits and potential of XBRL have not yet been realized because much of the XBRL currently filed with the SEC contains errors and inconsistencies.  As a direct result of valid concerns about its accuracy and reliability, investors and analysts have been reluctant to utilize the available XBRL data.

The XBRL US Center for Data Quality believes that the errors and inconsistencies currently restraining XBRL’s true potential are primarily the result of:

  • Absence of unambiguous guidance for using the US GAAP taxonomy
  • Lack of corporate awareness of errors in their filings

Investors, analysts, the SEC, and the market in general will benefit greatly from the utilization of XBRL data, and RDG Filings is happy to join forces with other leaders in the XBRL community to ensure that the quality and utility of the data improves dramatically.  The Data Quality Committee will develop:

  • Guidance to provide for uniform, consistent tagging of financial data and to clarify those specific circumstances where custom tags are appropriate
  • Automated validation rules to detect input errors and verify compliance with the Committee’s guidance

RDG Filings agrees with Barry Melancon, CEO of the American Institute of CPAs, and Chair of the XBRL US Board of Directors, when he says that in order to “realize the full economic benefit of XBRL, investors and other consumers must have access to accurate and reliable XBRL data.”  Melancon applauded the formation of the Center for Data Quality as an “industry-funded initiative” that will “make it substantially easier for companies to create consistent, good quality financial statements in XBRL format.”

RDG Filings—along with the other Founding Members of the XBRL US Center for Data Quality—has always made a commitment to creating quality code that is of the greatest value and utility for analysts and investors.  There is a “clear demand for timely, structured, machine-readable data,” and we are excited about the work the Center will do to fulfill the potential that XBRL holds for public companies and the investment community.

Feel free to contact me any time.

Stewart Walker – SVP, Director of Sales

(415) 643-6017