Finding the Correct Tags

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How do I know if I have selected the correct tag?

It is extremely important that any applied tags are accurate as software may not be able to compensate for errors in the same way that a human reader could. Whether you use the autotagger feature or find the tag using the filter, companies are responsible for making sure that their reports are correctly tagged and that they are correct from an accounting perspective. Companies should talk to their auditors about the degree of checking and assurance auditors are able to give.

There are several questions you can use to help you determine if you have selected the right tag:

      • Does the tag's IAS/IFRS reference accurately represent the accounting meaning of the cell?
      • Is it the right type of tag? Labels that end with [abstract] or [member] would not be
        correct for a line item.
      • Does it have the right period type (i.e. duration or instant)?
      • Does it have the right data type (e.g. monetary, shares, per share, decimal, string, textblock etc.)
      • Does it have the correct balance (i.e. debit or credit)?

You can find answers to most of these questions in the Tagger. Select a tag in the right-hand taxonomy panel and use the Properties, Concepts, Labels or References tabs for more information.

If you can't find an appropriate tag, you may need to create an extension.

If you are still unsure, we recommend you talk with your auditor.

Does it make a difference which folder the tag is in?

It does not. In the Tagger, the taxonomy is organised into folders labelled with the names of the individual financial statements. These folders contain some of the appropriate tags for those statements in a logical hierarchy. However, these folders represent a human-readable view of all the available tags and are only intended to help users locate and identify tags in the taxonomy. You may not necessarily find all the tags you need in the folder that matches your statement’s name and can also check the Notes folders.

Additionally, some tags may even appear in multiple folders in this view because they may typically be reported in different positions in accounts. Wherever you take the tag from, you will always need to check the label, balance, datatype, period and the Reference of the tag to ensure that it matches the accounting principle you are trying to report.

Checking preparer-set attributes

For every tag you apply, you need to make sure that the preparer-set attributes are correct. As an example, the Consolidated Income Statement has some line items reported in millions of pounds, but also some shares which are reported in pence. We would need to double check the scale of the shares tags to make sure they are reported correctly. It would be the difference between each share being reported as 47p or £47 million.

Once you have applied a tag, there are several questions you should ask to make sure the tag’s attributes are correct:

      • Does it have the right scale value (i.e. how many zeroes are added after the number)? Is
        this number being reported in millions, thousands, pence, or as a percentage?
      • Does it have the right decimal value (i.e. how the number is rounded)?
      • Does it have the right date range?

You can find answers to all of these questions in the Tagger. Select a cell in your table and use the Table Cell Properties tab to review this information.

If you are still unsure, we recommend we talk with your auditor.

Example 1 - Use the filter

The taxonomy filter lets you search the taxonomy for matching tags (Video tutorial).

The following examples explain how to use the filter's advanced features for more accurate results.

Example 2 - Use the filter to find the technical name

You can search for tags using the computer-readable technical name of the tag and ticking the Technical name filter option. Please be aware that these are written without spaces. For example, CostOfSales will work, but Cost of Sales will not. This is very helpful if you know the specific technical name of the tag you want to apply.

Example 3 - Use the filter to find all member/table tags

You can search for table tags or members using the filter. Type [abstract] for table tags or [member] for members for a complete list of available table tags and members.

Example 4 - Use the filter to find tags by type

You can search for tags of a specific type (e.g. Monetary, Decimal, Share, String, Textblock etc.). This is very helpful if you are looking for a specific type of tag and want to filter out tag types that would not apply. For example, if we search for Cost of Sales there are monetary and text block tag types available. We can use this feature to filter out the text block tags.

Example 5 - Use external resources (e.g. the IFRS or ESEF taxonomy documentation)

The IFRS and ESEF documentation may help you find out more information about which tag you might want to apply in a specific situation. Click the links below to be taken to this external documentation:

Q&A

Can the tagger tell me if I have applied the correct tag?

No,  you must check that every line item in your report is tagger with the correct tag that matches the accounting principle you are trying to report. 

How do I find out more information about the tag I have selected?

Either click the tag in the taxonomy, or select a cell and click the tag name in the Tags tab in the lower left-hand corner. Use the Properties, Concepts, Labels or References tabs on the lower right-hand side for more information about the selected tag.

Can I add multiple tags to a cell?

You can only apply one tag to a cell and you must tag every cell with a number in it, even if the number is – or zero. If you cannot find a core taxonomy tag that accurately describes the line
items or member you are trying to tag you will need to create an extension and anchor it to the core taxonomy. You can add as many anchors as you needed to accurately describe the extension but the cell itself will be tagged with the single extension tag you created.

Can I use the filter with European letters (e.g. Å, Ê, Ö)?

Yes you can.