FRC launches discussion paper on future technical development of UK digital reporting taxonomies
News types: Consultation Announcement
Published: 7 November 2025
The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has today published a discussion paper on proposed technical changes to the UK XBRL Taxonomy Suite, inviting feedback from stakeholders across the digital reporting ecosystem.
The paper outlines a series of proposed architectural design changes aimed at improving the usability, scalability and technical integrity of Taxonomies. The FRC has been developing and maintaining UK taxonomies for over a decade, providing a framework for high-quality, consistent digital reporting that minimises burdens on businesses whilst supporting economic growth.
Key topics covered in the discussion paper include:
- Replacing fixed item types with extensible enumerations to align with modern XBRL standards
- Introducing formula linkbases to support automated validation and improve data quality
- Expanding the use of typed dimensions for greater flexibility and scalability
- Preventing cross-entry-point element usage to maintain taxonomy integrity
- Considering specific entry-points for micro-entity and small company filings
- Adopting accounting semantics arcroles to enhance data clarity and comparability
- Digitising charities receipts and payments accounts
The discussion paper seeks input from a wide range of stakeholders, including preparers of financial reports, software vendors, accountants, data users and regulators. It aims to help shape the future development of the UK Taxonomy Suite, ensuring it continues to meet the needs of all users whilst promoting transparency, comparability and efficiency in corporate reporting.
The FRC encourages all interested parties to submit their responses to [email protected] by 11 January 2026.