GlossaryOdoo & ERP
What is iXBRL tagging?
iXBRL tagging is the process of marking up a company's accounts with standardised data tags so that HMRC's systems can read individual figures automatically rather than only as formatted text. HMRC requires accounts submitted alongside a CT600 to be in this tagged format rather than as a plain PDF or Word document.
In practice, in the UK
An iXBRL document looks like an ordinary set of accounts when opened and read, but underneath the formatting each relevant figure — turnover, profit, tax charge, and many more — carries a hidden tag identifying what it represents according to a standard taxonomy. This lets HMRC’s systems extract and check figures automatically across large numbers of submissions, rather than relying on someone reading each set of accounts individually. Producing a correctly tagged document from scratch by hand is impractical for most businesses, which is why tagging is almost always done through specialist software or a filing service rather than as a manual exercise layered onto finished accounts.
In Odoo
Odoo does not produce iXBRL-tagged accounts itself, since tagging sits within specialist accounts-production or tax-filing software designed specifically for that output. What Odoo needs to supply is a trial balance and set of accounts clean enough that the tagging software’s mapping to the taxonomy is straightforward, rather than requiring manual reclassification before tagging can even begin.
Common mistakes
- Assuming any exported PDF of the accounts will satisfy HMRC’s filing requirement.
- Leaving account codes unmapped or inconsistently used, which complicates automatic tagging later.
- Treating tagging as a final formality rather than a step that can surface classification errors worth fixing first.
These definitions are for guidance and do not replace professional advice. Each entry carries its last-updated date. Filing deadlines are not listed here: they change every year.