Digitizing International Financial Reports with iXBRL and the IFRS Taxonomy: The Case of the EU, U.S., and SAP SE

• In Event: Teaching, Learning and Curriculum 1

Abstract

This case enables students to investigate recent financial reporting mandates requiring EU and SEC IFRS filers to digitize financial reports using IFRS-based taxonomies and iXBRL.
EU filers, since January 2021, are mandated by ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) to file IFRS-based iXBRL financial reports, complying with ESEF (European Single Electronic Format). SEC IFRS filers follow similar specifications. Moreover, ESMA and the SEC, during 2021, completed transitions to XBRL’s enhanced format, iXBRL (inline XBRL), combining human-readable and machine-readable language into one document.

Student learning objectives include analyzing ESMA’s ESEF and SEC’s IFRS-iXBRL digitization developments. Furthermore, students evaluate German multinational SAP SE’s motivation for its IFRS-XBRL implementations. SAP SE, since 2005, files IFRS financials, and since 2009, creates IFRS-XBRL reports. Students also apply Corefiling’s Yeti Taxonomy Viewer and SEC’s EDGAR iXBRL Viewer to IFRS-based iXBRL mapping and analysis exercises.
The case is for Accounting Information Systems, International Accounting, and Accounting Analytics courses.
Keywords: XBRL, iXBRL, inline XBRL, ESMA, ESEF, IFRS, structured data, SAP SE

Authors

• Mark A Holtzblatt, Cleveland State University

• Kristine M Brands, United States Air Force Academy