Block tagging the notes to the financial statements

This article deals with block tagging the notes to the financial statements.  Block tagging differs from individual tagging as required in the primary statements in that it consists of applying a single text tag to encompass an entire disclosure note or accounting policy that could span multiple pages.

Please note that current guidance states that this will only be a requirement for accounting periods starting 1 January 2022 or later.  Therefore most companies will file their first ESEF account without the need to block tag the notes to the financial statements.

Finding the appropriate tag

In Step 2, we discussed the process of finding tags for manual tagging by using the stems of keywords in any order.  To refine your search for accounting policies or notes to the annual financial statements it helps to be familiar with the naming convention adopted in the ESEF taxonomy.  For example:

• All accounting policies begin with "Description of accounting policy for..."
• All notes to the AFS begin with "Disclosure of..."

Therefore, if block tagging the accounting policies, it helps to have the text string "Description of accounting policy for " in your clipboard, and when pasted, you can simply add the stems of the keywords - for example, the following search phrase:

"Description of accounting policy for prog const"

...exactly finds the tag "Description of accounting policy for construction in progress [text block]" 

When searching for a note to the AFS - have "Disclosure of " in your clipboard and just add the stems of the keywords.

Applying the text tag

A text tag can be applied in many ways:

1. The tag can be dragged and dropped onto the word to be tagged.
2. The tag can be dragged and dropped onto a paragraph whilst holding Ctrl in order to tag the entire paragraph.
3. The tag can be dragged and dropped onto a report selection which will tag the entire selection.
4. A selection can be made and the Insert Object(s) button clicked (or keyboard shortcut Ctrl+t pressed).

Here is a short video demonstrating how to block tag an accounting policy.

Some block tags need to be placed over large sections of the report.  If this is the case, rather than drawing a selection over the entire area which may take a long time, it is easier to click at the start of the tag, then scroll to where the tag should end, hold shift and click at the end.  Select the block tag, drag it onto the selection or press Ctrl + t.

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