The UK’s Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has issued a fresh review of structured digital reporting by UK listed companies, highlighting areas where “simple improvements” can improve the quality and usability of digital financial reporting.
In its report, ‘Structured Digital Reporting: Insights 2025/26’, the FRC assessed the 2024/25 annual reports of 30 companies, supported by wider market analysis and engagement with preparers, software providers and other stakeholders.
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The regulator said structured digital reporting is now firmly established, with most companies producing compliant and generally well‑organised submissions.
It also stressed that high‑quality structured data is becoming more important for UK capital markets as data‑driven analysis and AI tools gain prominence in investment decision‑making.
However, the review identified recurring problems that still limit the value of structured data for investors, regulators and other users.
According to the report, many of these issues are avoidable and could be reduced through stronger review, clearer responsibility for tagging decisions and better use of existing guidance and tools.
The FRC said that it continues to support structured reporting through the development and maintenance of UK taxonomies, guidance materials, preparer tools and targeted quality reviews, all informed by ongoing stakeholder input.
In a statement, the FRC said: “Looking ahead, the FRC will continue to focus on quality and judgement, ensuring that tags reflect the underlying accounting meaning, supported by robust review and clear ownership.
“Additionally, focus will be given to improving accessibility and usability through timely filing, and making structured reports easily available in formats that support user and AI consumption.”
Last month, the FRC issued final changes to two core UK auditing standards that set out auditors’ responsibilities when dealing with fraud and going concern.
