What is MBRS 2.0? How a Sdn Bhd lodges its financial statements with SSM
Financial statements now have to be converted to XBRL format and lodged with SSM through MBRS. You do not need to use the system yourself, but your books must be done first for every later step to go smoothly.
MBRS (Malaysian Business Reporting System) is the electronic filing system of SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia). A company's financial statements and Annual Return must be converted to XBRL format and lodged through MBRS. MBRS 2.0 became mandatory in stages from 1 December 2024, and by 1 June 2025 both audited and unaudited financial statements of Companies Act 2016 companies were covered. Lodgement is usually handled by a licensed company secretary. Your job as the owner is to keep the monthly books complete and reconciled to the bank, so the financial statements can be prepared on time.
- MBRS is SSM's electronic filing system, and financial statements must be lodged in XBRL format.
- From 1 December 2024: Annual Returns and unaudited financial statements of Companies Act 2016 companies became mandatory.
- From 1 June 2025: audited financial statements and reports of Companies Act 2016 companies were also included.
- Usual deadlines: circulate to shareholders within 6 months after the financial year end, then lodge with SSM within 30 days of circulation.
- Audit-exempt companies must also lodge unaudited financial statements.
Say you run a building materials trading company in Puchong, a Sdn Bhd with a financial year ending 31 December. In May, your company secretary messages you: "The financial statements need to be converted for MBRS. When can you send them to me?" You check and realise the auditor is still waiting for your missing documents from last year's fourth quarter. Until the statements are ready, MBRS just has to wait.
What is MBRS, and how is it different from lodging a PDF?
MBRS is the electronic system SSM uses to receive company filings. Its full name is the Malaysian Business Reporting System. It uses the XBRL format, which means every figure and line item in the financial statements is tagged according to SSM's standard taxonomy so the system can read it.
In the past, many companies lodged a formatted report document. Now they lodge "tagged data" that the system can compare and analyse directly. For owners, the biggest difference is that the figures in the statements must be consistent throughout. If the books and the statements do not match, the conversion gets stuck.
When did MBRS 2.0 become mandatory?
In November 2024, SSM announced that MBRS 2.0 would become mandatory in three stages, starting on 1 December 2024 and completed on 1 June 2025.
| Effective date | Scope |
|---|---|
| 1 December 2024 | Annual Returns and unaudited financial statements of Companies Act 2016 companies; financial statements of exempt private companies (EPC) |
| 1 March 2025 | Annual Returns and audited financial statements of Companies Act 1965 companies, financial institutions regulated by Bank Negara Malaysia, audited financial statements of foreign companies, and others |
| 1 June 2025 | Audited financial statements and reports of all Companies Act 2016 companies |
Sources: SSM, BDO Malaysia: MBRS 2.0
When must financial statements be lodged with SSM?
The usual sequence is: within 6 months after the financial year end, circulate the financial statements to shareholders; within 30 days of circulation, lodge them with SSM. For a company with a 31 December year end, the financial statements must be circulated to shareholders by 30 June of the following year at the latest, then lodged within 30 days.
The Annual Return is a separate filing based on the company's incorporation anniversary. It is generally lodged within 30 days from the anniversary date and has nothing to do with the financial year end.
Working backwards, the audit must be completed before the statements go to shareholders, and the audit has to wait until the books are done. So the real starting point is catching up on the last few months of bookkeeping as soon as possible after the financial year ends.
Sources: SSM, ASEAN Briefing: filing annual financial statements in Malaysia. Deadlines follow SSM's latest guidance.
Who prepares and lodges the MBRS files?
Lodgement with SSM is usually done by the licensed company secretary appointed by the company. Who does the XBRL conversion varies: some company secretaries do it themselves, while others pass it to the accountant or a specialist MBRS service provider.
You do not need to learn XBRL yourself, but it is best to ask three things first: who handles the conversion, how it is charged, and when they need the final version of your financial statements.
Monthly bookkeeping
Record documents, reconcile the bank, and keep the books up to date.
Year-end closing
Finalise the general ledger and trial balance, then pass them to the auditor or prepare unaudited financial statements.
Finalise the financial statements
Directors approve them and they are circulated to shareholders.
MBRS conversion and lodgement
The company secretary, or a service provider they appoint, converts them to XBRL and lodges them with SSM.
What can owners get right now?
When MBRS gets stuck, it is usually not the system. It is the steps before it: unfinished books, an unreconciled bank, or figures in the statements that do not match.
To make the yearly process smoother, start with these: send documents at a fixed time every month, reconcile the bank once a month, arrange year-end closing as soon as the financial year ends, and confirm early with your company secretary who will handle MBRS.
The same applies to audit-exempt companies. Under SSM's arrangements, unaudited financial statements must also be lodged through MBRS. For the detailed conditions, see can your company skip the audit.
This article is general information. MBRS scope, format requirements and deadlines follow SSM's latest announcements. MBRS conversion and lodgement are usually handled by the company secretary or a service provider they appoint; confirm the arrangement with your company secretary.
With your books in order, the year-end audit and MBRS will not be left waiting.
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BookKeeper editorial team · Published 2026-10-25 · last updated 2026-10-25
Regulatory details in this guide were checked against the official LHDN, SSM, KWSP, PERKESO and MySST websites. Rules change, so always follow the latest official announcements.Editorial policy
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Ask on WhatsAppWhat is MBRS?
MBRS (Malaysian Business Reporting System) is SSM's electronic filing system. A company's Annual Return, financial statements and related reports must be converted to XBRL format and lodged with SSM through MBRS.
Do audit-exempt companies also need to use MBRS?
Yes. Audit exemption only means you do not need an auditor. The company must still prepare unaudited financial statements and lodge them with SSM. Under SSM's MBRS 2.0 arrangements, unaudited financial statements of Companies Act 2016 companies have been mandatory since 1 December 2024.
Who prepares and lodges the MBRS files?
Lodgement with SSM is usually handled by the licensed company secretary appointed by the company. Conversion to XBRL may be done by the company secretary, by the accountant, or by a specialist MBRS service provider. Arrangements vary, so ask your company secretary first.
When must financial statements be lodged with SSM?
The usual practice is to circulate the financial statements to shareholders within 6 months after the financial year end, and lodge them with SSM within 30 days of circulation. The Annual Return is separate and is lodged within 30 days from the company's incorporation anniversary. Follow SSM's latest guidance for details.
How is bookkeeping related to MBRS?
MBRS is used to lodge financial statements, and financial statements come from your monthly books. If the books are incomplete or the bank is not reconciled, the financial statements cannot be prepared, and the audit, MBRS conversion and lodgement are all held up.
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