# TRSuite 26.02 - CRS Hong Kong
*Source: TRSuite_26.02_UsersGuide_Module_CRS_HK.docx - TRSuite 26.02, published September 2026. Generated with word/tools/docx_to_md.py.*
TAX REPORTING SUITE
CRS
Hong Kong
VERSION 26.02
USERS’S MANUAL
Published: Sep 2026
For the latest information and to leave feedback, please visit BRIFS GmbH at [http://www.section11.ch](http://www.section11.ch) or [https://www.trsuite.ch](https://www.trsuite.ch)
The information in this document and any document referenced herein is provided for informational purposes only, is provided AS IS AND WITH ALL FAULTS and cannot be understood as substituting for customized service and information that might be developed by BRIFS GmbH for a particular user based upon that user’s particular environment. RELIANCE UPON THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY DOCUMENT REFERENCED HEREIN IS AT THE USER’S OWN RISK.
© 2026 BRIFS GmbH. All rights reserved.
Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places and events depicted herein are fictitious, and no association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred.
BRIFS GMBH PROVIDES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT AND ANY DOCUMENT REFERENCED HEREIN. BRIFS GmbH provides no warranty and makes no representation that the information provided in this document or any document referenced herein is suitable or appropriate for any situation, and BRIFS GmbH cannot be held liable for any claim or damage of any kind that users of this document or any document referenced herein may suffer. Your retention of and/or use of this document and/or any document referenced herein constitutes your acceptance of these terms and conditions. If you do not accept these terms and conditions, BRIFS GmbH does not provide you with any right to use any part of this document or any document referenced herein.
Complying with the applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of BRIFS GmbH.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
## Revision History
| **Product Version** | **Document Version** | **Revision Date** | **Description** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1712 | Rev 0 | 20.12.2017 | Initial Release |
| 1802 | Rev 1 | 27.02.2018 | Performance improvements |
| 1803 | Rev 2 | 21.03.2018 | Minor fixes
Adding data to existing report |
| 1807 | Rev 3 | 31.07.2018 | Work item file type introduced |
| 1812 | Rev 4 | 17.12.2018 | No changes |
| 1902 | Rev 5 | 11.02.2019 | No changes |
| 1911 | Rev 6 | 07.11.2019 | No changes |
| 20.01 | Rev 7 | 20.01.2020 | [https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/12-trsuite-release-notes-version-20-01](https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/12-trsuite-release-notes-version-20-01) |
| 20.02 | Rev 8 | 24.02.2020 | No changes |
| 20.11 | Rev 9 | 24.11.2020 | [https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/17-trsuite-release-notes-version-20-11](https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/17-trsuite-release-notes-version-20-11) |
| 21.01 | Rev 10 | 01.02.2021 | [https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/18-trsuite-release-notes-version-21-01](https://www.easycrs.ch/index.php/8-trsuite/18-trsuite-release-notes-version-21-01) |
| 26.02 | Rev 11 | 06.09.2026 | https://www.trsuite.ch/trsuite/ReleaseNotes/RELEASE_NOTES_26.02.en.html |
## The Main Window
The Main window is the launch point for the entire application. You can select the licensed module in the modules button bar and perform the module specific tasks within main area of the module.
Each module comes with its own module menu and detail area.Modules Button Bar – shows all available modules of the software.Modules Button Bar – shows all available modules of the software.
Module Menu – module specific menu optionsModule Menu – module specific menu options
Menu optionsMenu options
Module Details Area – includes general information and details for the selected moduleModule Details Area – includes general information and details for the selected moduleModule Main Area – the main working area of a module, where all module specific tasks can be executedModule Main Area – the main working area of a module, where all module specific tasks can be executed
## CRS HK: Overview
This guide provides information about the Hong Kong specific extension of the CRS module of the TRSuite software package. It describes processes and procedures for importing and exporting CRS OECD XML 2.0 files compatible with the Hong Kong schema extensions.
A note on the amended CRS, state as of September 2026. TRSuite writes the Hong Kong Financial Account Information Return XML Schema version 2.0. That is the version the Inland Revenue Department has required for data files since 1 January 2021 and the only one it publishes. For the amended CRS - the OECD CRS XML Schema 3.0 - Hong Kong has not published a schema, a user guide or an updated Data Preparation Tool yet (as of September 2026), and the legal basis is still before the Legislative Council: the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework and Amended Common Reporting Standard) Bill 2026 was gazetted on 22 May 2026 and read a first time on 3 June 2026. Under that bill the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework takes effect on 1 January 2027 and the amended CRS on 1 January 2028.
The Hong Kong part of TRSuite will be extended as soon as the Inland Revenue Department publishes the technical specification; until then this guide describes reporting under schema version 2.0. Please check https://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/aeoi/schema.htm for the current schema and user guide before you file, and contact support@section11.ch if you need the amended format.
This document may describe features and capabilities that requires a separate license and are not covered by the standard license. For information about licensing please contact support@section11.ch
The CRS module includes the following:
- General Info Tab
- Account Holder List
- Configuration
This document will help explain how each option functions.
The screenshots throughout the USER’s MANUAL are produced on Windows 11 using the Windows Look and Feel.
In addition to this Users Guide, the following online resources may be useful:
- Hong Kong IRD AEOI portal
[http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/dta_aeoi.htm](http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/dta_aeoi.htm)
- OECD AEOI portal
http://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/common-reporting-standard/
- The Common Reporting Standard
[http://www.oecd.org/ctp/exchange-of-tax-information/standard-for-automatic-exchange-of-financial-account-information-for-tax-matters-9789264216525-en.htm](http://www.oecd.org/ctp/exchange-of-tax-information/standard-for-automatic-exchange-of-financial-account-information-for-tax-matters-9789264216525-en.htm)
- The CRS XML Schema User Guide
[http://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/common-reporting-standard/schema-and-user-guide/#d.en.345315](http://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/common-reporting-standard/schema-and-user-guide/#d.en.345315)
### Reference
The following information is used to generate a Hong Kong CRS XML compliant document ([http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/aeoi/schema.htm](http://www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/aeoi/schema.htm)). Before filing a CRS Report, please ensure that you are familiar with your country specific Guidance Notes.
### CRS Menu Items
The CRS menu includes the following elements
| **Menu Options** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| Open … | Once you’ve saved a document, you may want to access it again to make changes or correct it out. From the menu, choose “**Open …”**
An ‘Open’ dialogue box will pop up. From this, find your way to the folder in which your document is saved. Folders are shown down the left-hand side of the dialogue box.
Once you’ve located your document and clicked on it to select it, its name will be shown in the ‘File name’ box at the bottom of the dialogue box.
Click **Open, t**he document will then be opened. |
| Save | From the menu, choose “Save” to save the current work.
A ‘Save’ dialogue box will come up, if pressed the first time. At the top and at the left-hand side in the list of folder options, it will show the folder where you’ll be saving the document. If you wish to change this folder, navigate through the folders on the left-hand side of the dialogue box to choose the one where you want to save your document.
Type a name for your document in the ‘File name’ box. Come up with a name that is concise but will allow you to find the document easily again.
Once you have typed in the name of your document, click Save
Your document will now have a name, which will be shown at the right file info screen. If you make changes to your document and then save them after it has been saved originally, the dialogue box will not come up again. It will just save your changes without any visual notification being shown. |
| Save As … | 
The ‘Save As’ menu is used to save an existing document under another name. This is helpful if you’ve made changes to your document and then want to save the changes, but also keep the original document in its original format and under its original name. |
| Export HK CRS XML … | The “Export HK CRS XML” method persists the current CRS report to the user selected path.
The same functionality is provided by the according button in the General Form Info Tab
 |
| Load HK CRS XML … | Loads the user selected CRS OECS XML file. All current values are replaced. |
| Import Excel … | Loads the user selected CRS-TRSuite-Excel file. Existing values in the CRS main area will be replaced. |
| Add Data … | Allows to concatenate account reports from different data sources (XML or XLMS).
Hint: When adding data from a file, only the account and reporting FI is imported, no additional sender information |
| Reset Form | The Reset Form menu resets the values of all elements in the CRS main area. |
| Reset All Doc Ref IDs | This menu item generates new document reference IDs for all elements within the current CRSOECD report. |
| Validate Form | The same functionality is provided by the according button in the General Form Info Tab
 |
### Common UI Objects
#### Invalid Fields
Some text fields expect specific values or formatted text, e.g. GIIN- or date-fields. If an invalid value/format is entered the text fields is marked red:
#### CLEAR Buttons
A CLEAR-button resets the values of all elements in the according logical region.
#### POP-OVER Buttons
If a button is colored with a blue background, more data is available. The black background indicates an empty data set.
#### Update Document or Message References IDs
As the document reference ID is depending on the Country-Specific rules, there is the possibility to update the document reference IDs if required, for instance after changing the IN. Either update each single ID by pressing the ADD button for the specific field or updating all IDs by choosing the Form8966 menu item „Reset All Document Reference IDs”.
#### CLEAR Lists
Table views like the Pool or Account Holder List have a separate menu to clear their content. By pressing the CLEAR LIST menu item all elements from the table are removed.
#### Data Validation
Entered data is continuously validated. If the data is not complete (all mandatory fields filled) or in a wrong format the warning symbol is displayed next to the affected section label.
If the section is complete and correct, the green checkbox symbol is shown next to the label.
#### File Information
After a file is loaded or saved, the information about the file (name, last modified, absolute path) is displayed in the status pane of the detail area. The full path can be seen in the tooltip.
#### Default Values
Whenever an empty Country Code or Currency Code field is selected by the user, the default value as defined within the configuration tab is entered.
#### Address
The Address_Type allows free text input of the address for any individual or organization Included in the report (e.g., reporting FI, account holder, substantial owner). There are two available options, AddressFree or AddressFix with supplemental optional AddressFree. AddressFix should be used for all OECD reporting; however, you may select AddressFree to enter the data in a less structured format.
This data element allows free text input of the address for the individual or organization. AddressFree should only be used if the data cannot be presented in the AddressFix format and the sender cannot define the various parts of the address.
- The address shall be presented as one string of bytes, blank, slash (/) or carriage return line feed used as a delimiter between parts of the address.
- AddressFree can be used as a supplemental element after the AddresFix element and when the AdressFix format is selected for address.
The Fix Address element allows input in fixed format for the address for the individual or organization.
- Enter the address and if additional information is needed, use the supplemental AddressFree element. In this case, the city, sub entity, and postal code information should be entered in the appropriate data elements.
- All elements are optional, except the City element which is required for schema validation.
#### IN/TIN-List
This data element identifies the receiving tax administration Identification Number (T/IN) for the individual account holder or substantial owner and the attribute identifies the jurisdiction that issued the TIN. For FATCA reporting a blank issuedBy attribute field will be assumed to indicate the issuing jurisdiction is the United States (US). In this case, only the text field needs to be entered.
In case of different issuedBy jurisdiction or multiple IN/TINs the IN/TIN List allows input of those.
HK TIN Format verified against the following regular expression: [A-Z]{2}[0-9]{5}
### General Info Tab
The General Form Info contains all information to identify the message. Information in the message header identifies the FI that is sending the message. It specifies the Name of the FI, when the message was created, what period (normally a year) the report is for, and the nature of the report (i.e. new or corrected data).
The values are validated in real time and an indication next to the label gives immediate feedback, if the section is complete and valid.
A message reference ID is automatically generated, when the report is saved. The timestamp of the message cannot be modified and is generated, whenever the file is saved.
Furthermore, some statistics about the current report are displayed and the data can be validated and exported.
#### Statistics
The statistics section gives a brief overview about the number of accounts, the sum of all account balances (ignoring different currencies) and the number of different residence country codes. The tooltip of the countries gauge shows a list of the countries.
#### Validation Checks
Before exporting data, it is recommended to validate the entered values by pressing the “Validate CRS” button. Following validations are performed by the application:
- If all mandatory fields are set, e.g. address and message reference ID
- If valid IN/TINs are entered
- If the reporting period format is correct
- If all mandatory fields are set, e.g. address and message reference ID
- If the entered country codes are valid
- Country specific business rules (as defined in the Configuration Tab)
Examples for country specific business rules TRSuite could check on record-level:
- Account Balance >= $0
- Account closed => amount must be set to 0
- Address validation, at minimum one type is entered and fix address contains at least City/Town field
- Country Code set for Sponsor/Intermediary
- Date of Birth format validation
- Name of reporting FI provided
- Account Holder name provided
- Account number is entered
If invalid content is found, a detailed error message is displayed. Error reports are now displayed in a non-modal (non-blocking) window and can kept open while the errors are corrected. Furthermore, the list can be exported for later reference. The supported export format is XLS.
#### Generate Document Reference IDs
Compared to FATCA reporting the generation of a document reference ID is not always straight forward as different jurisdictions define their own rules. The rules can depend on different data, the user needs to enter, before a valid ID can be generated. E.g. reporting period, receiving country code or reporting FI IN.
Therefore, it is a good practice to 1st enter the required data and as a last step, before the validation use the provided functionality to generate all document reference IDs by pressing the “Generate DocRefIDs” button.
### Account Holder List
The account holder list tab contains detailed information on the accounts or payments required to be reported. The account report contains the account holder, account balance and other related account information as specified in the schema definition.
The entered values are continuously evaluated and errors are reported in the details text are on the lower left side. The account holder can be added to the account report list by pressing the now enabled “ADD TO LIST” button. Selecting the entry in the list let you change and update the account holder data.
If data is changed, but not updated before selecting another entry or create a new one the following notification pops up:
Pressing “OK” applies the changes and updates the item.
A single entry in the list can be removed or duplicated by right-clicking the according entry and selecting the remove menu option from the displayed context menu.
The whole list can be cleared by selecting the “CLEAR LIST” menu option.
#### Payments
This data element provides account data on certain payments made to an account, payee, or owner. More than one payment type may be reported. The entered values are continuously evaluated and once all mandatory fields are filled with valid data, the payment data can be added to the payments list by pressing the now enabled “ADD” button. Selecting the entry in the list let you change and update the payment data.
A single entry in the list can be removed by right-clicking the according entry and selecting the remove menu option from the displayed context menu. The whole list can be cleared by pressing the “CLEAR LIST” button.
#### Controlling Person List
Only available, if the account holder is an organization. If the account holder is an individual, the “Controlling Person” button is not visible.
This data element identifies certain owners of the account holder or payee. The entered values are continuously evaluated and once all mandatory fields are filled with valid data, the controlling person can be added to the list by pressing the now enabled “ADD” button. Selecting the entry in the list let you change and update the controlling person.
A single entry in the list can be removed by right-clicking the according entry and selecting the remove menu option from the displayed context menu. The whole list can be cleared by pressing the “CLEAR LIST” button.
#### Search Account Holder
Within the account reporting dialog, it is possible to search for an existing account holder. Pressing the “Search”-Button opens the search dialog:
- Enter the search term
- Press the “SEARCH”-Button
- Select the matching result entry and
- Press “Select” to display the accountholder or “Cancel” to discard the search result
Following fields are taken into consideration for the search:
- Account number
- Document Reference ID
- TIN
- Name, if organization
- Last Name, if individual
- First Name, if individual
- Name of organization
If you require any other field, please contact: [support@section11.ch](mailto:support@section11.ch)
After selecting the according account holder from the list, the dialog can be closed. The selected entity is display within the account holder tab.
### CRS Configuration
TRSuite Version 1706 introduces the support of configurable excel templates to import data into the solution. Each template requires its own configuration sheet. The TRSuite HK module comes with a pre-defined configuration/template.
For the 1st time configuration, select the provided (or your own) configuration file (1) and select the configuration sheet matching the excel template you want to use for import (2).
113322
The “Generate Empty Template” button (3) enables the user to generate an empty excel template based on the selected configuration sheet. This is typically used, to verify the template, if you customize the configuration sheet.
The customization is described in more detail later in the loading and importing data chapter.
#### CRS Common Configuration
Default values for the working directory
11
- The default working directory, where all generated artifacts are stored.
#### Configuration Button Bar
- **“Load”** You can open existing configuration files by pressing the Load-Button. In the dialog box browse to select a document and click “Open” to load the document.
- **“Save as …”** Saves the current configuration in a different location, or with a different file name or file type. Opens a file chooser dialog to let you browse to the location where you want to save the document.
- “**Save**” Saves the current configuration to the last selected file or default location. The data is stored within an XML-File and automatically available the next time you start the program. If there are unsaved changes the save-button is colored green.
- “**Reset**” loads the last saved configuration and overwrites all unsaved changes.
- By pressing the “**Validate**”-Button the tool loads the given keys, validates the entered data and shows the result of the validation within a popup window.
#### File Information
After a configuration is loaded or saved, the information about the file (name, last modified, absolute path) is displayed in the status pane of the detail area. The full path can be seen in the tooltip.
## Loading and Importing Data
TRSuite supports different methods to import/add date to generate an OECD XML 2.0 compliant file:
- Use the provided Excel templates
- Generate and configure your own Excel template
- Input the data interactively over the User Interface
- OECD XML 2.0 files
- Request a customized importer fitting your company needs (csv, xml, …)
Once the data is entered, TRSuite transforms the data into a OECD 1.0 XML file. Additional modules are available to generate country specific reporting formats, such as Austria, Germany, Hong Kong.
The following workflow should guide you, what import method to choose.
### Import HK CRS XML File
The “Load HK CRS XML …” option of the module menu allows the user to load existing HK CRS reports. Existing data in the module is cleared.
Choosing the load option opens a file selection dialog and a valid HK CRSXML 2.0 file can be selected for import.
### Excel Import
The most commonly used function to load data into TRSuite is to use the provided or a customized Excel template. The following chapter describes the required configuration and import process.
Data Entry and Validation in the Template
The delivered workbooks contain macros that help you to fill them in correctly before the import. Excel blocks macros in a file downloaded from the internet, so confirm the security prompt when you open the workbook for the first time; without it the two buttons described below do nothing.
"New Entry" - also on the keyboard as Ctrl+Shift+N - opens an entry form for the list sheet you are on. The form is not a fixed mask: it is built when you open it, from the field identifiers and the column headings of that sheet, so it always matches the workbook you are working in. Coded fields are offered as drop-down lists, which spares you looking codes up. "Save" writes the entry into the first free row of the sheet.
#### "Check Data" examines the entered data against the rules of the schema. Findings are marked orange in the cell, and the reason is written into the "Check Result" column at the end of the row; a message box reports how many were found. Running the check again clears the previous findings first, so the sheet never accumulates old marks. The following is examined:
- Mandatory fields on the General sheet and on both list sheets
- The CRS 3.0 fields - self-certification, due diligence procedure and account type - in the workbooks that contain them
- Code values: account number type, account holder type, controlling person type and the country and currency codes
- Amounts: not negative and with at most two decimal places, as the schema requires
- Dates, either as a real date or as text in the form YYYY-MM-DD
- Maximum field lengths
- Payments: type, amount and currency belong together and are checked as a set
- Controlling persons: an entry is either complete or absent, never half filled
- Document reference IDs: if one row carries one, every row has to; a corrected document reference ID is required for a correction or deletion and has to be empty otherwise
The check is a help before the import, not a replacement for it. TRSuite validates the report again after the import, against the schema and against the rules of the selected jurisdiction, and only that result decides whether the report can be filed.
#### HK CRS Excel-Template Configuration
Before an excel template can be imported the application needs to know how to map the spreadsheet data to the HK CRS format. This can be achieved by loading a so-called data dictionary and selecting the right configuration sheet for your purpose.
A standard data dictionary and template is delivered with the product.
Each possible HK CRS entity has its TRSuite Field ID. This is the key used to map data from the excel sheet to the XML format. The following example show the mapping of the MessageSpec_Type element.
The relevant columns next to the ID are:
- Used:
- yes->the field is loaded during the import
- no->the field is ignored
- Sheet: data sheet holding the value
- Column: Column of the data field
- Row: Row of the data field (in case of a multi-line field this is the 1st row)
- Multi-Line:
- no->this is a single data entry
- yes->this field occurs multiple times
**Example 1:** Single Field reporting FI name:
**Example 2:** Multi-Line, Multi-Sheet field Reporting FI Name
This field is located in two sheets. In this case the Sheet/Column and Row cell holds multiple values using the minus character as separator.
#### Import XLSM to generate HK CRS XML
The “Import Excel …” option of the CRS menu allows the user to load data from our provided excel templates. Any existing data in the module is cleared.
Selecting the load option opens a file chooser dialog, enabling the user to select a filled excel file. The file it is then analyzed and all available data is displayed in the CRS main area. Errors or warnings are displayed in the details area and a dialog.
The provided Excel template is available for download at: [http://www.section11.ch/downloads.html](http://www.section11.ch/downloads.html)
Extract the zip file to a local directory an extract the content. The file contains 6 different sheets to enter the required data:
| **Sheet** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| Disclaimer | Disclaimer and Copyright Information |
| Overview | Short description of the document |
| General | General Information: Message and Filer Information |
| Individuals_List | Individual Account Holders (multiple individual accounts entry) |
| Organisations_List | Organizational Account Holders (multiple entity accounts entry) |
| Reference Data | List of values used in drop-down lists (for your reference only) |
##### General
##### Individuals List
##### Organizations (non-natural persons) List
#### Add data to current report
The “Add …” option of the CRS menu allows the user to concatenate account reports from different XML- or XLSM-sources. Existing data in the module is **NOT** cleared.
Selecting the add option opens the following selection dialog:
A file chooser opens, enabling the user to select a filled excel or XML-file. The file it is then analyzed and all available account- and reporting FI data is added to the existing data. Errors or warnings are displayed in the details area and a dialog.
## Appendix
### Export control information
This distribution includes cryptographic software. The country in which you currently reside may have restrictions on the import, possession, use, and/or re-export to another country, of encryption software. BEFORE using any encryption software, please check your country's laws, regulations and policies concerning the import, possession, or use, and re-export of encryption software, to see if this is permitted. See http://www.wassenaar.org/ for more information.
TRSuite uses the Java Cryptography Architecture (JCA) and the Bouncy Castle libraries for handling de-/encryption.