1 min readBlockingBank of England taxonomy 2.2.0Updated 11 November 2026

Balance sheet and own funds: a value must not be more than another (IR.02.01, IR.23.01, Bank of England rule IR_bv0493_01)

A blocking check on the balance sheet (IR.02.01) and own funds (IR.23.01) templates, in the annual solo (ARS) return.

The rule in plain words

The item "Own shares (held directly)" reported in template Balance sheet (IR.02.01) should be equal or lower than the amount reported in template Own funds (IR.23.01) as "Own shares (held directly and indirectly)"

The headline gives only the template and the kind of check, because the rule is too long to say in a headline. The plain words above say all of it.

What to do if your return fails it

  1. 01Open the tables below and find the cells the rule reads.
  2. 02Compare the values in your return. If the first is bigger than it may be, one of them is wrong: check both before you change either.
  3. 03It runs only when your filing indicators mark IR.02.01 and IR.23.01 as reported.
  4. 04This is a blocking check. A return that fails it is normally rejected, so fix it before you submit.

The cells it reads

Balance sheet (IR.02.01.01.01)

Row

  • R0390Own shares (held directly)

Column

  • C0010Solvency II value

Own funds: reconciliation reserve (IR.23.01.01.02)

Row

  • R0710Own shares (held directly and indirectly)

Column

  • C0060c

Which returns it applies to

Line4 Check runs it on annual solo (ARS) return on Bank of England taxonomy 2.2.0. The Bank of England applies it to annual solo (ARS) returns, as a blocking check.

The Bank’s own words and formula

In the Bank of England’s list of validations, word for word:

The item "Own shares (held directly)" reported in template IR.02.01 - Balance sheet should be equal or lower than the amount reported in template IR.23.01 - Own funds as "Own shares (held directly and indirectly)".
Show the formulaShow

The Bank of England's formula. Cells are written as {t: table, r: row, c: column}.

{t: IR.02.01.01.01, r: R0390, c: C0010} <= {t: IR.23.01.01.02, r: R0710, c: C0060, z: Z0001}

Every Solvency UK rule on IR.02.01

Checks like this one, run at the point of submission, are the first step to real-time supervision. Line4 builds SupTech software for financial regulators that runs checks like these as each return arrives.