A business’s chart of accounts is a simple list of its financial accounts thatbecomes a kind of blueprint or roadmap reflecting the business’s financialarchitecture. If that architecture is really well-thought-out — in alignment withthe finances of the business — a chart of accounts will be a key reference toolthat helps make financial analyses easier to achieve.
Whether or not its leaders are familiar with financial principles, any small businessready to grow to the next level will find a chart of accounts a necessary tool.
What Is a Chart of Accounts (COA)?
At the highest level, a chart of accounts is a list of all the financial accounts on a company’s generalledger, which is the central record of all the business’s transactionswithin an accounting period.
A chart of accounts assigns an alphanumeric code to each account, and that code is whatenables subsequent reporting and analysis. In this way, the chart of accounts can be atool to help business managers run their companies effectively by helping to produceaccurate and timely financial reports for owners and investors.
Key Takeaways
- A chart of accounts is a business’s list of financial accounts, reflecting thestructure of the company’s balance sheet and income statement.
- Detailed chart of accounts categories are individual to the business and set bymanagement.
- Once established, it’s best never to change a chart of accounts. But sincebusinesses operate in the real world, it’s important to think through changescarefully when needed.
Chart of Accounts Explained
Every business should have three principal financial statements: a balance sheet, anincome statement — the formal name for what many people call “theP&L”, or profit and loss statement — and a cash flow statement. Only the balance sheet and income statementaccounts are reflected on the chart of accounts.
Note that in this case, “accounts” are the finance equivalents of folders incomputer storage, used for tracking purposes — not literal bank accounts.
Because balance sheets and income statements are based on accounts that are all listed onit, the chart of accounts is a catalog that reflects the entirety of a business’sfinances. It separates revenue, expenses, assets, liabilities and equity into differentaccounts. This separate tracking gives managers a better understanding of where money iscoming into and going out of the business on a day-to-day basis.
How Charts of Accounts (COA) Work
There are two high-level categories on a chart of accounts: balance sheet accounts, whichrecord the company’s assets, debts and net worth, and income statement accounts,which record income from all sources as well as expenditures. Balance sheet accountsfeed into the company’s balance sheet, and income accounts feed into thecompany’s income statement.
Balance sheet accounts are subdivided into three groups: asset accounts, which record allvaluable resources the company owns; liability accounts, which record all thecompany’s debts; and equity accounts, which represent the value left in thebusiness after liabilities have been subtracted from assets.
Income accounts are subdivided into two groups: revenue accounts, which record thecompany’s income from all sources, and expense accounts, which record all thecompany’s expenditures.
Within each of these groups are lines representing individual account types. Each lineincludes a brief description of the account’s transaction type, such as asset orliability; the account type it belongs to; and a unique code. And, each line on a chartof accounts represents an account in the company’s general ledger.
What Is Included in a Chart of Accounts?
A chart of accounts includes line items for every account in a business’s generalledger, which records transaction activity related to nearly everything the companyowns, everything it owes and the equity belonging to its owners or shareholders. It isthus a complete reference to where of the company’s finances are recorded.
However, exactly what lines a company has in its chart of accounts is a managementdecision and depends on the nature of its business and how it is financed. For example,asset accounts might include unsold inventory for a shop, intellectual property for adesign company or, for a large conglomerate, accounting goodwill from its acquisitions.
The lines in a chart of accounts can be related to each other. For example, a companythat is financed principally with debt will have liability accounts for its debts andexpense accounts for the interest payments arising from those debts.
Categories on the Chart of Account
Most charts of accounts have five top-level categories. The first three flow into thebalance sheet, and the other two flow into the income statement. The five are:
- Assets
- Liabilities
- Equity
- Revenue
- Expenses
Some, however, break out gains and losses as top-level categories instead of includinggains within revenue and losses within expenses, making seven in all.
It’s often easiest to structure the subcategories in a chart of accounts broadlyalong the same lines as the financial reports into which they feed. So balance sheetaccounts follow the structure of the balance sheet, and income accounts follow thestructure of the income statement.
Here’s how that works.
Balance sheet accounts
The balance sheet divides assets and liabilities into current and noncurrent, so it canbe helpful to do this on the chart of accounts, too.
Asset accounts record everything the company owns.
Current assets are assets that are either cash or can be quickly andeasily realized in cash terms and include:
- Cash and cash equivalents, such as bank deposit accounts;
- Marketable securities, such as bonds and shares in publicly traded companies;
- Inventory; and
- Accounts receivable.
Non-current assets are assets that can’t easily be sold to obtaincash. Some of them can, however, be used as collateral for borrowing. They can include:
- Real estate, or premises;
- Plant and equipment;
- Intellectual property, such as patents;
- Goodwill, which is the difference between the amount a company pays to acquire acompany and the fair value of that company’s assets; and
- Investments, such as stakes in private companies or joint ventures.
Liability accounts record everything the company owes.
Current liabilities are debts that must be paid back or otherwisesettled within one year. They include:
- Bank overdrafts and other debts falling due in one year or less;
- Accounts payable, such as supplier invoices that have not yet been settled;
- Accrued expenses, such as electricity usage that has not yet been billed by theutility company; and
- Prepayments.
Non-current liabilities are long-term debts and other liabilities, suchas leases, that don’t need to be settled within one year.
Equity accounts record the company’s net worth, which is thedifference between the value of its assets and the value of its liabilities. Equityaccounts can include the following:
- Common stock (issued shares);
- Treasury stock (shares that have been repurchased by the company);
- Retained earnings (last year’s profits);
- General reserve (money set aside to cover unexpected eventualities); and
- Owners’ equity (the owner’s moneyused to fund the business).
Income statement accounts
Income statements are divided into categories for revenue and gains and expenses andlosses. Those are the next-level categories on the chart of accounts. Here’s howthat works.
Revenue accounts record the company’s income from all sources,both earned, such as from sales and fees, and unearned, such as investment gains.Negative income, such as sales returns, goes into income accounts, not expense accounts.Income accounts typically include the following:
- Sales revenue;
- Sales returns; and
- Investment gains.
Expense accounts record all the company’s expenditures, plusnon-cash expenses such as depreciation and amortization. Typical expense accountsinclude:
- Cost of goods or services sold(COGS);
- Marketing, advertising and promotions;
- Wages;
- Travel expenses;
- General and administrative expenses such as rent, utility bills, insurance and legalfees;
- Depreciation and amortization;
- Interest paid; and
- Taxes paid.
Setting Up the Chart of Accounts
When setting up a chart of accounts for the first time, it’s important to thinkabout how the business works, not just about how it needs to report for legal and taxpurposes. How many business lines are there? What kinds of expenses does the businesstypically incur? What types of assets does it have, includingintangibles?
Managers can list as many accounts in a chart of accounts as they need to give them adetailed view of all the financial activity going on in the company. It’simportant to consider such potential financial analyses when establishing the chart ofaccounts because, ideally, once it is set up it shouldn’t be changed.
But during setup, a business can adjust the basic structure shown in the previous sectionto better meet management needs. For example, you could further divide your expensesinto direct costs — expenses that directly feed into your cost of production— and indirect costs. This would make it easier to calculate gross margins. It canalso be helpful to relate the chart of accounts to budget categories, so managers cansee at a glance how the business is performing against expectations when they review thelisted accounts.
When you’ve decided roughly how many lines will be on your chart of accounts andhow they will be categorized, the next step is to code them. Typically, the codingsystem on a chart of accounts is structured so that various categories of accounts canbe easily identified. So, for example, asset accounts might all have codes beginningwith A, while liability accounts might have codes beginning with L.
Here’s an example of a simple structured coding system:
| Assets | 1000-1999 |
| Liabilities | 2000-2999 |
| Equity | 3000-3999 |
| Income | 4000-4999 |
| Expenses | 5000-5999 |
Chart of Accounts Examples
Here’s what a basic chart of accounts might look like for a small manufacturingcompany.
| Code | Description | Type | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10010 | Cash & equivalents | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 10020 | Accounts receivable | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 10030 | Inventory | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 11010 | Premises & equipment | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 20010 | Bank overdraft | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 20020 | Accounts payable | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 21010 | Bank loans | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 30010 | Owners’ equity | Equity | Balance sheet |
| 31010 | Retained earnings | Equity | Balance sheet |
| 40010 | Revenue | Income | P&L |
| 50010 | Supplies | Expense | P&L |
| 50020 | Marketing | Expense | P&L |
| 50030 | Wages | Expense | P&L |
| 51010 | Rent | Expense | P&L |
| 51030 | Utilities | Expense | P&L |
| 51020 | Other expenses | Expense | P&L |
| 52010 | Depreciation | Expense | P&L |
| 53010 | Interest | Expense | P&L |
| 54010 | Taxes | Expense | P&L |
Note the structured coding system that enables management to pull out the variouscomponents of the financial statements quickly and easily:
Assets all begin “1” and, within that, current assets are groupedtogether beginning with “10”.
Liabilities begin “2” and, within that, current liabilities aregrouped together beginning with “20”.
Equity accounts begin with “3”, and there is plenty of room to addmore equity types if the owners decide to sell part of their stakes.
In this example, revenue, beginning with “4”, is not broken down, butagain, there is plenty of room to add more revenue types.
Expenses all begin “5” and, within that, general and administrativeexpenses all begin with “51”.
It’s easy to construct a simple balance sheet and income statement from this chartof accounts. But there’s not much detail to work with, so it might be helpful tobreak this format down further so managers can see more clearly where money is comingfrom and where it is going. Let’s restructure this chart of accounts to present itmore clearly and provide more detail for management.
| Number | Description | Type | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10000 | Current assets | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 10010 | Cash | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 10020 | Accounts receivable | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 10030 | Inventory | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 11000 | Non-current assets | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 11010 | Plant & machinery | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 11020 | Office equipment | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 20000 | Current liabilities | Asset | Balance sheet |
| 20010 | Bank overdraft | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 20020 | Invoices payable | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 20030 | Salaries payable | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 20040 | Utilities payable | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 21000 | Non-current liabilities | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 21010 | 2-year bank loan | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 21020 | 5-year bank loan | Liability | Balance sheet |
| 30000 | Equity | ||
| 30010 | Owners’ equity | Equity | Balance sheet |
| 31010 | Retained earnings | Equity | Balance sheet |
| 40000 | Revenue | Income | P&L |
| 40010 | Sales – line A | Income | P&L |
| 40020 | Sales – line B | Income | P&L |
| 40030 | Service contracts | Income | P&L |
| 50000 | Cost of Goods Sold | ||
| 50010 | Raw materials | Expense | P&L |
| 50020 | Production wages | Expense | P&L |
| 51000 | Sales & marketing | Expense | P&L |
| 51010 | Advertising | Expense | P&L |
| 51020 | Commissions | Expense | P&L |
| 51030 | Travel expenses | Expense | P&L |
| 51040 | Client entertainment | Expense | P&L |
| 52000 | General & administrative expenses | Expense | P&L |
| 52010 | Rent | Expense | P&L |
| 52020 | Utilities | Expense | P&L |
| 52030 | Transport | Expense | P&L |
| 52040 | Executive remuneration | Expense | P&L |
| 52050 | Administrative staff salaries | Expense | P&L |
| 52060 | Insurance | Expense | P&L |
| 52070 | Audit fees | Expense | P&L |
| 52080 | Bank fees | Expense | P&L |
| 52010 | Depreciation | Expense | P&L |
| 53010 | Interest | Expense | P&L |
| 54010 | Taxes | Expense | P&L |
This two-level chart of accounts has much more detail than the first example, yetit’s easier to read. The granularity in the income and expense accounts could givemanagement a clearer picture of where money is coming from and where it’s going.And, this chart can still be used to produce the all-important balance sheet and incomestatement.
Why Is the Chart of Accounts Important?
The chart of accounts is important because it’s the primary reference tool for acompany’s financial structure. It’s the central hub for the company’sfinancial accounts, which are the source of its principal financial statements. Awell-constructed chart of accounts enables management to obtain a birds-eye view of thecompany’s financial performance from its general ledger. In the same way, it alsohelps the company to simplify and streamline end-of-period reporting.
Chart of Accounts Best Practices
Over the years, accounting managers have developed a handful of practices that serve mostcompanies well in developing their first charts of accounts.
Use a basic structure that is aligned to the business’s financial reporting needs
Keep your balance sheet and income accounts separate, but make sure they relate to eachother where necessary. For example, if the company has debts, make sure the chart ofaccounts has both debt liability accounts and interest expense accounts.
Organize the chart of accounts to support management decision-making
Define the business’s account types based on how the business works. Make sure thechart of accounts gives a clear picture of where money is coming from and whereit’s going. Align the chart with budget categories so thebusiness’s performance against expectations can be seen at a glance.
Use structured codes and subheadings to help pull out key information quickly and easily
A five-digit structured code can give enough granularity for two or three levels in achart of accounts. Leave enough room in the coding scheme to add lines when needed.
Make use of modern accounting software
Note that cloud-basedaccounting software can add dimensionality to transaction details that can standin for additional levels on a chart of accounts, easing the burden of a complex codingscheme.
Don’t overdo the details
You want to be able to see what’s going on, not get so bogged down in details thatyou can’t see the woods for the trees. If your chart of accounts has more thanthree levels, consider setting up subledgers.
Change your chart of accounts only at period-ends
You want to avoid changes as much as possible, but in no event should you remove linesfrom a chart of accounts or reorganize it in the middle of an accounting period.
How to Adjust a Chart of Accounts
While businesses are best off never changing their charts of accounts, they also mustoperate in the real world. When necessary, you can add lines to a chart of accounts,provided you have enough room in your coding scheme, but you will most likely have tomake manual adjustments to journal entries to move the balance from existing lines tothe new ones. Here’s how to do that.
Suppose that in the more detailed chart of accounts example above, the smallmanufacturing company is selling far more service contracts this year than it hashistorically. In fact, it’s selling a service contract along with almost all ofits goods. But the service contracts have different prices depending on the productsold. So, management wants to break down line 40030, Service Contracts (income) into twolines: Service Contract Line A and Service Contract Line B.
We need to create two new lines and then apportion the existing balance from 40030between them:
Create new lines in the chart of accounts:
Because the change is happening halfway through the accounting period, theexisting line 40030 can’t be deleted. Numbering the new lines like thiskeeps the old and new lines together as a group:
40031 Service Contract Line A
40032 Service Contract Line B
Apportion the balance:
Let’s suppose that at the time of the change, the balance on line 40030 is$300,000. Invoice receipts show $200,000 of that came from service contracts forLine A and the remainder from contracts for Line B. So we need to make thefollowing journal entries:
| COA Line | Debit | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| 40030 Service Contracts | $300,000 | |
| 40031 Service Contracts Line A | $200,000 | |
| 40032 Service Contracts Line B | $100,000 |
Automate and Manage Your Chart of Accounts With Accounting Software
Once a business decides how to organize its chart of accounts, it can be set up onaccounting software that populates the resulting accounts automatically from invoicesand receipts so managers won’t have to manually reconcile a paper trail back tothe appropriate account. Modern accountingsoftware lets you make journal entries as and when you need them, so you canmanage your chart of accounts to meet the business’s changing needs. Andaccounting software can produce powerful and timely reports for management and statutorypurposes.
If you aren’t confident about setting up a chart of accounts from scratch, someaccounting software provides templates that can be adapted to meet your business’sneeds. If the business has an existing paper-based chart of accounts, migrating it tocloud-based accounting software (at a period end, of course) can save time, reduceerrors and improve business control. Further, NetSuite’s cloud-based financial management software can adddimensions to transaction data at any time, simplifying a chart of accounts’coding scheme.
The chart of accounts is the accounting hub around which a business’s financesrevolves. A well-organized chart of accounts is a blueprint for a powerful accountingsystem that can help a business manage more effectively on a day-to-day basis, as wellas produce management and statutory reports — especially when used in combinationwith a comprehensive accounting software package.
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Chart of Accounts FAQ
What is the standard chart of accounts?
The standard chart of accounts lists the accounts that record everything a company owns,owes, earns and spends. It also lists the accounts that record the company’s networth, which is the difference between what it owns and what it owes. A standard chartof accounts is divided into two sections: the balance sheet section and the incomestatement section. These feed, respectively, into the balance sheet and the incomestatement, which are the company’s two most important financial statements.
Is a chart of accounts similar to a balance sheet?
The chart of accounts isn’t a balance sheet, but it includes all the elements thatbusiness managers need to create a company’s balance sheet.
What are the five types of accounts?
The five types of accounts in a chart of accounts are:
- Assets: Everything the company owns;
- Liabilities: Everything the company owes;
- Equity: The company’s net worth;
- Income: Everything the company receives; and
- Expenses: Everything the company pays.
