Chart of Accounts (SAP Library

Chart of Accounts

Definition

An organizational structure, defined using accounting principles, that records values and value flows for orderly account management.

Use

The operational chart of accounts is used by financial accounting and cost accounting. The items in a chart of accounts can be expense or revenue accounts in FI and cost or revenue elements in cost accounting.

Integration

You need to assign each company code to a chart of accounts.

In addition, you may assign each company code to a country-specific chart of accounts. The chart of accounts and country-specific chart of accounts are linked using alternating account numbers.

The accounts from internal and external accounting are managed in an integrated accounting system. Therefore, when creating a controlling area, the charts of accounts used by the corresponding company code must be respected.

The controlling area adopts the chart of accounts belonging to the company code assigned. In cross-company code cost accounting the controlling area and all company codes assigned to it must use the same chart of accounts.

Nevertheless, you can also use a country-specific chart of accounts to apply the country-specific accounting requirements while using consistent cost accounting.

Example

You assign a company code to the controlling area. The company code uses the INT chart of accounts (International Chart of Accounts). The controlling area also uses the INT chart of accounts.

Example

Your organization has subsidiaries in France and Italy which produce balance sheets in different company codes. Uniform managerial accounting is to be performed for the entire enterprise.

In order to comply with the accounting regulations of each country, the company codes are assigned to different country charts of accounts.

In addition, you also define a uniform worldwide chart of accounts for internal accounting to which you assign the company codes and the controlling area.

For more information on the chart of accounts, see the SAP Library under FI Financial Accounting ® G/L Accounting ® General Ledger Account Master Data ® Chart of Accounts List.