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G/L Account Creation and Processing

This section contains a number of activities for creating G/L accounts in various different ways.

Preliminary considerations regarding organization

G/L accounts are created in the R/3 System in the form of G/L account master data. The G/L account master data is made up of a chart of accounts area and an area specific to the company code.

You can use the chart of accounts for one or more company codes. It contains information that applies to master records in the company codes using the chart of accounts. The area specific to the company code contains information that can be different for each company code.

The account number and name are predefined, for example, in the chart of accounts, while the currency in which the account is managed is specified in the company code-dependent area.

Information in the chart of accounts controls how you create a master record in company codes. This means that you must first create the master record in the chart of accounts before you can create it in the company code.

You can create a master record in two ways:

You should, however, create G/L accounts in two steps if you want to predefine values for creating the area specific to the company code from the head office.

Standard Settings

Charts of accounts are delivered with the standard R/3 System. Before creating G/L accounts, you should determine which specifications to make in the master records. To do this, you should analyze the standard charts of accounts and G/L accounts (area specific to the company code). By using the standard examples, you can see which specifications need to be made in your G/L accounts.

Creating G/L accounts

The system offers a range of methods for creating G/L accounts. Depending on how your organization is structured, you should select those methods that best fulfill the requirements in your organization:

1. Creating G/L accounts with reference
This method is most effective in the following situation: You create a new chart of accounts and company code into which you copy accounts from the standard system using new account numbers and names. This is most useful when your chart of accounts is only slightly different from SAP's standard chart of accounts.
You can use this reference method to copy G/L accounts from a source company code into the company code you wish to use, and then edit the accounts by changing the account numbers and names. You can then create the G/L accounts and copy the account determination. To do so, choose Create G/L Accounts with Reference.
If you wish to make further changes to the G/L accounts created using the reference method, you have the following options:
If you are already using G/L accounts in a non-SAP system, you can transfer those accounts to your SAP system.
The batch input method can be used:
To transfer G/L accounts from an external system, choose Transfer G/L Accounts from External System
If you wish to make any changes to the transferred G/L accounts, you have the following options:
You should only use this alternative method if a chart of accounts in your system meets your needs exactly. You can, for example, copy a chart of accounts included in the standard system. If, however, you need to make changes to an existing chart of accounts, your should use the copy with reference technique to create G/L accounts.
To copy an existing chart of accounts, choose Alternative Methods -> Copy G/L Accounts

Further Information

You can find information on creating G/L accounts in the SAP Library under FI - General Ledger Accounting