EA-FIN: Parallel Accounting
Parallel Accounting is a part of the Financials Extension (EA-FIN) business function.
Technical Data
Technical name of the business function |
EA-FIN |
Type of business function |
Enterprise Extension |
Documentation based on release |
SAP ERP 6.0 |
SAP software component |
EA-APPL |
SAP application component |
FI-GL (classic General Ledger Accounting) |
Business Intelligence content |
Not relevant |
Additional content available in other SAP applications |
FI-SL |
Business function requiring activation in addition |
Not relevant |
Previously, you could depict parallel accounting in classic General Ledger Accounting by using additional accounts.
When you activate the Financials Extension (EA-FIN) business function, you also have the following options for depicting parallel accounting:
● Depiction using additional company codes
● Depiction using additional ledgers in the application component Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL).
With all approaches, it is possible to depict more than two accounting principles. This means that you could, for example, also define two additional ledgers or create two additional company codes.

If you have already set up parallel accounting, you can continue to use the same approach without restrictions.

Note that use of the options mentioned here is only possible in classic General Ledger Accounting and is no longer recommended by SAP. There are currently no standard migration scenarios for the subsequent migration to new General Ledger Accounting.
You define additional ledgers in the application component Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL).
You have activated the EA-FIN business function. Only then do the necessary IMG activities appear in Customizing for Parallel Accounting.
To depict parallel accounting using an additional ledger, you need to have made the required settings in Customizing for Financial Accounting under Financial Accounting Global Settings → Company Code → Parallel Accounting → Accounting Principles and Additional Ledgers.
At this point in the Customizing structure, the IMG activities are also grouped together from the various SAP application components that you need to be able to depict parallel accounting.
You can create an additional company code. This procedure is supported by certain reports in Financial Accounting (FI) and Asset Accounting (FI-AA).
You can depict parallel accounting by defining an additional ledger in the Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL) application component. You then assign your additional (parallel) accounting principle to this additional ledger. This ensures that postings that are the same for both accounting principles are posted to both the general ledger and to the additional ledger.
The posting data, which differs for each the accounting principle, is posted to either the general ledger or the additional ledger, depending on the accounting principle.
For more information about depicting parallel accounting, see the SAP Library under SAP ERP Central Component → Accounting → Financial Accounting (FI) → General Ledger Accounting (FI-GL) → General Ledger Accounting (FI-GL) → Parallel Accounting.