Country Template 
Definition
A range of Customizing settings, mainly in Financial Accounting and Logistics, that are typical for a particular country. A country template is supplied with each standard country version.
Use
For information about how the country templates are used, see Setup of Country-Specific Organizational Units .
Structure
The main settings made by the country templates are listed below, in the order in which they occur in the Implementation Guide (IMG).
Caution
The exact range of settings made depends on the country template. The list here is intended as a guide only.
Cross-Application (CA)
Each country template includes the following:
Calendar settings, including public holidays, a sample public holiday calendar, and a sample factory calendar
An address format, so that the system prints the addresses according to local standards
Regional settings, that is, the names of the regions in each country
Telecommunications settings, for example, the international dialing code
Financial Accounting (FI)
Each country template comes with Customizing settings for FI, as follows:
The country templates include a national tax calculation procedure and tax codes. Some of the calculation procedures contain all the settings required; others are less comprehensive and are intended as a starting point for your own Customizing. With one or two exceptions, the calculation procedures are named TAX followed by the country’s ISO code, for example, TAXZA for South Africa.
Withholding taxes
Customizing settings (for example, withholding tax types and withholding tax codes) are provided for the withholding tax and extended withholding tax functions, depending on the country’s requirements. Again, these vary in scope. In addition, some SAPscript forms for vendor withholding tax certificates are also provided for some countries, which you can adapt to suit your requirements.
Account determination
The standard SAP ERP system includes account determination settings for a wide range of business transactions – not just for FI – for example, which G/L accounts taxes are to be posted to, and which accounts inventory is to be recorded on. Separate settings are provided in the country template for each country-specific chart of accounts, where applicable.
General Ledger (FI-GL)
Each country template contains the following:
For countries with no specific legal requirements regarding the chart of accounts, a generic chart of accounts, INT, is supplied.
For countries with legal requirements, recommendations, or accounting standards regarding the chart of accounts, a separate chart of accounts is provided. In the SAP ERP system, these charts of accounts follow the same naming convention, CA followed by the country’s ISO code, for example, CATR (Turkey). Note, however, that there are one or two exceptions to this naming convention.
Countries in which the chart of accounts INT can be used share the same financial statement version (also named INT).
For countries where the structure of the financial statements is laid out by law, separate financial statement versions are provided. They usually have the name BA followed by the country’s ISO code (BAHU for Hungary, for example). Note, however, that there are one or two exceptions to this naming convention.
Separate financial statement versions are also provided for German businesses working with the GKR and IKR charts of accounts.
Settings for the Inflation Accounting solution are also provided for countries where it is appropriate.
Accounts Payable (FI-AP)
In FI-AP, the country templates come with the Customizing settings needed for the payment program, including the major payment methods in the country and sample house banks.
Bank Accounting (FI-BL)
A limited number of country templates include national formats used by the electronic account statement.
Asset Accounting (FI-AA)
Each country template includes the following:
Reference chart of deprecation
The naming convention for these charts is 0 plus the country’s ISO code, for example, 0BR for Brazil. The Country Installation Program automatically creates copies of these charts (as when you copy them manually) and renames them with a 1 instead of an 0, for example, 1BR or 1FR.
Depreciation areas
Depreciation keys
Additional transaction types, where necessary
Settings for the Inflation Accounting solution, if appropriate
Controlling (CO)
Each country template includes the following Customizing settings:
Cost elements
A cost element group is provided, comprising primary and secondary cost elements, one for each G/L account, except for cost elements of category 11 and 12 (revenues and sales deductions). You must maintain these cost elements manually. A costing sheet is also provided.
Standard hierarchies of cost centers
Each country template includes a sample standard hierarchy with one cost center.
Standard hierarchies of profit centers
The standard SAP ERP system includes a sample standard hierarchy of profit centers for each country template. Countries working with the generic chart of accounts (INT) share the same hierarchy, P0001; those with their own chart of accounts have their own hierarchy, with the name P plus the controlling area, for example, PCO01 for Colombia.
Real Estate Management (RE)
Real Estate Management is covered by around one-third of the country templates. These templates include the following (with one or two exceptions):
Account assignments for all transactions relating to RE
Settings that cover national tenancy laws, including, for example, rental adjustments
Sales and Distribution (SD)
For countries with pricing procedures that vary from the norm (for example, due to forms of taxes not found in other countries), a separate pricing procedure is supplied.
Materials Management (MM)
Settings for the Inflation Accounting solution are provided for countries where it is appropriate.
Project System (PS)
The country templates include examples of PS objects and functions that need to be assigned to a controlling area, including sample settings for automatic and periodic allocations of revenues and earnings, and a sample value category.