A chart of accounts in SAP is simply a financial organizational tool that offers a complete listing of each account in a company’s accounting system. Basically, all general ledger accounts used by one or several company codes are listed in the chart of accounts. Every general ledger account has its number, name and information listed in the COA in order to control how it functions and how a general ledger account is created in a company code.
It is paramount that one assigns a chart of accounts in to every company code. Doing so will ensure that the operating chart of accounts is used for the daily records pertaining to this company code.
When using multiple company codes, the following options are available for use.
Using The Same COA For All The Company Codes
If all the company codes have the same requirements for the COA set up , then you can simply assign all of the individual company codes to the same COA. This would be well applicable if the codes are from the same country.
Use Of Multiple Charts Of Accounts In SAP
A part from operating one chart of accounts, it is still possible to use two more charts of accounts. This is recommended if every company code needs a different chart of accounts. You can simply assign two more charts of accounts to the main chart of accounts. This is practical especially when the company codes pertain to multiple countries.
It is important to note that the use of more charts of accounts does not in any way affect the balance sheet or the Profit and Loss Account statement. During the creation of the balance sheet or the profit and loss statement, you can always opt to balance the company codes that use different Charts of Accounts together or in separate accounts.
There are three charts of accounts that can be used in a company’s accounting system and they are:
- Operating Chart of Accounts
- Group chart of accounts
- Country-Specific Chart of accounts
Operating Chart Of Accounts
Operating Chart of Accounts are known to contain all the General Ledger accounts that one uses for posting the company code representing daily transactions. One has to assign a chart of accounts to a company code.
Group Chart of Accounts
The group chart of accounts contains the general ledger accounts that are used by the entire corporate group. This enables the company to adequately provide reports for an entire corporate group. In this case one doesn’t have to assign a corporate group chart of accounts to any company code, the choice is entirely optional.