How do I clean up my Chart of Accounts?

To keep your Chart of Accounts (COA) organized and efficient, you can merge duplicate accounts, hide unused ones, and use features like Class Tracking to reduce clutter.

Merge duplicate accounts

If you have multiple accounts for the same purpose (for example, “Office Supplies” and “Office Expense”), you can merge them to combine their transaction histories.

1. Go to Settings (the gear icon) and select Chart of Accounts.
2. Locate the account you want to keep. Make a note of its exact name and type.
3. Locate the duplicate account you want to remove.
4. Select Edit from the Action column.
5. Change the Account Name to match the name of the account you want to keep exactly.
6. Select Save and Close.
7. When prompted, confirm that you want to merge the accounts.

Note: You can only merge accounts of the same type. Once merged, this action cannot be undone.

Hide unused accounts

If you have accounts you no longer use but need to keep for historical records, you can make them inactive rather than deleting them.

1. Go to Settings and select Chart of Accounts.
2. Locate the account you want to hide.
3. Select Make inactive from the Action column.
4. To see hidden accounts later, check the Include inactive box above the list.

Use Class Tracking instead of multiple accounts

If your COA is cluttered because you are creating separate accounts for different locations, departments, or regions, use Class Tracking instead. This allows you to track segments of your business without duplicating your account list.

For example, instead of creating separate accounts like “Utilities - East” and “Utilities - West,” create a single “Utilities” account and assign a class (East or West) to each transaction.

1. Go to Settings and select Account and settings (or Company Settings).
2. Select the Advanced tab.
3. In the Categories section, select the edit (pencil) icon next to Track classes.
4. Check the box to Track classes and select Save.
5. Once enabled, you can add classes (like locations or departments) and select them on transactions and forms.

Use sub-accounts for organization

If you need more detail within a specific category, use sub-accounts. This keeps your main list shorter while allowing you to drill down into details.

1. Go to Settings and select Chart of Accounts.
2. Select New to create a new account.
3. Fill in the account details.
4. Check the box for Is sub-account.
5. Select the Parent account from the drop-down list.
6. Select Save and close.

For example, you could have a parent account named “Rent” and sub-accounts for specific locations or branches nested underneath it.