Definition
A ledger account is a single entry within the chart of accounts. It tracks one specific category of financial activity, for example “Rent expense”, “Cash”, or “Accounts receivable”. Every debit and credit line in a journal entry references a ledger account. This is how all transactions are classified and how balances accumulate.Purpose
- Classify every debit and credit in the accounting system.
- Track balances per category of financial activity.
- Produce financial statements (balance sheet, P&L).
Structure
Each ledger account has:- An account number (
number), unique within the folder. In some countries (e.g. France, Belgium, Spain), the numbering follows an official chart of accounts - A name (
name) - A type (
type), based on how the account is used:bank,cash,other_financial: treasury accountsreceivable: amounts owed by clientspayable: amounts owed to suppliersincome: revenueexpense,other_expense: costsvat: VAT accountsother: any other account
- An accounting category (
accounting_category), as defined in the accounting software - Scheme classifications (
scheme_ids): standard classifications for reporting, such as RGS or SBR - Tax information (
tax_information): the tax codes configured on the account (tax_codes), and how strictly they apply (mode):free: the list is informative, mainly to define the default code. Other codes can be usedrestricted: only the codes of the list, or none, can be usedforced: one of the codes of the list must be used
- An active flag (
active): an inactive account cannot be used in transactions
Relationships
- A ledger account belongs to the chart of accounts of a folder.
- Journal entry lines and invoice lines reference a ledger account with
account_number. See Accounts in journal entries and Accounts in invoices. - A partner has its own ledger account (
account_number). - A VAT code books on its
deductible_accountandpayable_account. The tax codes intax_informationare VAT codes. - A bank or cash journal uses a ledger account as
counterpart_account.
API endpoints
- Get chart of accounts: list the ledger accounts of a folder.
- Get the balance of accounts: retrieve the balance of one or more ledger accounts.
- Create ledger account: create a new ledger account.