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The chart of accounts: the base of your bookkeeping
If your chart of accounts is incomplete, invoices still save and stock still moves — but nothing posts to your books.
What is the chart of accounts?
Your company's list of accounting accounts. Every entry in the system is posted to at least two accounts from this list.
Where to find it
Finance → Accounts, or /dashboard/accounts.
Permissions: accounts:view to see, accounts:add to create, accounts:edit to change.
Why it matters so much
Pashkateb posts journal entries automatically when you submit an invoice, record a payment, or run a stock adjustment.
But if the required account does not exist, the entry is not created.
The invoice still saves and stock still moves, but the posting is quietly skipped. The result is correct stock and incomplete books.
Set the chart up before you start real work.
The form
| Field | Required? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Code | ✅ | Unique within your company |
| Name | ✅ | The account name |
| Category | ✅ | Asset · Liability · Equity · Income · Expense |
| Type | ✅ | A finer classification — full list below |
| Normal Balance | ✅ | Debit or Credit |
| Parent Account | No | For building the tree |
| Is Group | — | A header account, never posted to |
| Enabled | — | On by default |
The five categories
| Category | What it is | Normal balance |
|---|---|---|
| Asset | What you have | Debit |
| Liability | What you owe | Credit |
| Equity | The owners' stake | Credit |
| Income | What you earn | Credit |
| Expense | What you spend | Debit |
The account types
The full list available:
Assets: Current Asset · Bank · Cash · Accounts Receivable · Inventory
Liabilities: Current Liability · Accounts Payable · Accrued Expenses
Equity: Owner's Equity · Retained Earnings
Income: Sales · Other Income
Expenses: Cost of Goods Sold · Operating Expense · Other Expense
The type is not cosmetic — the system uses it to filter account pickers. On the payments screen, for example, Paid To on a receipt shows bank and cash accounts only.
Group accounts
A group account is a header that is never posted to directly — other accounts sit under it.
Current Assets ← group
├── Cash ← posted to
├── Bank ← posted to
└── Accounts Receivable ← posted to
Switch on Is Group for headers only. Entries go to the accounts beneath them.
The accounts that must exist
For invoices and payments to post correctly:
| Account | Needed for |
|---|---|
| Accounts Receivable | Sales invoices |
| Sales | Sales invoices |
| Output VAT | VAT on sales |
| Accounts Payable | Purchase invoices |
| Cost of Goods Sold | Purchase invoices |
| Input VAT | VAT on purchases |
| Cash and Bank | All payments |
| Inventory | Stock adjustments |
Pashkateb seeds a basic chart of accounts when your company is registered — review it and fill in what your business needs.
Numbering
Keep the codes logical:
1000-1999 Assets
2000-2999 Liabilities
3000-3999 Equity
4000-4999 Income
5000-5999 Expenses
It keeps reports ordered and makes any account easy to find.
Frequently Asked Questions
My invoices submitted but no journal entries were created
Your chart of accounts is missing a required account such as Accounts Receivable, Sales, Accounts Payable or Cost of Goods Sold. The system completes the submission and moves stock but skips the entry. Review this screen and add what is missing.
What is a group account?
A header account that other accounts sit under and that is never posted to directly — such as Current Assets with Cash, Bank and Receivables beneath it. Group accounts organise the tree; entries are posted to the accounts below them.
How do I choose the normal balance?
Assets and expenses are debit by nature. Liabilities, equity and income are credit. That choice determines how the balance is presented in reports.
Does the code have to be unique?
Yes, unique within your company. Use logical numbering — 1000 for assets, 2000 for liabilities, 3000 for equity, 4000 for income, 5000 for expenses.
Related Links
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