Sub-accounts in your Chart of Accounts

Any organization required to maintain accounting records must have accounts that comply with the Chart of Accounts, which defines the common standards: account classes and their codes (as explained here).

While accounts must comply with the General Chart of Accounts, each organization can set up accounting sub-accounts as needed.

This article is intended for users with advanced accounting needs. You can fully manage your bookkeeping without setting up sub-accounts.

In this article, you'll find:

• How sub-accounts work
• How to add sub-accounts in Springly
• How to export your custom chart of accounts

👉 Download our accounting user guide on Springly (9 pages)

How sub-accounts work

Sub-accounts are extensions of a parent account that allow you to record accounting transactions with greater precision.

Example: Your chart of accounts includes account 622600, a class 6 account used to record legal fees, accounting fees, etc.

Since this expenditure category represents a significant portion of your activity, you may want to create several sub-accounts:

• 622610 - Legal Fees
• 622620 - Accounting Fees
• etc.

This gives you a more granular breakdown in your accounting records, making it easier to understand your organization's financial structure.

Adding sub-accounts

Some sub-accounts are already built into the platform by default. For example, account 681 (Depreciation and Provisions) is automatically split by type:

• 681100 - Depreciation, provisions and accruals
• 681500 - Provisions for operating risks and charges
• 681600 - Provisions for depreciation of intangible and tangible fixed assets

You can also create sub-accounts for any account of your choice from the Accounting > Configuration → Chart of accounts page.

Here's an example:

You organize several events throughout the year and want to track event-related purchases separately in your books. You would split the raw materials and supplies expenditure account (account 601) as follows:

• 601100 - Beverages
• 601200 - Food
• 601300 - Decorations

To analyze your expenditures and revenues across projects or budget items, we recommend using allocation management and Funds rather than sub-accounts.

To add these sub-accounts in the platform, go to Accounting > Configuration → Chart of accounts, then:

• at the top of the page, click Add an account. A side panel will open;
• click the "Expenses" box;
• in the "Account" field, search for account 601000;
• in the "Account number" field, enter the last 3 digits of the account number (e.g., 100);
• in "Custom name", you can optionally rename the account to make it easier to identify when entering transactions (e.g., "Beverages");
• click Save.

The account is then added to the list of accounts in use. Repeat the process for each sub-account you want to create.

If you made a mistake in the sub-account number or name, click the pencil icon (Edit) next to the account to update it.

You can use these new sub-accounts when entering book entries, and also link each account to the items in your Campaigns and ticketing forms.

These sub-accounts will appear across all your accounting records, giving you a more detailed view of your entries.

Exporting your custom chart of accounts

You can export your custom chart of accounts, as well as the default chart of accounts provided in Springly.

To do so, click the Export button above your list of accounts, then select "Your custom chart of accounts".

Your export includes the following information:

• account type;
• account category;
• account number;
• official name;
• custom name (if applicable);
• account status (default / custom / archived).

The process is exactly the same for the default chart of accounts.

Go further:

• Configuring your chart of accounts (formerly: adding / removing accounts)