Step 5: Revise and Optimize the Chart of Accounts
After all has been done, we are now in the last step of our 5 Step Bookkeeping setup.
Organizing chart of accounts!
Well, you can organize your chart of accounts at the beginning of the setup, if you already have your ideal chart of accounts or you are from a previous working system with a chart of accounts ready
But if this is a new setup, or you don’t have your ideal chart of accounts, we can add your categories or accounts as needed when adding the transactions. Then after the transactions are all added, we can refine your chart of accounts.
Profit and Loss Accounts:
Profit and Loss Statement – financial report that summarizes a company’s revenues, expenses, and profits or losses over a given period of time
A P&L statement shows a company’s ability to generate sales, manage expenses, and create profits
What are the common profit and loss accounts? We will start from top to bottom.
A. Income Accounts
These are your revenue accounts, income accounts or sales accounts.
- Service businesses – Sales or Services account
- eCommerce/Retail Type – Sales of Product
- Rental Properties – Rental Income
- Amazon Sellers – Amazon Sales
B. Direct Cost Accounts
Are costs directly associated with the revenue generation activities, Sales, or providing of Services
- Service businesses – Cost of Labor, Direct Costs
- Product based businesses – Cost of Goods Sold
- Other Direct Cots – Shipping, Supplies, Packaging, Materials, eCommerce Platform Costs
C. Operating Expenses
Are expenses you incur when running the business
Selling Expenses – all expenses related to making a sale or increasing sales. Common examples are:
- Advertising
- Promotions
- Shipping/Delivery/Freight
- Website Costs
- Salaries/Commission of Sales Personnel
Admin Expenses – all expenses related to managing the business. Examples:
- Payroll Expenses
- Legal Fees
- Accounting Fees
General expenses – all expenses which do not fall directly in the first two. Examples:
- Rent
- Utilities
- Office Expense
- Office Software
- Insurance
- Small Tools and Equipment
D. Other Income
Income that does not come from a company’s main business
- Interest Income
- Rent
- Gain on Sales of Fixed Assets
E. Other Expenses
Expenses that do not relate to a company’s main business
- Interest Expense
- Losses from Disposing of Fixed Assets
- Miscellaneous expenses
- Fraud
Balance Sheet Accounts:
BALANCE SHEET – financial statement that shows a company’s assets, liabilities, and shareholder equity at a specific point in time
Common balance sheet accounts:
A. ASSETS
Are resources with economic value that an individual, corporation, or country owns or controls with the expectation that it will provide a future benefit.
Common examples are:
- Cash
- Bank Accounts
- Account Receivable
- Inventory
- Prepaid Expense
- Fixed Assets
B. LIABILITIES
Something a person or company owes, usually a sum of money. These are to be settled using money, goods, or services at a later time.
Examples are:
- Credit Card
- Accounts Payable
- Tax payable
- Salaries/Wages Payable
- Loans
- Mortgages
C. EQUITY
Owner’s Equity or Shareholders’ Equity, represents the amount of money owned by the owners in the business.Â
After deducting liabilities that creditors own in the business, from Total Assets, what’s left will be equity.
Examples are:
- Owner Contribution
- Owner Capital
- Owner Drawings
- Shareholders’ contribution
- Shareholder distribution
- Common Shares
- Additional Paid in Capital
- Retained Earnings
And this concludes our 5 Step Bookkeeping Series! Should you have questions or suggestions, let us know in the comments!
Ready to get organized?
16 Comments
Thank you for this helpful and easy-to-understand guide! I liked how you explained the importance of reviewing the chart of accounts it’s something many people forget, but it really improves clarity in reports. Do you have any advice for small firms on how detailed their accounts should be without making things too complicated?
Thanks for the kind words. A good starting point is to keep the chart of accounts simple and tied to how the business actually makes and spends money.
For most small businesses, that means grouping accounts around a few clear buckets: revenue, direct costs/COGS, operating expenses, assets, liabilities, and equity. Avoid creating a new account for every vendor or tiny expense category unless it genuinely helps you make better decisions.
The main test I use is: does this account make the financial reports easier to understand, or just more cluttered? If it doesn’t improve reporting, it probably doesn’t need its own line.
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