Free Chart of Accounts Template (Excel)
What's in the chart of accounts template
The template opens with a Chart of Accounts sheet pre-filled with 47 standard small-business accounts — from Cash and Accounts Receivable through Payroll, Rent, and Miscellaneous Expense — so you're not starting from a blank sheet.
Each row has an account number, account name, type (Asset, Liability, Equity, Income, or Expense), a sub-category, and its normal balance side (Debit or Credit), matching the fields a bookkeeper or CPA expects to see.
There's room for 70 accounts total, so you can rename, delete, or add to the pre-filled list until it matches your actual business rather than a generic template.
Standard account numbering explained
The pre-filled numbering follows the common small-business convention: 1000-1999 for assets, 2000-2999 for liabilities, 3000-3999 for equity, 4000-4999 for income, and 5000-6999 for expenses.
Keeping new accounts inside their range matters because most accounting reports and software sort and group by account number — a stray liability numbered like an asset will land in the wrong section of every report you run from it.
A Number check column does this verification for you: it flags CHECK the moment an account's number falls outside the range expected for its selected type, so a typo doesn't sit unnoticed in your books.
Assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses
The pre-filled list covers the five account types in depth: current and fixed assets (including accumulated depreciation as a contra-asset), current and long-term liabilities, owner's equity and draws, operating and non-operating income, and a full expense range from COGS through vehicle expenses.
That range means most small businesses can use the template close to as-is, only trimming accounts they don't need or adding a handful specific to their industry.
The summary tab counts accounts by type, so you can see at a glance how many asset, liability, equity, income, and expense accounts your chart currently has.
Customizing the chart for your business
Because every field is editable, you can rename generic accounts (like 'Contract labor') to match your own terminology, delete accounts you'll never use, or duplicate a row to add an account specific to your industry.
Just keep the account number inside the correct type range when you add new accounts — the Number check column will tell you immediately if a new entry doesn't fit.
Once your chart is finalized, use the same account names in our free Ledger template so every transaction you post references a name that already exists in your chart.
How to use it
- Start from the 47 pre-filled accounts covering assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses.
- Rename, delete, or add rows so the chart matches your actual business.
- Set the type and normal balance for any new account you add.
- Check the Number check column for CHECK flags and fix any account number that falls outside its type's range.
Download the free Free Chart of Accounts Template (Excel)
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Small Business Bookkeeping & Tax Dashboard
If you need your accounts mapped straight to IRS Schedule C lines with a quarterly tax set-aside and CPA-ready export, the paid Bookkeeping template ($19) builds directly on this account structure.
See the full versionFrequently asked questions
Can I use this chart of accounts template in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the downloaded file to Google Drive, then open it and choose File > Save as Google Sheets. The number-range check keeps working.
Is this template really free?
Yes. You give an email address to download it, and then it's yours to use with no further cost.
How many accounts can I add?
The sheet ships with 70 rows, pre-filled with 47 accounts. Add rows below the last one and extend the Number check formula down if you need more.
Does it connect to QuickBooks or other accounting software?
No, it's a standalone Excel/Google Sheets file. You can use the account list as a reference when setting up your chart inside any accounting software, but it doesn't import or sync directly.
Is the numbering scheme required?
No, it's a common convention (1000s assets, 2000s liabilities, 3000s equity, 4000s income, 5000s expenses), not a rule. Renumber the ranges if your accountant prefers a different scheme — just update the Number check formula's ranges to match.
What's the usage license?
Personal use or use within one business. It's not meant to be resold or redistributed as a template product.