Available for Accounting Basic, Accounting Premium
This article explains how to import a Chart of Accounts (COA) , (lists of all accounts used to record financial transactions), into Patriot's accounting software during initial setup.
Video Walkthrough
Video walks through importing your chart of accounts. The steps in the video are detailed in the content below.
Before You Import
If you chose to import your Chart of Accounts, you first need to save the default Chart of Accounts in the accounting setup. Your imported file will replace these default accounts later.
On the Chart of Accounts setup page, click Save and Continue to save the default accounts before proceeding.
Step 1: Download and Format the Import Template
Download the Chart of Accounts CSV template.
Right-click the page to save the
.CSVfile to your device.Format your data in the template. The first row must include column headers, with one field per column. Column order does not matter.
Keep each import file to no more than 200 accounts at a time.
Account Types You Can Import
General Ledger Account Types
You can import five general ledger account types:
Assets
Liability
Equity
Income (also called Revenue)
Expense
Subtype Accounts
Each account type has subtypes, which group similar accounts and determine how transactions record to the general ledger. Subtypes cannot be edited after they are saved. Note that subtypes are different from subaccounts (see below).
Account Type | Subtype |
Asset | Bank account (Savings, Checking, etc.) |
| Cash |
| Accounts Receivable |
| Current Asset |
| Fixed Asset |
| Other Asset |
| Accumulated Depreciation |
Liability | Accounts Payable |
| Credit Card |
| Current Liabilities |
| Sales Tax Payable |
| Long Term Liabilities |
Equity | Equity |
Income | Income |
| Returns and Sales Discounts |
Expense | Expense |
| COGS |
Subaccounts
Subaccounts are nested under a parent account. To include subaccounts in your import file, format the account name as:
One level deep:
ParentAccount:SubAccountMultiple levels deep:
ParentAccount:Subaccount1:Subaccount2
Plan differences for subaccounts:
Accounting Premium: Subaccounts will be nested under the parent account.
Accounting Basic: Accounts will be created using the full
ParentAccount:SubAccountname, but they will not be nested.
Step 2: Upload Your Chart of Accounts File
Upload your completed Chart of Accounts template by selecting the file or dragging it into the upload area.
Click Save and Continue.
Step 3: Map Your Spreadsheet Columns
Patriot will automatically identify and map columns where possible. For any columns not mapped automatically, map them manually.
At minimum, two columns must be mapped: account name and account type.
You can also import account numbers by including an account number column.
For any columns you do not want to import, select Do Not Map.
The software will flag any accounts that are not mapped correctly. Fix any flagged accounts, then click Save and Continue. You can leave and return to this step if needed.
Step 4: Review and Submit Your Import
Review your accounts to confirm all account names are unique and no errors are flagged.
Once everything looks correct, click Submit Import.
A confirmation box will appear. Click Create Accounts to complete the import, or go back to make additional changes.
After the Import
All imported accounts will appear in your Chart of Accounts. To view them, go to:
Settings > Accounting > General Setup > Chart of Accounts.
You can reorder accounts after import by clicking and dragging them to the desired position.
To edit an account, click the gear icon in the Action column. If you have Accounting Premium, you can also add a subaccount from this screen.
