Solution Properties
Solution ID:
222001000100820
Last Modified Date:
Thu Aug 06 09:48:27 UTC 2026
Taxonomy Path:
Case category//How do I...//setup/create/run a report
Author:
[email protected]
Import your Chart of accounts
Description

You can only import your ledger accounts once.

To import your ledger accounts, you must:

  • Have a new Accounting business with no transactions or records
  • Save your ledger accounts in a spreadsheet as a comma-separated value (CSV) format
  • Use the template file Sage provides to make sure your file has the correct column headings and cell formats

The ledger accounts imported from the CSV file will replace all the standard ledger accounts created in Sage Accounting by default.

Make sure you import all the ledger accounts you need. You can manually add individual ledger accounts later, but you can’t import them again.

Cause
Resolution

Follow the process below to import your chart of accounts: 

▼ Download the CSV template file

Each CSV file contains a list of ledger accounts and the required columns for Nominal Code, Ledger name, Control account, Category and Tax rate.

Download the CSV file that’s suitable for your business type.

  1. From Settings, then Business Settings.
  2. Select Chart of accounts.
  3. From the Actions dropdown arrow, select Import accounts.

    NOTE:

    You won't see the Import option if you have already created transactions.

  4. Download one of the following CSV template files:
▼ Prepare the CSV file

Add your ledger accounts to the template file you’ve downloaded or amend an existing file to match the template.

  1. Make sure the column headings match the format used in the template file.
  2. Delete any columns in your CSV file that don't appear in the template file.
  3. Make sure the data format used in each column matches the format used in the template file.
  4. Category - Each ledger account must belong to a one of the categories already set up in Sage Accounting. You can’t used your own categories.
  5. Tax rate - Each ledger account must have a VAT Rate associated with it. This sets the default VAT rate when you select the ledger account on a transaction.

The maximum file size you can import is 0.5MB.

▼ Import your chart of accounts
  1. From Settings, then Business Settings.
  2. Select Chart of accounts.
  3. From the Actions dropdown arrow, select Import accounts.

    NOTE:

    You won't see the Import option if you have already created transactions.

  4. Choose the Upload Data File link.
  5. Browse to your CSV file and then select Open.
  6. Select OK.

If your experiencing an error while importing, read errors importing a chart of accounts.

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