A clean chart of accounts is the backbone of every clean set of books. Browse the three starter templates below, each shaped around how real founders in that business model spend, get paid, and report. Pick the template that matches what you actually do today, not what you might do in eighteen months. You can rename accounts or add sub-accounts later, but starting with the wrong structure forces bad habits into every report.
Once you have selected a template, companyforge.ai turns it into a working general ledger you can post to directly. Onboarding is invite-only through our waitlist, and every new workspace is paired with a finance concierge who reviews your first month of entries and tunes the chart before your numbers harden.
Template 1 — Freelance Services Company
Designed for solo consultants, agencies, and contract professionals billing by project, retainer, or hourly engagement.
| Code | Account | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Cash & Bank | Operating checking, savings, and PayPal/Stripe balances. |
| 1100 | Accounts Receivable | Unpaid invoices issued to clients. |
| 1200 | Work in Progress | Time and materials accumulated on active projects. |
| 1500 | Computer Equipment | Laptop, monitor, and accessories above the capitalization threshold. |
| 1510 | Accumulated Depreciation | Running depreciation offset against equipment. |
| 2000 | Accounts Payable | Vendor bills and subscription charges not yet paid. |
| 2100 | Tax Payable | Income tax, self-employment tax, and VAT/GST owed. |
| 2200 | Client Deposits | Advance retainers received before work is delivered. |
| 3000 | Owner's Equity | Capital contributed and retained earnings. |
| 3100 | Owner's Drawings | Personal withdrawals and owner-paid expenses. |
| 4000 | Service Revenue | Fees billed for consulting, design, development, and similar work. |
| 4100 | Reimbursed Expenses | Pass-through costs billed back to clients at cost. |
| 5000 | Software & Subscriptions | SaaS tools, stock assets, and recurring platforms. |
| 5100 | Professional Fees | Accountant, lawyer, and contractor costs. |
| 5200 | Home Office & Travel | Workspace, transport, and client-facing travel. |
| 5300 | Marketing & Business Dev | Website hosting, advertising, and networking. |
| 5400 | Bank & Payment Fees | Processor and wire charges. |
| 9000 | Income Tax Expense | Quarterly and annual tax provisions. |
Common misclassification notes for freelancers
- Reimbursed expenses are often lumped into Service Revenue, which inflates top-line revenue and overstates tax owed. Keep pass-through costs in a dedicated account at cost, with no markup.
- Owner-paid personal items routed through the business frequently land in Marketing or Software. Build a strict Drawings routine and a written reimbursement policy so personal spend never bleeds into operating expense.
- Client deposits are recorded as income on receipt instead of as a liability until the work ships. Treating retainers as deferred income keeps revenue recognition honest and protects the P&L.
Template 2 — Cross-Border E-Commerce Seller
Designed for founders selling physical goods through Shopify, Amazon, Etsy, or their own storefront across multiple countries and currencies.
| Code | Account | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Operating Bank | Primary business checking in home currency. |
| 1010 | Multi-Currency Wallet | PayPal, Wise, Airwallex, or marketplace balances in foreign currencies. |
| 1100 | Accounts Receivable | Net amounts owed by marketplaces after fees and reserves. |
| 1200 | Inventory | Finished goods on hand and in transit, valued at landed cost. |
| 1210 | Inventory Adjustments | Shrinkage, write-downs, and obsolescence. |
| 1300 | Prepaid Duties & VAT | Import taxes and input VAT recoverable in future periods. |
| 1500 | Equipment | Pack stations, label printers, and other capitalized gear. |
| 1510 | Accumulated Depreciation | Depreciation offset against equipment. |
| 2000 | Accounts Payable | Supplier invoices and 3PL fees outstanding. |
| 2100 | Marketplace Fees Payable | Commissions, storage, and advertising charges accrued by the platform. |
| 2200 | Sales Tax & VAT Payable | Consumer-facing tax collected and not yet remitted. |
| 2300 | Customs Duty Payable | Duties owed on imported inventory. |
| 3000 | Owner's Equity | Capital contributed and retained earnings. |
| 3100 | Owner's Drawings | Personal withdrawals and owner-paid expenses. |
| 4000 | Gross Sales | Total revenue before refunds, discounts, and fees. |
| 4100 | Sales Returns & Refunds | Refunded orders and chargebacks. |
| 4200 | Discounts & Promotions | Coupon codes, bundle savings, and promotional pricing. |
| 5000 | Cost of Goods Sold | Landed product cost of every unit shipped in the period. |
| 5100 | Marketplace Fees | Commissions, FBA, and storage charged by the platform. |
| 5200 | Shipping & Fulfilment | Outbound postage, 3PL pick-and-pack, and returns handling. |
| 5300 | Payment Processing | Gateway, processor, and FX conversion fees. |
| 5400 | Advertising | Paid acquisition on Meta, Google, TikTok, and marketplaces. |
| 5500 | Software & Tools | SaaS stack for ops, analytics, and creative production. |
| 9000 | Income Tax Expense | Corporate and deferred tax provisions across jurisdictions. |
Common misclassification notes for cross-border sellers
- Marketplace fees and refunds are netted directly against Gross Sales, which hides the true fee load. Post fees and refunds in their own accounts so contribution margin per channel is visible and tax filings match bank deposits.
- Inventory is recorded at supplier invoice price rather than landed cost, ignoring freight, duty, and insurance. Adding a true landed-cost layer to COGS protects margins once shipping rates rise.
- Foreign-currency balances sit at the original transaction value forever, creating phantom gains and losses. Mark-to-market the wallet at period end in your home currency and isolate FX gain/loss on a dedicated sub-account.
Template 3 — Holding Company
Designed for founders who own operating subsidiaries, intellectual property, or investment vehicles and need to track intercompany activity cleanly.
| Code | Account | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Cash & Equivalents | Central treasury, money market, and short-term deposits. |
| 1100 | Investments in Subsidiaries | Equity stake in each operating entity at cost or equity-method carrying value. |
| 1200 | Loans to Subsidiaries | Intercompany loans extended to operating entities. |
| 1300 | Intangible Assets | Acquired IP, trademarks, and capitalized development costs. |
| 1310 | Accumulated Amortization | Amortization offset against intangibles. |
| 1400 | Marketable Securities | Public equities, bonds, and ETFs held by the holdco. |
| 2000 | Accounts Payable | Outside counsel, audit, and administrative vendor bills. |
| 2100 | Loans Payable | External debt and shareholder notes. |
| 2200 | Interest Payable | Accrued interest on external borrowings. |
| 3000 | Share Capital | Issued common and preferred shares at par. |
| 3100 | Share Premium | Amounts paid in above par value on share issuance. |
| 3200 | Retained Earnings | Accumulated undistributed earnings since formation. |
| 3300 | Dividend Distributions | Dividends and distributions declared to shareholders. |
| 4000 | Dividend Income | Distributions received from subsidiary entities. |
| 4100 | Interest Income | Interest earned on intercompany and external loans. |
| 4200 | Investment Gains & Losses | Realized and unrealized movement on marketable securities. |
| 5000 | Director & Admin Fees | Board, registered agent, and corporate filing costs. |
| 5100 | Professional Services | Audit, tax, and legal support specific to the holdco. |
| 5200 | Bank & Custody Fees | Treasury, brokerage, and FX charges. |
| 5300 | Interest Expense | Interest on external debt and shareholder notes. |
| 9000 | Income Tax Expense | Holdco-level and deferred tax provisions. |
Common misclassification notes for holding companies
- Subsidiary investments are recorded at the original cheque size and never revalued, masking real economic exposure. Use equity-method adjustments or fair-value marks so the balance sheet reflects current performance.
- Intercompany loans are posted to the same Accounts Receivable used for outside customers, which corrupts aging reports. A dedicated Intercompany Receivable account keeps consolidation clean and audit-ready.
- Director fees and personal travel are filed under Professional Services without supporting invoices, triggering reclassification at year-end. Capture retainers, meeting fees, and reimbursed costs on separate lines with documentation attached.
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