Download Xero Chart of Accounts (CSV, PDF) with nominal code or account code

June 25, 2024 4 min read

In today’s fast-paced business environment, efficient financial management is crucial. One of the key tools for maintaining organized financial records is the Chart of Accounts. If you’re using Xero accounting software, you can easily export your Xero’s Chart of Accounts into CSV or PDF formats.

This guide will walk you through the steps to download your Xero Chart of Accounts template with nominal codes. Helping you streamline your financial reporting and data integration processes.

Xero’s Chart of Accounts is a vital financial tool for businesses, organizing all the financial transactions into categories. Exporting this data from Xero allows for comprehensive analysis, reporting, and integration with other systems.

Step-by-Step Guide on Download Xero’s Chart of Accounts

Step 1: Log in to Xero

Go to go.xero.com, and log in or register for a new account.

Step 2: Navigate to the Accounting Section

Click the “Accounting” menu on the dashboard page and navigate to the Accounting section.

Screenshot of an online accounting software dashboard highlighting the "Accounting" menu tab with a yellow arrow. The dashboard displays account balances, recent transactions, and account watchlist.

Step 3: Access the Chart of Accounts Tab

Select “Chart of Accounts” from the menu. Access the Chart of Accounts tab.

A screenshot of the Xero accounting software interface showing the "Chart of Accounts" section highlighted with an arrow pointing to it. Other menus like "Dashboard" and "Contacts" are visible at the top.

Step 4: Export the Data

Click the “Export” button to export data into a CSV file.

Click “Print PDF” to generate a PDF copy of the formatted Chart of Accounts.

Screenshot of accounting software interface showing a 'Chart of accounts' section and highlighting a button labeled 'Export' with a yellow arrow.

Screenshot of an accounting software interface displaying a "Chart of accounts" page. An arrow points to a button labeled "Print PDF" highlighted in a box for emphasis.

Category	Account Type	Nominal Code Patterns
Asset	Bank, Current Asset, Fixed Asset, Inventory, Non-current Asset, Prepayment	1xx
Liabilities	Current Liability, Liability, Non-current Liability	2xx
Expenses	Depreciation, Direct Costs, Expense, Overhead	4xx
Equity	Equity>	3xx
Revenue	Other Income, Revenue, Sales	5xx

Xero Demo Company Chart of Accounts with Account Codes / Nominal Codes

Code	Name	Type	Tax code	Description
620	Prepayments	Current Asset	Tax Exempt (0%)	An expenditure that has been paid for in advance.
710	Office Equipment	Fixed Asset	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Office equipment that is owned and controlled by the business
711	Less Accumulated Depreciation on Office Equipment	Fixed Asset	Tax Exempt (0%)	The total amount of office equipment cost that has been consumed by the entity (based on the useful life)
720	Computer Equipment	Fixed Asset	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Computer equipment that is owned and controlled by the business
721	Less Accumulated Depreciation on Computer Equipment	Fixed Asset	Tax Exempt (0%)	The total amount of computer equipment cost that has been consumed by the business (based on the useful life)

Liabilities

Code	Name	Type	Tax code	Description
825	Employee Tax Payable	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	The amount of tax that has been deducted from wages or salaries paid to employees and is due to be paid
826	Superannuation Payable	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	The amount of superannuation that is due to be paid
830	Income Tax Payable	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	The amount of income tax that is due to be paid, also resident withholding tax paid on interest received.
835	Revenue Received in Advance	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	When customers pay in advance of work/services.
850	Suspense	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	An entry that allows an unknown transaction to be entered, so the accounts can still be worked on in balance and the entry can be dealt with later.
880	Owner A Drawings	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	Withdrawals by the owners
881	Owner A Funds Introduced	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)	Funds contributed by the owner
855	Clearing Account	Current Liability	Tax Exempt (0%)

Revenue

Code	Name	Type	Tax code	Description
200	Sales	Revenue	Tax on Sales (0%)	Income from any normal business activity
260	Other Revenue	Revenue	Tax on Sales (0%)	Any other income that does not relate to normal business activities and is not recurring
270	Interest Income	Revenue	Tax Exempt (0%)	Interest income

Equity

Code	Name	Type	Tax code	Description
970	Owner A Share Capital	Equity	Tax Exempt (0%)	The value of shares purchased by the shareholders

Expense

Code	Name	Type	Tax code	Description
300	Purchases	Direct Costs	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Goods purchased with the intention of selling these to customers
310	Cost of Goods Sold	Direct Costs	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Cost of goods sold by the business.
400	Advertising	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred for advertising while trying to increase sales
404	Bank Fees	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Fees charged by your bank for transactions regarding your bank account(s).
408	Cleaning	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred for cleaning business property.
412	Consulting & Accounting	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses related to paying consultants
416	Depreciation	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	The amount of the asset’s cost (based on the useful life) that was consumed during the period
420	Entertainment	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Expenses paid by company for the business but are not deductible for income tax purposes.
425	Freight & Courier	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred on courier & freight costs
429	General Expenses	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	General expenses related to the running of the business.
433	Insurance	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred for insuring the business’ assets
437	Interest Expense	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Any interest expenses paid to your tax authority, business bank accounts or credit card accounts.
441	Legal expenses	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred on any legal matters
445	Light, Power, Heating	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred for lighting, powering or heating the premises
449	Motor Vehicle Expenses	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred on the running of company motor vehicles
453	Office Expenses	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	General expenses related to the running of the business office.
461	Printing & Stationery	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred by the entity as a result of printing and stationery
469	Rent	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	The payment to lease a building or area.
473	Repairs and Maintenance	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred on a damaged or run down asset that will bring the asset back to its original condition.
477	Wages and Salaries	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Payment to employees in exchange for their resources
478	Superannuation	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Superannuation contributions
485	Subscriptions	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	E.g. Magazines, professional bodies
489	Telephone & Internet	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenditure incurred from any business-related phone calls, phone lines, or internet connections
493	Travel – National	Expense	Tax on Purchases (0%)	Expenses incurred from domestic travel which has a business purpose
494	Travel – International	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	Expenses incurred from international travel which has a business purpose
505	Income Tax Expense	Expense	Tax Exempt (0%)	A percentage of total earnings paid to the government.

Information

Here is the list of accounts downloaded from the Xero demo organization:

Download Demo Company CSV
Download Demo Company PDF

Further Reading:
Crack the Code: How Unified Nominal Codes Simplify Multi-Company Financial Reporting?

Conclusion on Download Xero’s Chart of Accounts

When creating your COA, you can use the same nominal code series or adjust it based on the size of your organization. For large organizations, consider using 4 or 5-digit nominal codes. This approach is useful if there are multiple locations and departments. It helps differentiate expense accounts while keeping other accounts as 3-digit codes.