If you work with intercompany transactions in Business Central and want to post to G/L accounts between your intercompany partners, you need to set up the intercompany chart of accounts first. When both companies use the same chart of accounts, you can map the accounts automatically using the Copy from Chart of Accounts and Map to Same Number functions. This saves you from mapping every account by hand. If the two companies use different charts of accounts, you have to map each account manually.
Why you need an intercompany chart of accounts
When you want to use G/L accounts between your intercompany partners, you need to set up the intercompany chart of accounts. This is what tells Business Central how the accounts in one company relate to the accounts in the partner company, so transactions can be posted correctly between them.
Setting up the intercompany chart of accounts when both companies match
If your chart of accounts is the same in both companies, there is a quick way to set this up.
Start by opening the intercompany chart of accounts. Then follow these steps:
- Click Process, then Copy from Chart of Accounts. This brings in the entire list of accounts.
- Mark all the lines in the list.
- Click Process again, then Map to Same Number.
The mapping to the G/L account is now done for you. This is useful when you have the same G/L account in both companies, because the system can match each account directly to its counterpart with the same number.
What to do when the companies use different charts of accounts
If your companies do not share the same chart of accounts, the automatic mapping does not apply. In that case you need to map the accounts each manually, so every account in one company points to the correct account in the partner company.
Q&A
When do I need to set up an intercompany chart of accounts in Business Central?
You need it whenever you want to use G/L accounts between your intercompany partners. It defines how the accounts in one company map to the accounts in the partner company so transactions can post correctly between them.
How do I set up the intercompany chart of accounts quickly when both companies use the same chart of accounts?
Open the intercompany chart of accounts, click Process and then Copy from Chart of Accounts to bring in the full list. Mark all the lines, then click Process again and choose Map to Same Number. The accounts are then mapped automatically.
What happens if the two companies do not use the same chart of accounts?
You cannot use the automatic Map to Same Number function. Instead you have to map each account manually so every account points to the correct counterpart in the partner company.