Learn how to turn on and use account numbers for your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.
As your business grows, so does the list of accounts you use to categorise finances. If you have an extensive chart of accounts, don't worry. You can keep your accounts organised and easy to find by assigning numbers. We’ll show you how.
Step 1: Turn on account numbers
The account numbers feature is off by default. Here’s how to turn it on.
- Go to Settings ⚙ and select Account and settings.
- Select the Advanced tab.
- Select Edit ✎ in the Chart of accounts section.
- Turn on Enable account numbers. If you want account numbers to show on reports and transactions, select Show account numbers.
- Select Save and then Done.
Step 2: Assign account numbers
Want ideas for how to number your accounts?
You can assign any number to your accounts. But if you’re looking for recommendations, these account number ranges might help. These ranges are based on account types and follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
| Number range |
Account type |
| 10000-19999 |
Assets |
| 20000-29999 |
Liabilities |
| 30000-39999 |
Equity |
| 40000-49999 |
Income or Revenue |
| 50000-59999 |
Job Costs or Cost of Goods Sold |
| 60000-69999 |
Expenses or Overhead Costs |
| 70000-79999 |
Other Income |
| 80000-89999 |
Other Expense |
- Go to Accounting and select Chart of accounts.
- Select ✎ Batch edit above the Action column.
- Add account numbers in the Number column.
- Once you’re done, select Save.
Note: You'll not be able to allocate the same account number to more than one account.
To see your accounts’ numbers, go to Chart of accounts. Select the Gear icon at the top of the list (not on the navigation bar) in the Action column. Then, select Number.
Now you can spend less time looking for specific accounts in Chart of Accounts or when adding transactions. Quickly find accounts using the numbers you assigned to them.
Change the order of your chart of accounts
By default, your Chart of Accounts is organised alphabetically by account type.
If you wish to organise your Chart of Accounts by account number, select Number ▼ to sort in ascending or descending order.
Edit account numbers
If you need to change an account number, you can edit an this at any time:
- Go to Settings ⚙ and select Chart of accounts.
- Find the account you want to edit.
- Select the action ▼ dropdown and select Edit.
- Change the number and select Save and Close.
Learn more ways to organise your accounts
Here are more ways to keep your chart of accounts organised:
