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EDIFACT message guide · Finance

CHACCO Chart of accounts

The UN/EDIFACT message used to communicate charts of accounts for accounting, audit, consolidation and analysis.

Sent by
Enterprise, parent company or accountant
Received by
Subsidiary, auditor or other user
Standard
UN/EDIFACT · Batch message
X12 equivalent
No direct equivalent

What is the EDIFACT CHACCO message?

CHACCO is the UN/EDIFACT chart of accounts message. The directory defines it as dealing with the communication of charts of accounts between an organization and whoever may use them for accounting, auditing, cost accounting, consolidation, financial analysis and similar purposes.

The chart of accounts defines the account numbers, names and structure used to record transactions. Sharing it is the first step in exchanging accounting data, since ledgers, entries and balances only make sense with the account definitions behind them. Hierarchies can be included.

How the EDIFACT CHACCO message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT CHACCO Chart of accounts message. Enterprise, parent company or accountant sends it to subsidiary, auditor or other user. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by LEDGER, BALANC and ENTREC. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address), the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item) and CPT (Account identification) and EQN (Number of units). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT CHACCO message worksChart of accounts: who sends it, where it fits and what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeCHACCOSENDEREnterprise, parentcompany oraccountantRECEIVERSubsidiary, auditor orother userCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYLEDGERLedgerBALANCBalanceENTRECAccounting entries2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDsUNB … UNZMessage CHACCOUNH … UNTSTART OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats up to 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeats many timesLINLine itemCPTAccount identificationEQNNumber of units+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:CTACCIRELNADAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditional groups are listed by the trigger segment that starts them; a group is sent only when its data applies.Conditional segments outside groups are not drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in the UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for CHACCO. Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.
How the EDIFACT CHACCO message worksDiagram of the UN/EDIFACT CHACCO Chart of accounts message. Enterprise, parent company or accountant sends it to subsidiary, auditor or other user. It usually starts the exchange. It is usually followed by LEDGER, BALANC and ENTREC. Inside the UNB and UNH envelopes, the directory D.21A requires, in the start of message: BGM (Beginning of message) and DTM (Date/time/period) and body and segment groups: the required SG1 loop with NAD (Name and address), the required SG4 loop with LIN (Line item) and CPT (Account identification) and EQN (Number of units). 5 conditional segment groups are listed by their trigger segment.How the EDIFACT CHACCOmessage worksChart of accounts: who sends it, where it fitsand what the directory marks mandatory1 WHERE IT FITSUSUALLY FOLLOWSStarts the exchangeCHACCOSENDEREnterprise,parent companyor accountantRECEIVERSubsidiary,auditor or otheruserCONTRL syntax report back, if agreedUSUALLY FOLLOWED BYLEDGERLedgerBALANCBalanceENTRECAccounting entries2 WHAT DIRECTORY D.21A REQUIRESInterchange: sender and recipient IDs(UNB … UNZ)Message CHACCO (UNH … UNT)START OF MESSAGEBGMBeginning of messageDTMDate/time/periodBODY AND SEGMENT GROUPSMandatory group SG1 · repeats upto 99NADName and addressMandatory group SG4 · repeatsmany timesLINLine itemCPTAccount identificationEQNNumber of units+ 5 conditional groups, starting with:CTACCIRELNADAUTBlue box: mandatory segment group. Conditionalgroups are listed by the trigger segment thatstarts them; a group is sent only when its dataapplies. Conditional segments outside groups arenot drawn.Structure: mandatory segments and groups in theUN/EDIFACT directory D.21A listing for CHACCO.Your trading partner's implementation guide adds itsown requirements.

How to read this diagram: the top row shows who sends CHACCO, to whom, and which messages usually come before and after it. The lower part shows what the directory D.21A itself requires: the envelopes around CHACCO and the segments and segment groups it marks mandatory. Conditional groups are listed by their trigger segment rather than drawn in full. This is the directory's minimum, not a trading partner's requirement: a message implementation guide, such as an industry subset or a partner’s own guide, usually makes some conditional groups mandatory, restricts the codes and may use an older directory.

Expand diagram Download SVG

When it is used

  • Distributing a group chart of accounts to subsidiaries
  • Sending account definitions to auditors
  • Mapping accounts between systems

Where it fits in the message flow

This message CHACCO Chart of accounts
Usually followed by LEDGER LedgerBALANC BalanceENTREC Accounting entries

Structure

Mandatory segments in CHACCO (directory D.21A)

In UN/EDIFACT directory D.21A, the CHACCO message has 32 segment positions arranged in 9 segment groups. These are the segments and segment groups marked mandatory at message level, in order; a mandatory group is shown with the segment that starts it. Segments inside conditional groups are needed only when the group is used. This is the directory’s requirement, not your trading partner’s: each partner’s message implementation guide names the directory it uses, often an older one such as D.96A or D.01B where the structure can differ, makes some conditional segments mandatory and restricts the codes.

  • UNH
  • BGM
  • DTM
  • SG1 (NAD)
  • SG4 (LIN)
  • EQN
  • UNT

Practical example

CHACCO in practice

A group introduces a harmonized chart of accounts for consolidation. It sends each subsidiary a CHACCO with the group account numbers, names and hierarchy. Subsidiaries map their local accounts to the group accounts, and later report balances with BALANC against the new structure.

Implementation

Implementation considerations for CHACCO

  • Version charts of accounts with effective dates.
  • Keep mappings between local and group accounts.
  • Communicate changes before the period they apply to.
  • Include the account hierarchy, not only the list.

How ECOM helps

Automate CHACCO with ECOM

Solution

Financial Document Automation

Automate invoices, remittances, payment files and bank statements from capture to posting.

Solution

Enterprise Integration

Any-to-any integration across partners, systems, protocols, security requirements, formats and ERPs, in batch or real time.

Industry

Financial Services

Secure file transfer and B2B integration for banks and financial institutions.

Compare X12 and EDIFACT, or see answers to general questions in the EDI FAQ.

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