Before you start working with the system, you need to set up the default GL accounts for various types of objects, such as companies, employees, fixed assets, and items. Then, when you will be creating documents and transactions, the system will populate the document fields with proper default GL accounts and will use these default accounts to automatically generate the corresponding journal entries.
Note. If you use the default chart of accounts, the settings are predefined. You can adjust them, if necessary. If you changed (added, removed, replaced) any accounts in the chart of accounts, you will need to review and update the related default accounts.
There are the following three groups of default accounts:

Default account for general-use accounts used in some specific modules or specific functionality. You can specify different accounts for different entities. For this, you can use the Accounting > See also > GL Accounts by Default form. For more information, see [ GL Accounts by Default|e3a83985-8109-457f-8b12-6fb58513302f].

Default accounts for specific types of objects, for instance for Companies, Items, Warehouses, and so forth. You can set up the same accounts for all objects or you can specify separate sets of default accounts for particular groups of objects, or for particular objects, for instance, separate accounts for each Warehouse, for most expensive inventory items, and so forth. You can set up separate sets of accounts for particular entities. For example, see Companies. Default GL Accounts.

Default GL accounts for various Bank and Cash Accounts. Default accounts of this type are specified for the whole company and cannot be splitted on per entity basis. However, you can set different default accounts for bank accounts maintained in different currencies or in different banks. For more information, refer to Adding a Bank Account, Adding a Cash Account.

In this section

7.2.2.1. GL Accounts by Default
To view or edit the default GL accounts used in specific modules and by specific functionality, open the Accounting > See also > GL Accounts by Default form.
FirstBit User Guide > Using the Default GL Accounts > worddavbf7e434609d2cc48411f67157ef1778a.png
Default GL accounts for some modules and functionality

On this form, you can view the default GL accounts selected for All entities (in the row with no entity selected in the Entity column) and for specific entities.
If there is no separate row with default GL accounts for a particular entity, the accounts from the no-entity row will be applied.
The form includes the Entity field and, below the Entity field, a pane that contains fields for selecting the default accounts intended for a specific module or functionality. To switch between modules or functions, use the following tabs to the left:

Money: This tab allows you to set up default GL accounts for the Money module.
Exchange Differences: Use this tab to set up default GL accounts for gains and losses due to exchange rate fluctuations.
Payroll and Human Resources: This tab enables you to set up default GL accounts for the HR and Payroll module.
Taxes: This tab allows you to set up default GL accounts for the Taxes module.
Service: Using this tab, you can specify an account to be used as service account for beginning balances.

The pane to the right provides the fields specific for each tab which you use to select the corresponding default GL accounts.
If the Entity field is empty, the settings on the form are intended for all the entities of the company. If you need to specify accounts to be used for a particular entity, select this entity in the field and by using the tabs and fields below, create a set of default accounts for the entity.

The toolbar buttons

To create a new set of default accounts for a specific entity, click the Create button.
If for a specific entity, you need to replace only a few accounts, use the Copy button to copy one of the existing rows to a new one; then you will need to replace a few accounts.