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Startup Chart of Accounts Template (Free .xlsx)
A chart of accounts purpose-built for venture-backed startups instead of the generic small-business chart QuickBooks defaults to. Seventy accounts on standard 4-digit ranges, with OpEx broken out by department and the startup-specific accounts most charts miss: deferred revenue, stock-based compensation, founder loans, and the R&D tax credit receivable.
Best for: Founders setting up QuickBooks or Xero for the first time, or cleaning up a default chart before diligence.
What's Inside
- 70 accounts with number, name, type, department, and description columns; filterable header and frozen top rows
- Standard 4-digit numbering: assets 1000s, liabilities 2000s, equity 3000s, revenue 4000s, COGS 5000s, OpEx 6000s, other income and expense 7000s
- OpEx broken out by department (R&D, S&M, G&A), including the R&D wage and contractor split that Section 41 credit studies need
- Startup-specific accounts most defaults miss: deferred revenue split current and long-term, stock-based compensation, founder loan accounts, R&D tax credit receivable
- How to Use sheet with step-by-step QuickBooks Online and Xero import instructions plus customization guidance
Like all our templates, it ships as a properly formatted .xlsx with live formulas, freeze panes, and conditional formatting. Yellow cells are editable inputs; everything else recalculates automatically.
How to Use It
- 1Review the account list and remove anything that does not apply to your business yet
- 2Follow the How to Use sheet to import: enable account numbers in QuickBooks Online and upload via Import Data, or paste into Xero's CSV template
- 3Keep the department structure intact; it is what makes questions like R&D as a percent of OpEx answerable later
- 4When deciding whether to add or split an account, ask whether an investor will want that category broken out in 12 months
Want the concepts behind the spreadsheet? Setting up a startup chart of accounts: the full guide
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this chart of accounts template free?
Yes. Direct .xlsx download, no signup or email required.
Can I import it into QuickBooks Online or Xero?
Yes. The How to Use sheet walks through both: for QuickBooks Online, enable account numbers, save the sheet as CSV, and upload via Import Data; for Xero, paste the columns into Xero's import CSV template. Field mappings are listed step by step.
Why use 4-digit account numbers?
Four-digit ranges keep categories from colliding: assets in the 1000s, liabilities 2000s, equity 3000s, revenue 4000s, COGS 5000s, operating expenses 6000s. Each department gets its own block inside OpEx, so you can add accounts later without renumbering anything.
What accounts does it include that default charts miss?
Deferred revenue split into current and long-term (required if you bill annual contracts up front), a stock-based compensation expense line under ASC 718, founder and shareholder loan accounts, an R&D tax credit receivable, and capitalized software development with its amortization contra account.
More Free Templates
Templates get you started. When you want the numbers maintained for you, StartupCFO bundles a bookkeeper, CPA, and fractional CFO from $179/mo. See pricing.
