GL Account Types & Sub-Types
This is the complete reference for how REDA Financials AI classifies every GL account. Classification happens on three dependent levels — Type → Sub-Type → Sub-Type 2 — plus an IFRS Category for statutory and XBRL reporting. The values are drawn directly from IAS 1, Presentation of Financial Statements, so a correctly classified chart produces IFRS-ready financial statements with no manual reclassification.
Each level is dependent on the one above it: choosing a Type filters the available Sub-Types, and choosing a Sub-Type filters the available Sub-Type 2 line items. This guarantees you can never build an internally inconsistent account (a “Current” equity account, say). Use the most specific level that applies — it makes your statements more meaningful and your reporting more precise.
Access you'll need. Classifying accounts requires the Accounting Admin v2 or Accounting Controller v2 permission set. The Accounts Payable v2, Accounts Receivable v2, and Read Only v2 sets can view accounts but not change them.
What’s fixed, and what you can adapt
REDA ships this classification ready to use and IFRS-aligned out of the box. Only one part of it is locked — everything below it is yours to shape around your own reporting requirements.
| Element | Change the values? | Rename / translate? |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fixed — keep the five provided | Yes |
| Sub-Type | Yours to adapt | Yes |
| Sub-Type 2 | Yours to adapt | Yes |
| IFRS Category | Yours to adapt | Yes |
Type drives the normal balance
Type is the foundation. It decides which financial statement the account appears on and — through the rules of double-entry — whether the account’s Normal Balance is a Debit or a Credit. REDA sets the Normal Balance automatically and makes it read-only, so this can never be wrong.
| Type | Statement | Normal Balance | Increases with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset | Balance Sheet | Debit | Debits |
| Liability | Balance Sheet | Credit | Credits |
| Equity | Balance Sheet | Credit | Credits |
| Revenue | Income Statement | Credit | Credits |
| Expense | Income Statement | Debit | Debits |
Asset accounts
Resources the entity owns or controls. Split into current (realised within 12 months) and non-current (long-term), per IAS 1.
| Sub-Type | Sub-Type 2 line items |
|---|---|
| Current Assets | Cash and Cash Equivalents · Trade Receivables · Other Receivables · Inventories · Prepaid Expenses · Current Tax Assets · Other Current Assets |
| Non-Current Assets | Property, Plant and Equipment · Right-of-Use Assets · Intangible Assets · Goodwill · Investments in Associates · Financial Assets · Deferred Tax Assets · Other Non-Current Assets |
Liability accounts
Obligations the entity owes. Current liabilities settle within 12 months; non-current are longer-term.
| Sub-Type | Sub-Type 2 line items |
|---|---|
| Current Liabilities | Trade Payables · Other Payables · Accrued Liabilities · Current Borrowings · Deferred Revenue · Current Tax Liabilities · Current Lease Liabilities · Other Current Liabilities |
| Non-Current Liabilities | Long-Term Borrowings · Non-Current Lease Liabilities · Deferred Tax Liabilities · Provisions · Other Non-Current Liabilities |
Equity accounts
The owners’ residual interest in the entity — capital contributed, profits retained, and reserves.
| Sub-Type | Sub-Type 2 line items |
|---|---|
| Contributed Capital | Share Capital · Share Premium · Treasury Shares |
| Retained Earnings | Retained Earnings · Accumulated Losses |
| Other Equity Components | Revaluation Reserve · Translation Reserve · Hedging Reserve · Other Reserves |
Revenue accounts
Income earned. Operating revenue is your core business income (IFRS 15); other income is incidental or non-operating.
| Sub-Type | Sub-Type 2 line items |
|---|---|
| Operating Revenue | Sales of Goods · Revenue from Services · Rental Income · Subscription Revenue · Other Operating Revenue |
| Other Income | Interest Income · Dividend Income · Gain on Disposal · Foreign Exchange Gain · Other Non-Operating Income |
Expense accounts
Costs incurred. The Sub-Types follow the IAS 1 “function of expense” presentation — cost of sales, operating expenses, finance costs, and other.
| Sub-Type | Sub-Type 2 line items |
|---|---|
| Cost of Sales | Direct Materials · Direct Labour · Manufacturing Overhead · Cost of Services Delivered |
| Operating Expenses | Selling and Distribution · General and Administrative · Depreciation and Amortisation · Salaries and Benefits · Rent and Occupancy · Marketing and Advertising · Research and Development · Other Operating Expenses |
| Finance Costs | Interest Expense · Bank Charges · Lease Finance Charges · Foreign Exchange Loss |
| Other Expenses | Loss on Disposal · Impairment Loss · Income Tax Expense · Other Non-Operating Expenses |
The IFRS Category — the regulatory bridge
Where Type → Sub-Type → Sub-Type 2 drives REDA’s own statements, the optional IFRS Category field tags an account against the formal IAS 1 statement-of-financial- position and statement-of-profit-or-loss line items. This is the layer used for statutory reporting and XBRL-style regulatory filing, where the taxonomy must match the standard exactly. The available categories, grouped by statement:
| Statement section | IFRS Category values |
|---|---|
| Assets — Current | Cash and Cash Equivalents · Trade and Other Receivables · Inventories · Current Tax Assets · Other Current Financial Assets · Other Current Non-Financial Assets |
| Assets — Non-Current | Property, Plant and Equipment · Right-of-Use Assets · Goodwill · Other Intangible Assets · Investments in Associates and JVs · Other Non-Current Financial Assets · Deferred Tax Assets |
| Liabilities — Current | Trade and Other Current Payables · Current Tax Liabilities · Current Borrowings · Other Current Financial Liabilities · Other Current Non-Financial Liabilities |
| Liabilities — Non-Current | Non-Current Borrowings · Non-Current Provisions · Deferred Tax Liabilities · Other Non-Current Liabilities |
| Equity | Issued Capital · Share Premium · Retained Earnings · Other Reserves · Non-Controlling Interests |
| Profit or Loss | Revenue · Cost of Sales · Other Operating Income · Distribution Costs · Administrative Expenses · Research and Development Costs · Other Operating Expenses · Finance Income · Finance Costs · Income Tax Expense · Profit from Discontinued Operations |
| Cash Flow | Operating Activities · Investing Activities · Financing Activities |
Where to go next
- Understanding GL Accounts — where these types are applied.
- Creating & Managing GL Accounts — set the type on an account.
- Control Accounts (AR & AP) — special sub-types explained.
- Cash Flow Categories (IAS 7) — another account classification.
- Chart of Accounts Setup Best Practices — apply types consistently.
Frequently asked questions
The lists are dependent. Sub-Type 2 only shows the line items valid for the Sub-Type you picked, and Sub-Type only shows the ones valid for the Type. If an option you expect isn’t there, check the level above it — you may need a different Sub-Type first.
Sub-Type 2 is REDA’s internal line-item taxonomy — it’s what your in-app financial statements group on. IFRS Category is the formal IAS 1 tag used for external statutory and XBRL reporting. They overlap heavily but serve different audiences: one drives your day-to-day reports, the other your regulatory filings.
The classification spine is IFRS-aligned, which maps cleanly to US GAAP for the vast majority of accounts. Where presentation genuinely differs, use a reporting framework to present the same chart under US GAAP — you don’t duplicate accounts to switch standards.
Yes. Sub-Type and Sub-Type 2 are yours to extend — add the line items your reporting requires, and the financial statements will pick them up automatically. The only fixed element is the Type, which stays as shipped. For cross-cutting management views — presenting the same accounts by department, region, or a different standard — account groups and reporting frameworks remain the better tool, since they give you multiple independent views without altering the core taxonomy.
Was this article helpful?