Accounting

The ERPNext Accounting module covers financial accounting for one or more companies. Chart of accounts, taxes and payment terms are set up once and used by all other modules. Invoices, payments and stock movements create their postings automatically, so the general ledger and reports are always up to date.

Chart of accounts, companies and currencies

ERPNext ships chart of accounts templates for many countries, including SKR03 and SKR04 for Germany and a VEB chart for Switzerland. Other charts, such as the Austrian standard chart of accounts, can be imported. Several companies, also in different countries and currencies, run in one system, each with its own chart of accounts and tax templates, linked by inter-company transactions. Foreign currency and foreign bank accounts are valued at exchange rates and can be revalued.

Invoices, payments and dunning

Sales and purchase invoices post automatically to receivables, payables, revenue and expenses. Payments are allocated to invoices, including partial and bulk payments; payment reconciliation shows open items per customer or supplier. Payment terms with early payment discounts calculate the deduction automatically. For overdue invoices, ERPNext creates dunning letters with fees and custom text.

Banking and reconciliation

Bank statements are imported and matched with payments. Outstanding items and balances are therefore always current. Bank accounts can be connected directly. SEPA credit transfers and SEPA direct debits, including batch payments, are created directly from ERPNext.

Cost centers, budgets and reports

Cost centers and accounting dimensions assign income and expenses to departments, projects or locations. Budgets warn or block when exceeded. Deferred accounting spreads revenue and expenses over the term automatically, and the period closing voucher closes the fiscal year. Balance sheet, P&L, cash flow and trial balance are available instantly, including consolidated across companies.

Taxes, e-invoicing and compliance

Tax templates and tax rules calculate VAT automatically, including reverse charge, intra-EU supplies and the One-Stop-Shop (OSS). E-invoices in ZUGFeRD or XRechnung format are created directly from the sales invoice. Submitted documents cannot be changed, only cancelled and amended, and every change is logged. This supports compliance requirements such as the German GoBD. The DATEV integration passes the accounting data to the tax advisor.

How it connects to other modules

1. Selling and Buying: Invoices post automatically to receivables and payables.
2. Stock: Stock movements are posted at value (perpetual inventory).
3. Assets: Depreciation is posted automatically.
4. Projects: Costs and revenue can be assigned to projects.

Frequently asked questions

Which charts of accounts does ERPNext include? Templates for many countries, including SKR03 and SKR04 for Germany and a VEB chart for Switzerland. Other charts, such as the Austrian standard chart of accounts, can be imported. Every template can be adapted when setting up the company.

How is the opening balance migrated? Balances are entered via an opening entry, open invoices via a dedicated opening invoice tool. Outstanding items are in the system from day one with date and due date.

Can ERPNext create dunning letters? Yes. ERPNext creates dunning letters for overdue invoices, with dunning levels, fees and custom texts.

Does ERPNext support foreign currencies? Yes. Customers, suppliers and bank accounts can be kept in foreign currency. Exchange differences are posted on payment, and open items can be revalued at period end.

Can I create a credit note without the original invoice? Yes. Credit notes can refer to an invoice or be created on their own.

Does ERPNext support e-invoicing (ZUGFeRD and XRechnung)? Yes. With the open-source app “European e-Invoice”, ERPNext creates e-invoices directly from the sales invoice, for example as a ZUGFeRD PDF with embedded XML data. Incoming e-invoices can be imported and created as purchase invoices. phamos uses the app with customers in daily operations.

Does ERPNext have a DATEV integration? Yes. Accounting data is passed to the tax advisor in DATEV format. phamos sets up the integration to fit the customer's processes.

Does ERPNext support SEPA direct debits and credit transfers? Yes. SEPA direct debits and credit transfers are created directly from ERPNext, including batches covering many invoices at once.

Is ERPNext GoBD-compliant? ERPNext meets key technical requirements: submitted documents are immutable, corrections run via cancellation, and changes are logged. Full GoBD compliance also requires process documentation within the company.

Can ERPNext handle early payment discounts? Yes. Payment terms include a discount rate and discount period. If payment is made within the period, the discount is calculated and posted automatically.

How is VAT handled for EU transactions? Via tax rules: depending on country and customer, ERPNext automatically selects the right tax template, e.g. for reverse charge, intra-EU supplies or the One-Stop-Shop (OSS).