Free accounting category generator
Every ledger begins with good categories.
Generate accounting categories for your chart of accounts in seconds — assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, expenses, and COGS, numbered in the familiar 1000-series convention. Choose your business type, copy the list, and start bookkeeping with a clean structure. 100% in your browser: no sign-up, no tracking, nothing stored.
The Category Generator
100% in your browserA small business chart of accounts often starts with 15–25 categories.
Presets narrow the pool to the categories each business type actually uses.
Filter to one group to build that section of your chart.
Numbered uses the common 1000-series convention.
Your categories will appear here, drawn at random from the pool. Click any row to copy it.
Honest limits — read before you set up your books
- These are common starting-point categories, not accounting advice. The right chart of accounts depends on your business structure, industry, and country.
- This tool does not know your tax obligations. Deductibility rules, sales-tax handling, and reporting requirements vary by jurisdiction — a category list can't answer those questions.
- Account numbers follow a common convention, not a universal standard. The 1000-series layout is widely used by small businesses, but your accounting software or accountant may use a different scheme.
- When it matters, ask a qualified accountant — especially before filing taxes, taking on investors, or choosing between cash and accrual accounting.
- Safe uses: drafting a first chart of accounts, learning bookkeeping categories, building spreadsheet templates, classroom exercises.
How the generator works
A small, transparent engine: curated category pools, a secure shuffle, and your choice of format.
Curated, realistic categories
The pools mirror the account lists real small businesses use: 1000s for assets, 2000s for liabilities, 3000s for equity, 4000s for revenue, 5000s for expenses, 6000s for cost of goods sold. Business-type presets narrow the selection to what freelancers, retailers, or service firms actually need.
Private by construction
Shuffling uses crypto.getRandomValues(), the browser's secure random source. Generation, copying, and the .txt download happen locally — no backend, no analytics, no saved history. Close the tab and it's gone.
Formats that fit your books
Export numbered categories ready to paste into a spreadsheet or accounting tool, plain names for documents, or type-prefixed labels when you're teaching someone the structure. Every row copies individually with one click.
A starting point, not a standard
This tool drafts the skeleton of your books. The judgment calls — what to track separately, what to merge — stay yours.
Drafting a first chart of accounts
New business, new spreadsheet, blank accounting app: generate a sensible starting list instead of staring at an empty screen, then rename and prune to fit.
Learning bookkeeping
Students and new freelancers can see how categories group into the five account types — the fastest way to make double-entry bookkeeping click.
As tax or legal advice
A category list can't tell you what's deductible, when to collect sales tax, or whether to use cash or accrual accounting. Those answers come from a qualified accountant who knows your jurisdiction.
New to the chart of accounts?
Learn what the five account types are, how they feed your balance sheet and profit-and-loss statement, and why numbering matters.
Quick answers
What is a chart of accounts? +
A chart of accounts is the organized list of categories a business uses to record every transaction — assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, and expenses. It feeds the balance sheet, the profit-and-loss statement, and the cash-flow statement. Full explainer: what is a chart of accounts.
What are the five main accounting categories? +
Assets (what you own), liabilities (what you owe), equity (the owner's stake), revenue (income earned), and expenses (costs of operating). Cost of goods sold is often tracked as a sixth group to show gross profit clearly.
What do the account numbers mean? +
It's a common convention: 1000s for assets, 2000s for liabilities, 3000s for equity, 4000s for revenue, 5000s for expenses. The numbers make accounts easy to sort, find, and report on. It's a convention, not a law — consistency matters more than the exact digits.
How many categories does a small business need? +
Most small businesses run well on 15–25 accounts. Too few and your reports can't answer useful questions; too many and bookkeeping becomes a chore nobody maintains. Start simple and split a category only when you regularly ask questions it can't answer.
Is this accounting advice? +
No. This is a drafting tool that produces common starting-point categories. Tax rules, deductibility, and reporting requirements vary by country and situation — consult a qualified accountant before making decisions that affect filings or investors.
Is my data private? +
Yes. Everything runs locally in your browser with crypto.getRandomValues(). No accounts, no cookies, no tracking, nothing stored. Details on the privacy page.
From the bookkeeping desk
Longer reads on categories, charts of accounts, and the expenses freelancers overlook.
What is a chart of accounts?
The five account types, how they feed your financial statements, and why numbering keeps books clean.
Read the guide ReferenceThe complete categories list
Every group in one numbered reference table — the canonical starting list for a small business.
Browse the list GuideFreelancer expense categories
Home office, software stacks, professional development — the costs independent workers most often miss.
Read the guide