How to set up the Chart of Accounts

Accounting Updated 14 Aug 2026 Version 1

Summary

Build your SACCO's account structure in CAMS: add groups to the Chart of Accounts, then add the ledgers that transactions post to.

About 4 minutes · 8 steps. Also called: COA, ledgers, general ledger, account structure.

Prerequisites

  • A CAMS Admin sign-in with access to the Accounting menu.
  • A plan agreed with your accountant: which groups you need, the ledgers under each, their codes and opening balances.

Step-by-step

Everything in this course lives under Accounting in the left menu. The chart you build here shapes every report, because each ledger feeds the group totals above it.

Warning: Changing the chart affects your trial balance and financial statements. Agree any restructuring with your accounting staff first.

  1. Sign in to CAMS Admin. New to CAMS? See How to sign in and navigate CAMS Admin.

  2. In the left menu, expand Accounting and click Charts of Accounts. The Chart of Accounts screen lists your groups and ledgers, with Account Name, Code, Type, O/P Balance (opening) and C/L Balance (closing) columns.

    The Chart of Accounts screen, with Accounting highlighted in the left menu
    Figure 1: The Chart of Accounts screen, with Accounting highlighted in the left menu

  3. Check the branch control in the header. All Branches shows every branch together; one branch shows that branch alone. Later lessons use this control too.

  4. Click Add Groups. The Group Details form opens.

    The Add Group form with the Group name field, the Select parent group dropdown and the Group Code field
    Figure 2: The Add Group form with the Group name field, the Select parent group dropdown and the Group Code field

  5. Type the Group name, place it with Select parent group, and add a Group Code if your process uses codes. Click Save. The group appears in the list.

  6. Back on Chart of Accounts, click Add Ledgers. The Ledger Details form opens.

    The Chart of Accounts screen with the Add Ledgers button highlighted
    Figure 3: The Chart of Accounts screen with the Add Ledgers button highlighted

  7. Fill in the Ledger name, Parent group and a unique Code. If the ledger starts with a balance, set the Opening Balance, its debit or credit side, and the Opening Date. Category, Maturity Date, Notes and Unique ID are there when you need them.

  8. Click Save. The ledger appears under its group; click it to see its balances and entries.

Note: A bank or cash ledger needs two extra settings before the Cash Book sees it. The next lesson covers them.

The rest of this course: cash and bank accounts, the financial year, and importing transactions. Then proving the books: the reconciliation report, tracing a wrong balance, correcting a transaction, the Accounting Reports hub, and the Cash Flow Statement mapping.

Common pitfalls & FAQ

  • Groups or ledgers? Groups organise the tree. Transactions post to ledgers, so you cannot post to a group.
  • The Save button is disabled. The name and the Parent group are required on both forms.
  • The balances look wrong or empty. Check the branch control and the period selector. A ledger's opening balance should match the prior-year closing figure your accountant approved.
  • The ledger sits under the wrong group. Parent group decides where it lands and which report totals it feeds. Set it before you save.

Back to course: Accounting in CAMS