Chart of Accounts Mapping

Map legacy GL accounts to Associa standard chart of accounts for consistency and reporting

Overview

Chart of Accounts (COA) mapping allows you to map your organization's legacy GL accounts to Associa's standard chart of accounts. This standardization:

Enables consistent reporting across all associations
Simplifies financial consolidation at the corporate level
Supports benchmarking across similar associations
Streamlines accounting operations with standardized account structures
Facilitates compliance through consistent categorization

What is COA Mapping?

COA mapping creates relationships between:

Corporate GL Accounts (Your Legacy Accounts)

Account codes and names from your existing system
May vary by acquired company or legacy system
Often use different numbering schemes
Reflect historical accounting practices

Standard GL Accounts (Associa Standards)

Consistent account codes across all associations
Standardized descriptions and categories
Defined by Associa for reporting and operations
Enable cross-portfolio analysis

Accessing COA Mapping

Navigate to: Operational Setup → COA Mapping

You'll find three main views:

Current Accounts - Your legacy corporate GL accounts
Standard Accounts - Associa's reference chart of accounts
Account Mappings - View and manage mappings between the two

The Mapping Process

1. Review Your Corporate Accounts

Start by understanding what accounts you're working with:

Go to Current Accounts tab
Review your existing GL accounts
Note accounts that are:
- Actively used
- Legacy/obsolete
- Need special handling
Identify accounts needing mapping

2. Understand Standard Accounts

Familiarize yourself with the standard structure:

Go to Standard Accounts tab
Browse Associa's standard chart of accounts
Note the categorization:
- Assets (1000-1999) - Operating cash, reserves, receivables, fixed assets
- Liabilities (2000-2999) - Payables, deferred revenue, loans
- Equity (3000-3999) - Member equity, retained earnings
- Income (4000-4999) - Assessments, late fees, interest income
- Expenses (5000-6999) - Operating and reserve expenses
Search for accounts similar to your legacy accounts

3. Create Mappings

Map your accounts to standards:

Go to Account Mappings tab
Click Create Mapping or select a corporate account
Choose the corresponding standard account
Review the mapping:
- Does the category match? (Asset to Asset, Expense to Expense)
- Is the functional purpose aligned?
- Does this make business sense?
Click Save

4. Handle Special Cases

For accounts without direct matches:

Option 1: Map to Closest Standard

Choose the most similar standard account
Document the variance in notes
Flag for review during reconciliation

Option 2: Create Custom Mapping

Mark as custom mapping
Document business justification
Get approval from accounting leadership

Option 3: Mark as Inactive

For obsolete or discontinued accounts
Don't migrate transaction history
Archive for reference only

Common Mapping Scenarios

Scenario: Direct Match

Corporate Account: 1010 - Operating Checking Standard Account: 1010 - Operating Cash Action: Direct 1:1 mapping Notes: Perfect alignment, no special handling needed

Scenario: Different Numbering

Corporate Account: 10000 - Operating Bank Account Standard Account: 1010 - Operating Cash Action: Map 10000 → 1010 Notes: Legacy used 5-digit codes, standard uses 4-digit

Scenario: Multiple Legacy Accounts to One Standard

Corporate Accounts:

5100 - Landscape - Mowing
5110 - Landscape - Tree Trimming
5120 - Landscape - Irrigation

Standard Account: 5010 - Landscaping Action: Map all three → 5010 Notes: Legacy had detailed breakdown, standard consolidates. Use sub-ledgers or expense types for detail if needed.

Scenario: One Legacy Account to Multiple Standards

Corporate Account: 5000 - Maintenance & Repairs

This broad account may need to split to:

5600 - Repairs and Maintenance (general)
6010 - Reserve Expense - Roof Replacement (if includes reserve projects)

Action: Requires transaction-level analysis Notes: Review historical usage. May need manual intervention during migration.

Scenario: No Standard Equivalent

Corporate Account: 8000 - Promotional Events Standard: No direct match

Options:

Map to 5xxx - closest general expense category
Request new standard account (if common across portfolio)
Create custom mapping with documentation

Association-Level GL Accounts

In addition to organization-level corporate GL accounts, you can configure association-level GL accounts that serve as overrides or extensions to the corporate chart of accounts.

What are Association GL Accounts?

Association GL accounts are stored in the association_gl_accounts table and represent:

Local account codes - What the association board and residents see
Local account names - Association-specific naming
Corporate account linkage - Optional reference to a corporate GL account

When to Use Association GL Accounts

Common scenarios:

Association-Specific Naming
- Association prefers "Clubhouse Repairs" instead of corporate account "Building Maintenance"
- Local code differs from corporate code (e.g., local "5100" maps to corporate "53000")
Association-Only Accounts
- Special project accounts (e.g., "Pool Renovation Fund")
- Temporarily funds or restricted accounts
- Local regulatory requirements
Multiple Associations Sharing Corporate Account
- Corporate account "Landscaping" (code 5010)
- Association A local: "5100 - Grounds Maintenance"
- Association B local: "600 - Landscape Services"
- Both map to same corporate account

Structure

Corporate GL Account (Organization Level)
   Code: 5010
   Name: Landscaping
   ↓ maps to
Standard GL Account (Associa Standard)
   Code: 5010
   Name: Landscaping

Association GL Account (Association Level - Optional)
   Association: Sunset Meadows HOA
   Local Code: 600
   Local Name: Grounds Maintenance
   Corporate GL Account: 5010 (reference)
   ↓ uses mapping from parent corporate account
Standard GL Account (Associa Standard)
   Code: 5010
   Name: Landscaping

Benefits of Association GL Accounts

Flexibility:

Preserve association's historical account codes
Allow board-familiar terminology
Support association-specific accounts

Standardization:

Still map to corporate accounts for reporting
Leverage corporate-to-standard mappings
Enable portfolio-wide consolidation

Transition Support:

Gradual migration from legacy account structures
Maintain continuity for board and auditors
Simplify change management during onboarding

Managing Association GL Accounts

Association GL accounts are typically:

Created during data migration from legacy systems
Configured per association as needed
Linked to corporate GL accounts for mapping
Enabled/disabled based on association needs

Important: Association GL accounts inherit the mapping from their linked corporate GL account. If a corporate account maps to a standard account, the association account automatically uses that same mapping.

Managing Mappings

Viewing Mappings

The Account Mappings view shows:

Corporate account code and name
Mapped standard account (if any)
Mapping type (standard or custom)
Status (active/inactive)
Last updated information

For association GL accounts:

Association accounts appear in their local context
Show linkage to corporate accounts
Display inherited mappings
Association-specific enabled/disabled status

Filtering and Search

Find mappings quickly:

Filter by category - Assets, Liabilities, Expenses, etc.
Filter by status - Mapped, unmapped, custom
Search - Find by account code or name
Sort - By code, name, or category

Bulk Operations

Efficiently manage multiple mappings:

Export to CSV - Review offline, share with accounting team
Import mappings - Upload bulk mapping decisions
Bulk update - Change multiple mappings at once

Validation

The system validates mappings to prevent errors:

Category consistency - Can't map Asset to Expense
Active accounts - Warns if mapping to inactive standard
Duplicate mappings - Prevents mapping one corporate account to multiple standards
Circular references - Detects and prevents logical errors