Guidance

Academies chart of accounts and automating the accounts return

Financial data structure and guide for automating academy trust financial returns.

Applies to England

Documents

Academies chart of accounts 2025 to 2026

Academies chart of accounts 2024 to 2025

Details

This guidance is for academy trusts.

The academies chart of accounts is the Department for Education’s (DfE) standard for financial data that underpins the academies accounts return and budget forecast return. 

The ‘guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts’ explains how to use the academies chart of accounts.

The ‘academies chart of accounts’ spreadsheets provide the account codes and show how they map to DfE’s financial returns.

The ‘account codes guidance’ shows what should be included in the account codes.

You can use automated technology to submit trial balance data from the academies chart of accounts directly to DfE. We will then use it to pre-populate:

  • a large percentage of your accounts return
  • draft financial statements
  • one third of the budget forecast return

The ‘detailed user guide’ and ‘quick automation guide’ explain how this works and how to do it.

You can use the ‘draft trust financial statement template’ to populate the document manually.

Webinars, workshops and Q&A sessions

We host webinars and dial-in sessions on Eventbrite. You can view planned sessions and book your space at DfE academies chart of accounts and automation.

Further enquiries

Academies chart of accounts or automation

For queries about the academies chart of accounts or automation, contact us via the customer help portal. Put either ‘Academies chart of accounts’ or ‘Automation/API’ at the top of your enquiry, as appropriate.

Financial management software provider

For queries about financial management software providers, contact us via our support service.

Updates to this page

Published 14 May 2019
Last updated 1330 June 2025 + show all updates
  1. Added 'Academies chart of accounts 2025 to 2026' and 'Academies chart of accounts: account code guidance 2025 to 2026'. Removed 'Academies chart of accounts 2023 to 2024' and 'Academies chart of accounts: account code guidance 2024 to 2025'. Updated 'Guide to adopting the academies chart of accounts'.

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