Best Practice for legally required Chart of Account

Question

Dear all,
our client has a global defined chart of account. Now they are going to implement the SAP template in France, Belgium and Russia. These countries have legally required chart of accounts. What is best practice to fullfill these requirements in SAP.
1) Do I use the alternative account number?
2) Isn't this field on the central level of the account master data record? How do I manage to realize the different number for Russia and for France at the same time?
Thank you very much for your help.
Best regards Timo

Answer 1

Hi,
the best way proofed by real life is to define new chart of accounts for the country specific accounts. Then to assign this chart of accounts as country chart of accounts in company code parameters.
Then you can use field alternative account number in company code segment of G/L accounts.
Just keep in mind that the assigment should be 1:1, i.e. one operative (global) account is assigned to one local account and one local account should be assigned to one operative account.
You can't change the alternative account number if there is balance on that account. You can just repost the balance to another account, then change alternative acccount number and then post the balance back. For some accounts its difficult to do such excercise so I use short ABAP which changes directly the field in table SKB1.
You can also define financial statement strucutre based on local chart of accounts - which is usually easier for maintennace, because you can use intervals. Just do not forget check "Alternantive accounts" in RFBILA00.
Regards,
Michal