How Xero maps BankLink accounts to Xero

Learn how Xero maps your BankLink Practice account information to Xero's chart of accounts. If you get errors when you import your BankLink accounts, this information will help you troubleshoot.

Code (BankLink: Account Code)

Your account code in BankLink becomes your account code in Xero. Change the account code in your BankLink CSV file before you import it into Xero if it doesn't meet these criteria:

The code is unique.
The code includes letters, numbers or symbols, up to 10 characters. You can use symbols within the code, but not at the start.

Name (BankLink: Account Description)

Your account description in BankLink becomes your account name in Xero. Change the account description in your BankLink CSV file before you import it into Xero if it doesn't meet these criteria:

The name is unique.
The name uses letters, numbers or symbols, up to 150 characters. You can use symbols within the name, but not at the start.
For bank accounts, the name has fewer than 30 characters so it fits on the Dashboard.

Type (BankLink: Account Group)

Xero uses the account type to determine where the account appears in your financial reports.

Components of an account in your Xero chart of accounts - Type

Don't change your BankLink account groups in your import file. Xero maps account groups automatically.

Xero maps BankLink account groups as follows:

BankLink account group	Xero account type
Debtors	Current Assets
Cash on Hand	Bank
Current Asset	Current Assets
Stock on Hand	Current Assets
Creditors	Current Liabilities
Current Liability	Current Liabilities
Closing Stock	Direct Costs
Direct Expense	Direct Costs
Opening Stock	Direct Costs
Purchases	Direct Costs
GST Payable	Current Liabilities (Note: All GST accounts in BankLink will be merged into Xero's GST account.) How Xero maps BankLink system accounts
GST Receivable	Current Liabilities (Note: All GST accounts in BankLink will be merged into Xero's GST account.) How Xero maps BankLink system accounts
Equity	Equity
Expense	Expenses
Other Expense	Expenses
Fixed Asset	Fixed Assets
Not Applicable	No Xero equivalent - Xero won't import accounts with this account group. Change the account group before you export your BankLink file.
Unknown (CR)	No Xero equivalent - Xero won't import accounts with this account group. Change the account group before you export your BankLink file.
Unknown (DR)	No Xero equivalent - Xero won't import accounts with this account group. Change the account group before you export your BankLink file.
Other Income	Other Income
Retained Earnings	Equity
Income	Revenue
Long Term Liability	Non-current Liabilities

Tax rate (BankLink: GST Class)

Xero maps BankLink GST classes to Xero tax rates. If an account doesn't have a GST class, Xero imports the account with the rate No GST, which you can update later.

If you're using a practice solution other than MYOB Accountants Office, Xero won't recognise your GST classes. Rename the GST classes in your import file to the following BankLink GST classes so Xero imports them correctly.

If an account has a GST class in BankLink of Not Applicable or N Unallocated, Xero won't import the account. Change the GST class in the import file before you import it into Xero.

Components of an account in your chart of accounts - Tax rate

BankLink GST class	Xero tax rate
Not Applicable	Accounts with this GST class won't be imported into Xero.
I Expenditure I Purchase % GST Expenditure	15% GST on Expenses
O Income O Sales % GST Income	15% GST on Income
E Exempt % Exempt	No GST
Z Zero Rated % Zero Rated	Zero Rated
N Unallocated	Accounts with this GST class won't be imported into Xero.

System accounts (BankLink: System accounts)

Xero uses some accounts in the chart of accounts, called 'system accounts', for special purposes. There are some system accounts in Xero which don't have an equivalent in BankLink, for example, Unpaid Expense Claims and Historical Adjustment. Xero creates these system accounts when you import your BankLink file.

What are system accounts?

Here's how Xero maps BankLink's system accounts to Xero's system accounts:

BankLink system account name	Xero system account name	Xero system account type	Xero system account tax rate
Accounts Receivable Debtors	Accounts Receivable	Current Assets	No GST
Accounts Payable Creditors	Accounts Payable	Current Liabilities	No GST
GST	GST	Current Liabilities	No GST
Retained Earnings	Retained Earnings	Equity	No GST