In accounting, what is the name of the complete list of accounts used by a business?

In accounting, the complete list of accounts used by a business is called the chart of accounts.

A chart of accounts is an organized index of the accounts a business uses to record and classify its financial activity. Typical groups include assets, liabilities, equity, revenue, expenses and gains. Each account usually has a name and may also have a numerical or alphanumeric code, such as an account number for cash or accounts payable.

The chart does not contain every transaction itself. Instead, it provides the structure used when transactions are posted to the general ledger. A company can design its chart to match its operations, departments, reporting needs and legal requirements. Some countries or industries also use standardized account layouts.

A common mix-up is confusing the chart of accounts with the general ledger. The chart is the organized list or framework; the ledger contains the actual posted transactions and balances. A trial balance is a later report that extracts balances from ledger accounts to compare total debits with total credits.