---
title: "Ledger account"
description: "What a ledger or control account is in a coded chart of accounts, how it sits between groups and postable accounts, and why statements are presented at this level."
canonical: https://ledgeriano.com/glossary/ledger-account
language: en
publisher: "Ledgeriano"
updated: 2026-11-06
---

# Ledger account

> What a ledger or control account is in a coded chart of accounts, how it sits between groups and postable accounts, and why statements are presented at this level.

A ledger account, often a control account, is the second level of a coded chart of accounts, such as 11 Cash and bank balances or 13 Trade receivables. It totals the postable accounts beneath it. Financial statements are usually presented at this level, so its name should match a line you want to see in the statements.

Think of ledger accounts as the lines of your balance sheet and income statement. Under them sit postable accounts that carry the actual entries: individual bank accounts under cash, types of receivable under receivables.

When a ledger account is a control account for a [subsidiary ledger](https://ledgeriano.com/glossary/subsidiary-ledger), such as receivables or payables, every posting should carry the counterparty so the detail can be reconciled to the total.

Naming matters: use the wording of your reporting framework (for example "Trade and other receivables" under IFRS) so the statements need little relabelling at year end.

## Example: a control account and its accounts

13 Trade receivables totals three postable accounts. Its balance appears as one line on the balance sheet.

| Code | Account | Balance |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1301 | Trade receivables | 42,000 |
| 1302 | Notes receivable | 6,000 |
| 1304 | Allowance for doubtful receivables | (3,000) |
| **13** | **Trade receivables (ledger account)** | **45,000** |

### Is a ledger account the same as a general ledger account?

Every account in the chart is technically a general ledger account. In a coded hierarchy, "ledger account" refers specifically to the second level that summarizes postable accounts.

### Why do statements use this level?

It gives enough detail for users without listing every bank account or expense type, which keeps statements readable.

Guide: https://ledgeriano.com/guides/chart-of-accounts