Farm and agriculture chart of accounts
A farm pays for seed, fertiliser, feed and contract work for months before a crop is harvested or stock is sold. The accounts below cover those inputs, the agents who sell the farm's stock and wool, and the seasonal finance that bridges the gap.
- By Book Keeping Pros
- Sources checked 15 Oct 2026
What this industry adds
- Seed, fertiliser, sprays, feed and animal treatments are used up growing crops and raising stock rather than bought to sell, so each has an account of its own: Seed and planting material, Fertiliser and soil conditioners, Crop chemicals, Fodder and supplementary feed, and Animal health.
- Harvesting, sowing, spraying and shearing are often done by contractors. Contract harvesting, sowing and spraying and Shearing contractors hold their invoices, and Agistment paid holds the fees for grazing the farm's stock on someone else's land.
- Livestock and wool sold through an agent or broker are paid for after the sale, and the agent usually takes its commission and charges out first. Sale proceeds due from agents tracks what each agent still owes, Selling agents' commission keeps the commission, and Livestock and grain cartage keeps the cost of getting stock and grain to market.
- Money drawn on a seasonal facility to carry the farm until harvest or sale sits in Seasonal finance facility, apart from the general Business loan, which holds loans repaid over more than a year.
- Tractors, headers, farm vehicles and pumps run on diesel and need oil, so Farm fuel and oil keeps that running cost in view. Water and power bills stay in the general Utilities account.
Download the chart
The general accounts and this industry's accounts in one CSV file, in code order, which opens in any spreadsheet program.
Download the CSV fileThe accounts this chart adds
| Code | Account name | Type | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1500 | Sale proceeds due from agents | Asset | Livestock and wool sold through a stock and station agent or wool broker that the agent or broker has not yet paid to the farm |
| 2-1300 | Seasonal finance facility | Liability | The balance drawn on a seasonal or harvest finance facility to pay for inputs and running costs until crops or stock are sold |
| 5-1100 | Seed and planting material | Expense | Seed, seedlings and other planting material bought to sow crops and pasture |
| 5-1110 | Fertiliser and soil conditioners | Expense | Fertiliser, lime, gypsum and other products spread to feed crops and pasture or improve the soil |
| 5-1120 | Crop chemicals | Expense | Herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and other sprays applied to crops and pasture |
| 5-1130 | Fodder and supplementary feed | Expense | Hay, silage, grain and pellets bought to feed livestock when pasture runs short |
| 5-1140 | Animal health | Expense | Drenches, vaccines, pour-ons and vet call-outs for the farm's livestock |
| 5-1150 | Contract harvesting, sowing and spraying | Expense | Invoices from contractors who harvest, sow or spray the farm's crops with their own machinery |
| 5-1160 | Shearing contractors | Expense | Invoices from shearing contractors for shearing and crutching the farm's sheep |
| 5-1170 | Agistment paid | Expense | Fees paid to another landholder for grazing the farm's livestock on their property |
| 6-2100 | Selling agents' commission | Expense | Commission a stock and station agent or wool broker takes from the proceeds of livestock and wool it sells for the farm |
| 6-2110 | Livestock and grain cartage | Expense | Carriers' charges for trucking livestock to saleyards or buyers and grain to receival sites |
| 6-2120 | Farm fuel and oil | Expense | Diesel, petrol and lubricants for tractors, headers, farm vehicles and pumps |
Illustrative example only: these rows show the method and are not sourced data.
What goes in each column
- Code: A number that sorts the account into its group: 1 for assets, 2 for liabilities, 3 for equity, 4 for income, and 5 and 6 for expenses.
- Account name: The name that appears in your books and reports.
- Type: Asset, Liability, Equity, Income or Expense, which decides whether the account appears on the balance sheet or the profit and loss statement.
- What goes in it: The transactions to record against the account.
How to use it
- Give each crop and each type of livestock its own tracking category, and tag seed, feed, chemical and contractor bills with the one they were for.
- Tick each rural store statement off against the bills entered in Seed and planting material, Fertiliser and soil conditioners, Crop chemicals and Animal health before paying it.
- Enter each account sale when the agent sends it, with the commission and cartage it lists going to Selling agents' commission and Livestock and grain cartage. Sale proceeds due from agents then holds what the agent still has to pay, until the money reaches the bank.
- Record each drawdown and repayment in Seasonal finance facility, and compare its balance with the lender's statement whenever one arrives.
- Ask your accountant how livestock, wool and grain on hand should be recorded in the farm's books.
- These accounts are for the farm business's own money, kept apart from household spending. Your accountant can say which others the farm's structure needs.
The chart is a CSV file, which opens in a spreadsheet program. It is not set up for importing directly into any particular accounting software, so check the format your software expects before you load the accounts into it.
Related pages
Related terms
Sources
- Key financial terms
business.gov.au, Australian Government. Current at 15 October 2026, released 9 July 2024. Checked 15 October 2026.
© Commonwealth of Australia 2020, licensed under CC BY 3.0 AU. Licence: CC BY 3.0 AU.
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