Moroccan chart of accounts (CGNC): classes, accounts and financial statements

What is the CGNC and what is it for?

The Code général de normalisation comptable (CGNC) is the accounting framework for Moroccan companies. It sets out the accounting principles, the list of accounts (the chart of accounts), how those accounts work, and the format of the financial statements a company produces at year end. Thanks to it, a balance sheet prepared in Casablanca reads the same way as one prepared in Agadir, whether the reader is a banker, an investor or the tax administration.

For a manager, or a foreign investor used to IFRS or another national chart, understanding the logic of the CGNC makes it easier to talk to the expert-comptable (chartered accountant), read the financial statements and spot anomalies. You do not need to memorise account numbers: it is enough to know which class each transaction lands in, and why. How the rules apply to your company should be confirmed with your accountant.

What are the classes of the Moroccan chart of accounts?

The chart is organised into classes identified by the first digit of the account number. Classes 1 to 5 are balance sheet accounts: they describe what the company owns and owes at a given date. Classes 6 and 7 are income statement accounts, recording the year's activity. Class 8 holds the results, and class 0 the special accounts kept off the balance sheet.

A Moroccan specificity worth remembering: cash and treasury (class 5) are separated from current assets (class 3) and current liabilities (class 4). The balance sheet therefore shows three layers, long-term financing and fixed assets, the operating cycle, then treasury, which makes working capital and financing needs easy to analyse.

How do you read a CGNC account number?

Each digit adds a level of detail: the first gives the class, the second the heading, the third the item, and a main account usually has four digits. Companies can then open more detailed sub-accounts, for example one per bank. Here are accounts found in almost every Moroccan SME.

• 1111 Share capital: contributions from the shareholders.
• 3421 Customers and 4411 Suppliers: receivables and payables from operations.
• 3455 State, recoverable VAT and 4455 State, invoiced VAT: input and output VAT.
• 5141 Banks and 5161 Cash: treasury.
• 6111 Purchases of goods and 7111 Sales of goods: the core of a trading business.
• 6171 Staff remuneration and 4441 CNSS (national social security fund): payroll and social contributions.

Example: how is a sales invoice recorded?

A company sells goods for 10,000.00 DH excluding VAT, with 20 % VAT of 2,000.00 DH, for a total of 12,000.00 DH including VAT. On invoicing, account 3421 Customers is debited 12,000.00 DH, 7111 Sales of goods is credited 10,000.00 DH and 4455 State, invoiced VAT is credited 2,000.00 DH. Total debits equal total credits: that is double-entry bookkeeping.

When the customer pays by bank transfer, 5141 Banks is debited 12,000.00 DH and 3421 Customers is credited the same amount; the customer account is cleared, which is checked by matching (lettrage). Income statement accounts are subdivided too: in classes 6 and 7, headings 61 and 71 cover operations, 63 and 73 financial items, 65 and 75 non-recurring items, and 67 income tax. This split appears directly in the CPC.

What are the Moroccan financial statements for?

At year end, the accounts lead to the financial statements (états de synthèse). The Bilan is the balance sheet: assets on one side, financing and liabilities on the other. The CPC (compte de produits et charges) is the income statement, explaining how the result was formed and separating operating, financial and non-recurring items. The ESG (état des soldes de gestion) details margins and intermediate indicators such as value added and gross operating surplus.

The full set also includes the statement of cash flows (tableau de financement) and the ETIC (état des informations complémentaires), which provides the notes and supporting figures. A simplified model exists for smaller companies. Which model applies to your company, and how it is filed with the tax return package, should be confirmed with your accountant.

How does SOGESTIO apply the CGNC?

In SOGESTIO, accounting follows the Moroccan CGNC chart of accounts. Entries are generated automatically for every invoice, payment, purchase and payslip: the sales example above is posted without manual input. You can view journals, the general ledger and the trial balance, and match customer and supplier accounts. A simple mode shows managers the essentials without jargon, while an advanced mode gives accountants full access.

SOGESTIO generates the Bilan, CPC and ESG financial statements, plus a preparatory XML of the tax return package (liasse fiscale) to be transferred into the official format. Other statements, such as the ETIC, are completed with your accountant. SOGESTIO prepares and automates; it does not replace the accountant. You can try it free for 14 days, no card required.