Use Chart mapping to assign grouping codes to a TB
Chart mapping is an optional tool powered by InspireIQ. It looks at each imported account, proposes a standard grouping code, and lets you approve or change it. No code is ever assigned automatically: you stay in control of every decision. It is most useful for a client whose chart of accounts is completely different from your templates, or for a large first file.
Each analysis sends the account descriptions to the AI API (Claude, Anthropic) and uses credit. The amount depends on the number of accounts analyzed and the volume of descriptions. Chart mapping never opens automatically: you decide whether to use it, and you see in advance how many accounts will be processed. Accounts already mapped in another engagement of your firm are covered by the local cache (free), not by AI.
When to use it and when to skip it
- Use it: a new client with 80+ accounts from an unusual chart of accounts, where mapping by hand would take a long time. Or a client's first file while your firm cache is still empty.
- Skip it: an engagement that has already been rolled forward, or a client whose chart is close to one of your standard templates (you can then set the groupings by hand or through the Groupings tab in a few minutes, without using any AI credit).
- The cache does the heavy lifting: every time you confirm a mapping, it is remembered for your firm. The next time the same account (for example “5320 Telecommunications”) comes up, it is recognized without going through AI.
Open Chart mapping
Engagement's left menu → TOOLS → Chart mapping. The page lists the accounts awaiting a code assignment.
If the page is empty, either you have not imported a TB yet, or all your accounts already have a code: “All accounts are classified. Import a new trial balance or add accounts to see them appear here.”
Import the balance from Excel (if not done already)
The top of the page has a drop zone for an Excel file. Reminders before importing:
- The file must contain at least two columns, Debit and Credit.
- Amounts must be in Accounting format (zeros disappear and values align).
- Each account should have a number. Otherwise, a temporary number
?001,?002… is generated, which you rename later in the Trial balance. - For QuickBooks: export one file per fiscal year (current year + prior year) and drag both at once; the period is detected automatically.
- Close the Excel file before importing (otherwise Excel creates an empty lock file
~$…).
Click “Suggest codes”
The Suggest codes button starts the analysis. Two layers apply, in this order:
- Firm cache (L0), free: a mapping already confirmed on another engagement of your firm, for this number or this description. Instant.
- AI suggestion (L3), paid: accounts not found in the cache are sent to Claude, which proposes a code with a confidence percentage.
At the end, a message sums it up: “X accounts analyzed, Y via cache, Z via AI, W with no suggestion.”
Read the suggestions table
| No. | Description | Suggested code | Confidence | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Desjardins Bank | A1 Cash | 98% | Cache | Apply |
| 1250 | Accounts receivable | B1 Trade receivables | 95% | AI | Apply |
| 5320 | Internet fees | R8 Telecommunications | 72% | AI | To review |
| 7890 | Miscellaneous | — No suggestion — | — | — | Choose a code… |
Three possible cases:
- High confidence (≥ 80%): the mapping is very likely. Click Apply, or use the bulk button Accept all (X ≥ 80%).
- Medium confidence (50-79%): read the description and the proposed code before accepting. Change it in the dropdown if needed.
- No suggestion: the account is too ambiguous, so choose the code by hand in the dropdown.
Accept in bulk, or one by one
The Accept all (X ≥ 80%) button at the top applies every high-confidence suggestion in one click. Useful for a first rough pass on a large file.
Then go line by line through the medium-confidence suggestions and the accounts with no suggestion. Each confirmed mapping adds to your firm cache, so the next file with similar accounts won't have to pay for AI again.
Never click “Accept all” blindly. At 80% confidence, the AI is still wrong about one time in five. On large or sensitive accounts (cash, receivables, long-term debt), look at the suggestion before you accept it. A wrong mapping at this stage carries through to the FS, the GIFI and the T2.
Come back later if you add accounts
If you import a new version of the TB later (for example after a correction on the client's side), the new accounts appear at the top of Chart mapping, ready for a suggestion. Accounts already mapped are kept, so you lose nothing.
The Reset button deletes all imported accounts from the engagement (a last resort only: you will have to re-import and remap everything). The firm cache, on the other hand, is kept no matter what.
The firm cache, your asset from file to file
Every mapping you confirm in a file feeds your firm's local cache. In practice:
- After your 10th file, most common accounts (banks, receivables, general expenses, salaries) are already covered by the cache: mapping is free and instant.
- AI is only called for genuinely new accounts (an unusual account name, a Quebec French chart of accounts versus an English one, etc.).
- The cache is not shared between firms: each subscription has its own.
Frequently asked questions
Can I map the entire TB without this tool?
Yes. In the Trial balance, you fill in the “Grouping” column by hand, one account at a time, at no cost. In the Groupings and GIFI tab, you see the aggregated table to spot what is missing. Chart mapping is simply a paid way to go faster.
What does it actually cost?
It depends on your firm's plan and on the number of accounts sent to AI. For a typical file of 60 accounts, 40 of which are already in the cache, only 20 accounts go through AI, which keeps the cost modest. The charge appears in the AI usage fees of your monthly plan.
Can I change a mapping after applying it?
Yes. In the Trial balance, click the account's Grouping cell and change the code. The firm cache records the last confirmed mapping.
Does the AI see the amounts or just the descriptions?
Only the account numbers and descriptions. Amounts are never sent to Claude: only the label counts for the suggestion.