Patent ID: 8762233

Claim:
A computer implemented method for account number maintenance used within a single or multi-company accounting system that operates on a computer arrangement and which is accessible by one or more persons defining an interface user, the method comprising: at a processor, performing the account number maintenance on at least one of a plurality of accounts within the single or multi-company accounting system, each of the accounts having a plurality of account segments defining the account including a natural account segment, a company segment, and one or more business segments, the natural account segment defining a specific type of one of an asset, a liability, an owner equity, a revenue and an expense, the company segment associated with one of one or more companies associated with the accounting system, and the one or more business segments each having a definable category for tracking money within the accounting system, wherein performing the account number maintenance comprises: i) the interface user entering into the single or multi-company accounting system via the computer arrangement a specified criteria for splitting one or more of the accounts, wherein the specified criteria specifies: segments used in the one or more of the accounts comprising the natural account segment, the company segment, the one or more business segments, or a combination thereof; and optionally a time period that defines a specific number of days; ii) identifying the one or more of the accounts to be split via a search using the specified criteria; and iii) splitting the one or more of the accounts each into two different accounts that includes an old account and a new account, wherein the step of splitting one or more of the accounts comprises: the interface user entering into the single or multi-company accounting system via the computer arrangement a new segment value to replace an old segment value of the natural account segment or one of the business segments; the single or multi-company accounting system converting the old account to a new account based on the specified criteria including replacing the old segment value for the old account with the new segment value of the natural account segment or the one of the business segments to define the new account, wherein if the specified criteria includes the time period, then no change is made to a General Ledger before or after the time period and splitting of each of the one or more of the accounts is done in the General Ledger only for activity with a General Ledger date within the time period; and the single or multi-company accounting system automatically changing a GL Account ID within the General Ledger to point to the new account with the new account segment instead of the old account based on the specified criteria.