The structure of dimensions should be carefully planned before they are created.

Letters can be used in dimensions, but this is not recommended.

The following must not be used:

• Icelandic special characters

• full stops

• commas

• semicolons

• hyphens

• other special characters

Dimension 1 Dimension 1 is used to provide a more detailed breakdown of an institution’s accounting records. Dimension 1 can be used for more detailed classifications, for example to separate book purchases by:

• book categories

• foreign books

• domestic books

Dimension 1 applies across accounting entities within an institution. It is therefore not linked to a specific entity or accounting type.

Dimension 1 for Bank Accounts

Transactions relating to institutional bank accounts must be recorded using Dimension 1.

Dimension 1 for bank accounts begins with a lowercase b followed by the bank account number.

Example: 
If the bank account number is 758, Dimension 1 is recorded as b758.

The Financial Management Authority creates Dimension 1 for institutions.

Dimension 2 is mainly used to manage projects that apply across multiple accounting entities within an institution.

Dimension 2 is not linked to a specific entity or accounting type.

It can be used for projects involving several departments or accounting entities. This makes it possible to track project costs while also recording costs against the relevant departments or entities.

The Financial Management Authority creates Dimension 2 for institutions.

Dimension 3 is used to manage costs relating to events that affect multiple government bodies, institutions, and ministries. The dimension is intended for events that have a significant impact on society and are unlikely to occur again in the same way. Events covered by Dimension 3 Dimension 3 is used for:

• natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and floods

• man-made disasters, such as terrorist attacks and cyberattacks

• epidemics and diseases

• referendum

Structure of Dimension 3 Dimension 3 consists of 5 digits:

• 1 digit for the event type

• 2 digits for the year

• 2 digits for the sequence number

Examples:

• 12301 – Earthquakes in Grindavík

• 42301 – Water pipeline to Vestmannaeyjar

• 32001 – COVID-19

• 52601 - A referendum