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September 15, 2023
Solved

Changing / adding administrators

  • September 15, 2023
  • 5 replies
  • 24 views

Curious if QuickBooks has now allowed for more than one Administrator. For instances like illness or vacation or leave of absence, it would be a benefit to have more than one person eligible for performing "administrator restricted" functions.

 

If not what is the process to change administrators?

 

Also, we also have QB Payroll: is that a separate administrator for payroll?

 

Lastly, we have used QB for a long time, and the people that originally set up the system and the payroll are no longer here, and we may not even know who they were / how they set up the "owner" of the system. At a previous company, it almost required an Act of God and Constitutional Amendment to get the payroll administrator changed. Can anyone provide some guidance on the most efficient way of getting things updated when we don't know all the historical names and logons, etc.?

 

As always, thank you in advance for the help and guidance.,

Best answer by FateCandylaneT

You've come to the right place for assistance, Deadwood Al. Let me share insights to help you manage company roles and access in your QuickBooks Desktop account.

 

In QBDT, managing company roles is relevant to ensure permission rights are accordingly monitored when performing tasks in your account. With this, we can only have one primary admin per company or Intuit Account and a payroll administrator. If you're unable to access and log in as the Primary Admin, you can send a request to our account protection team to allow transfer of the primary contact of your desktop file and gather documents for your request. 

 

Once granted, you can refer to these steps on how to change the primary administrator of your account:

 

  1. Go to Company, then select My Company.
  2. Select Manage Your Account.
  3. Sign in with your Intuit Account info. This should be different from what you use to sign in to your company file.
  4. Scroll down to the Primary Contact section and select Change.
  5. Select the new primary contact from the list of contacts on the account.
  6. Select Save and Close.

 

Then, you can start managing user roles in your account to help you handle your financial entries.

 

Additionally, payroll administrators are the primary contact of your payroll workflows. If you want to modify their information, you can refer to the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll section outlined in this article: Change your primary principal, payroll admin, or other payroll contact.

 

Furthermore, I've added this relevant resource that may help you prepare and run employee payroll efficiently: Create and run your payroll.

 

We'll always be around whenever you require additional assistance managing user access permissions in your QBDT file. Just let us know for any added queries in the comments below. We're here to provide further help. Keep safe!

5 replies

QuickBooks Team
September 15, 2023

You've come to the right place for assistance, Deadwood Al. Let me share insights to help you manage company roles and access in your QuickBooks Desktop account.

 

In QBDT, managing company roles is relevant to ensure permission rights are accordingly monitored when performing tasks in your account. With this, we can only have one primary admin per company or Intuit Account and a payroll administrator. If you're unable to access and log in as the Primary Admin, you can send a request to our account protection team to allow transfer of the primary contact of your desktop file and gather documents for your request. 

 

Once granted, you can refer to these steps on how to change the primary administrator of your account:

 

  1. Go to Company, then select My Company.
  2. Select Manage Your Account.
  3. Sign in with your Intuit Account info. This should be different from what you use to sign in to your company file.
  4. Scroll down to the Primary Contact section and select Change.
  5. Select the new primary contact from the list of contacts on the account.
  6. Select Save and Close.

 

Then, you can start managing user roles in your account to help you handle your financial entries.

 

Additionally, payroll administrators are the primary contact of your payroll workflows. If you want to modify their information, you can refer to the QuickBooks Desktop Payroll section outlined in this article: Change your primary principal, payroll admin, or other payroll contact.

 

Furthermore, I've added this relevant resource that may help you prepare and run employee payroll efficiently: Create and run your payroll.

 

We'll always be around whenever you require additional assistance managing user access permissions in your QBDT file. Just let us know for any added queries in the comments below. We're here to provide further help. Keep safe!

December 11, 2023

In April I took over an account from another accountant who also used quickbooks.  I was given a backup file which I restored on my desktop.  However, I have changed the primary information, but it's still linked to the prior accountant's email.  So when I log in I have to change it but I am still not the default.  How can I fix this?

 

Level 2
December 11, 2023

Let me help you as you wanted to update the primary admin, cmoore63

 

When it comes to transferring the role to a different user, it's best to know that setting the primary file is different from setting the primary admin on the Intuit account registered server/system. Please know that only the primary admin can invite a new user or change the role to the account. 

 

To update or change it within the registered server/system, also known as CAMPs (Client Application Management Portal), you have to follow these steps:

 

  1. Log in to the CAMPs portal using your login credentials.
  2. Click the company file you want to access, then select Continue.
  3. Look for the secondary admin you want to make the primary admin, press Edit, and then hit Change Primary admin.
  4. Enter the verification code sent to the admin's phone number. Right after that, an email will be sent to the current primary admin and the secondary admin. 
  5. When the secondary admin accepts the transfer, they become the primary admin. The original primary admin becomes a secondary admin. 

 

Please be aware that the primary admin role can only be assigned to secondary admins, and there can only be one primary admin at any given time.

 

To learn more about this, you can see view this materials. It has a lot of information that can help you when it comes to transferring to other user: 

 

You may also want to learn how to manage your QuickBooks Desktop subscriptions and services.

 

You can always reach out to the Community whenever you have some questions in mind. We're always here to help you. Stay safe.

October 2, 2024

I need to add two employee names that gives QB permission to talk to for support

QuickBooks Team
October 3, 2024

Welcome to the Community, 342950.

 

I am here to help you add your employees as authorized users to your QuickBooks Desktop account and permit them to speak to QuickBooks support. Let’s ensure your team has the necessary access to get the support they deserve.

 

To add or invite users, follow these steps:

 

  1. Open QuickBooks Desktop and log in with your admin credentials.
  2. Go to Company, then Users, and select Intuit Account User Management.
  3. Select Add User to enter the required information: first name, last name, and email address of the employee you want to invite.
  4. Choose the appropriate role from the Roles section. You can click View role description to see available roles and their descriptions.
  5. Click Send Invitation to notify the user. They will receive an email invitation to join your QuickBooks account.
  6. QuickBooks will display a message with the invite status, the role(s) assigned, and the QuickBooks Desktop Company file name. Hit OK to close the message.

For more detailed information, check this guide: Use your Intuit account to manage or invite users in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

You may also want to learn how to manage your QuickBooks Desktop subscriptions and services.

 

If you are interested in sprucing up your reports in QuickBooks Desktop, you might find this article helpful: Customize reports in QuickBooks Desktop. It offers detailed information on personalizing reports to suit your needs.

 

Great job! You’ve successfully added and invited users to your QuickBooks Desktop account. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out. We’re always here to help you and your team get the most out of QuickBooks.

August 11, 2025

please send the requirements and instructions 

JenoP
QuickBooks Team
August 12, 2025

You can easily assign a new admin within your QuickBooks Online account, SECCNation.

 

Just a heads-up, the current admin is the only one who can make the change. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

 

  1. Go to the Gear or Settings ⚙ icon, then select Manage users.
  2. Find the user you want to make the primary admin.
  3. Proceed to the Role column, then make sure they are listed as Admin. If they’re not, choose Edit to change their role to admin.
  4. If the user is already an admin, click the drop-down list beside Edit. Then, select Make primary admin.
  5. Select Change primary admin to confirm the change.

 

 

Check out this article for additional details about this: Change the primary admin user.

 

You can also use this guide if you have QuickBooks Desktop: Transfer the primary admin role in QuickBooks Desktop.

 

If you can no longer get in touch with the current admin, you can fill out a form and submit several documents. This typically includes a photo ID, a signed letter of permission from the owner, and official business documents like articles of organization.

 

The exact requirements, however, can vary depending on your business entity. For a complete list of what you'll need and the steps to submit the form, please refer to this article: Request to be the primary admin or contact.

 

The Community and the entire QuickBooks Team are always here if you need anything else.

December 26, 2025

Changing admin

Clark_B
QuickBooks Team
December 26, 2025

Hi there, Rosnhebuski.

 

To transfer the primary company admin in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), you’ll need to first sign in as the current primary admin. This will enable you to transfer the admin role. If you’re unable to access and log in as the primary admin, you can submit a request to our account protection team for the transfer. Be sure to gather all required documents to comply with the request process.

 

Please note that each company or Intuit account can only have one primary admin. Follow these steps to transfer the primary admin role in QBDT:

 

  1. Navigate to Company, then select My Company.
  2. Click Manage Your Account.
  3. Sign in using your Intuit Account credentials (different from what’s used to access your company file).
  4. Scroll to the Primary Contact section and click Change.
  5. Select the new primary contact from the list of account contacts.
  6. Click Save and Close.

 

For further details about transferring the primary admin or Intuit Account admin, refer to this article: Transfer the primary admin role in QBDT.

 

If you’re looking to change your payroll admin instead, follow these steps:

 

  1. Go to Employees, click My Payroll Service, then select Billing/Bank Information.
  2. Under Company Information, click the Payroll Admin tab.
  3. Click the Edit link.
  4. Enter your PIN and press Continue.
  5. Follow the on-screen instructions and click Update. A processing request screen will appear until the update is complete.
  6. Verify the Payroll Admin information is accurate, and close the window.

 

You can also refer to this article for more information about changing payroll admin: Change your primary principal, payroll admin, or other payroll contact.

 

We’re always available to help you if you have any other concerns.

April 24, 2026

How do I get access to our Quickbooks account?

QuickBooks Team
April 24, 2026

Hi there, Shiela. Are you trying to get into your QuickBooks account but haven't been given access yet?

 

The quickest way to get access is to have the primary administrator or business owner add you as a user and send an invite. Once they do this, you'll receive an email with a link to set up your login and get started.

 

In QuickBooks Online (QBO), your admin can do this by navigating to Settings> Manage Users> Add user. From there, they'll enter your information, assign you a role, and hit Send Invite.

 

In QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), they can go to the Company menu> Users> Set Up Users and Roles> New. They'll enter your User name and assign you to your role.

 

Then, in the same menu, they'll select Intuit Account User Management> Add user to send you the invitation.

 

However, if you meant something different, please feel free to clarify and provide more details about your situation so that I can help you access your QuickBooks account.

 

Please don't hesitate to click the Reply button below if you have any further questions. I'll respond to you promptly.