Add clients to QuickBooks Online Accountant

Learn how to add clients to your firm.

Getting a new client is great. Connecting to clients through QuickBooks makes doing their bookkeeping even easier. Add them to your firm so you have their info. You can also make direct edits to clients' accounts directly if they invite you to be their accountant.

Here's how to add clients who already have QuickBooks Online or Self-Employed. We'll also show you how to add clients who are brand new to QuickBooks.

In this article, you'll learn:

• Add clients who already have QuickBooks
• Transfer clients with existing QuickBooks subscriptions to your wholesale discount plan
• Add clients who are new to QuickBooks to your wholesale discount plan
• Add clients who want to pay for their own subscription
• Add clients who don't use QuickBooks

Note: While the guidance is for businesses to use business bank accounts, if your client uses a personal bank account, personal expenses will need to be manually separated out.

Add clients who already have QuickBooks

If your client already has QuickBooks Online or Self-Employed, ask them to invite you to become their accountant:

1. Ask your client to send the invite to the email address you use for your QuickBooks Online Accountant firm.
2. Open the invite email and select the Accept Invitation link.
3. Sign in with your user ID and password.
4. If you have multiple QuickBooks Online Accounting firms, select the one you want to connect your client to.

When you accept the invite, QuickBooks connects their accounts to your firm and adds them to your client list. You can now review and make edits to their books.

If you can't connect, don't worry. Here's what to do if you can't accept their invitation.

Transfer clients with existing QuickBooks subscriptions to your wholesale discount plan

If a client wants to become part of your wholesale discount plan but already pays for their subscription client must first select the Allow billing transfer to your accountant link.

The Primary Admin can follow these steps in their QuickBooks Online company:

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Account and settings.
2. Select the Billing & subscription, then Allow billing transfer to your accountant link.
3. Select the name of the accounting firm you want to transfer billing to.
4. Once done, select Allow transfer.

Note: Once the client gives you permission, you have two days (48 hours) to finish the transfer.

Once the client has provided permission, follow these steps to transfer their subscription.

Keep in mind if your client has QuickBooks Time attached to their QuickBooks Online subscription, you can't add it to your wholesale discount plan. The ability to add clients from QuickBooks Time onto your wholesale discount plan will become available soon.

Add clients who are new to QuickBooks

To your wholesale discount plan

You can add clients to your wholesale discount plan and subscribe to QuickBooks for them. This lets you pick the products that best fit their needs. Learn more about wholesale discount.

1. Navigate to the Clients menu in QuickBooks Online Accountant.
2. Select Add client.
3. Enter the client’s email address to which they should receive the invitation to the QuickBooks Online account.
4. In the QuickBooks section, select Wholesale discount (we bill your firm) to add your client to your wholesale discount plan.
5. Review the available QuickBooks and payroll products in each section. Important: If your client needs a payroll product, it must also be part of your wholesale discount plan. They can't purchase and pay for their payroll plan on their own.
6. Select the products you want to subscribe your client to.
7. Select the Make me the Primary Admin checkbox under Select the primary admin for the QuickBooks account if you also plan to do admin work for your client. If not, leave the Make my client the primary admin option selected.
8. Select Save when finished.

Important: If you’re adding a Ledger client and if the client will need access to the account (for example, to connect their bank feeds, review their transactions, view their reports), select Make my client the primary admin, which is only available if adding one client at a time.

Since Ledger is limited to one user, you will not subsequently have the option to invite the user to the account yourself. Instead, you will need to contact us to initiate a primary admin transfer process. The primary admin has the highest level of account permissions and can access every part of the QuickBooks account.

QuickBooks connects their accounts and adds them to your client list. You can now review and make edits to their books.

To pay for their own QuickBooks subscription

You can also give clients a direct discount and let them handle their own billing and subscription.

Note: This is not available for Ledger.

1. In the QuickBooks section, select Direct discount (we bill your client). This gives your client a discount, but they will pay for their own subscription to QuickBooks.
2. If you also plan to do admin work for your client, select the Make me the Primary Admin checkbox.
3. When you're ready, select Save.

Note: Your client will need to add their payment information before the 30-day trial period ends to continue using the discount.

QuickBooks connects their accounts and adds them to your client list. You can now review and make edits to their books.

Add clients who don't use QuickBooks

Even if your client doesn't have QuickBooks, add them to your firm so all of your clients' info is in one place:

1. In QuickBooks Online Accountant, go to the Clients menu.
2. Select Add client.
3. Select Business or Individual.
4. Enter your client's info.
5. In the Products section, select No subscription.
6. When you're done, select Save.

Add clients with split billing

You can choose different billing options for each QuickBooks product with split billing. Before you split the bill, make sure you and your client agree on who's paying for what. This helps you alter invoices to your new and current clients' needs. See our full article on split billing here.