Move clients to your firm-billed subscriptions

Learn how to take over billing for clients who currently pay for their own QuickBooks Online subscription. Or move existing ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing clients from another accounting firm.

In Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS), you can do bookkeeping for firm-billed clients and those who pay for QuickBooks Online on their own. Clients who are part of your firm-billed subscriptions get more long-term savings and peace of mind.

If a client wants to become part of your firm-billed subscriptions and already pays for a subscription, you can transfer their subscription. We'll stop billing your client, add them to your plan, and adjust your charges. Your firm covers the costs and handles billing for them from now on.

Moving to a new accountant

A client decides to move from another Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS) firm to yours. If you add them to your firm-billed subscriptions within 60 days of when the other firm stops paying for their subscription, they qualify for the ProAdvisor discount.

Firm mergers, required transfers, and accidental removals

Clients can keep their current discounts if you move their Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS) file for reasons like mergers, business changes, damaged files, accidental removal, or reaching client limits.

Notes: 

• ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing replaces the wholesale discount program for new subscriptions added on or after July 15, 2021.
• Payroll free trials don't apply to ProAdvisor discount units.

If your clients pay for QuickBooks Online, or still use their prior firm's wholesale or ProAdvisor discount plan, you can move them to your Firm's Billing.

When you add a client with a current QuickBooks Online subscription to ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing program, we bill them at the standard rate with no promotional discounts. Your firm covers the costs and billing for them from now on.

Learn how to take over billing for clients who currently pay for their own subscription, or transfer existing wholesale clients from another accounting firm to your firm.

Important: There are two types of billing transfers. Please review the scenarios below to understand how this impacts your client’s pricing.

Scenario 1: Taking over billing for a client (Direct Billed to Firm Billed)

Use these steps if your client currently pays for their own subscription.

• Pricing: When you take over billing, the subscription moves to your firm at the current retail market rate. Moving a direct-billed client to your firm doesn't automatically apply the ProAdvisor Preferred Pricing (wholesale) discount.
• Billing: Your firm will cover the costs from now on.

Step 1: Client grants permission

1. Ask the client's Primary Admin to sign in to QuickBooks Online.
2. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Subscriptions and billing.
3. Select the Allow billing transfer to your accountant? link.
4. Select the name of the accounting firm they want to transfer billing to.
5. Select Allow transfer.

Once selected, the accountant has a 48-hour window to complete the transfer.

Step 2: Accountant completes the transfer

1. In Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS), go to Settings ⚙ and select Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select the Client-billed subscriptions tab.
3. Find the client. If they are eligible, you will see the option to transfer.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to move them to Firm-Billed (Retail).

Scenario 2: Transferring existing wholesale clients (Discount to Discount)

Use these steps only if your client is currently on a wholesale discount plan with another accounting firm.

• Pricing: You can retain the client's existing 30% discount if the transfer is completed within 60 days of them being removed from the previous firm.
• Note: If the transfer takes longer than 60 days, the subscription will revert to the current retail rate.

Step 1: Remove the client from the previous firm

Ask your client's previous accounting firm to remove them from their wholesale discount plan.

Step 2: Add the client to your firm

Ensure the client has invited you to become their accountant.

Step 3: Transfer billing to your firm

1. Ask the client's Primary Admin to sign in and go to Settings ⚙ and select Subscriptions and billing.
2. Select Allow billing transfer to your accountant?.
3. Select the name of your accounting firm and select Allow transfer.
4. Sign in to your Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS) firm.
5. Go to Settings ⚙ , select Subscriptions and billing, then select Client-billed subscriptions.
6. Find the client and select Transfer billing to me from the Action column ▼ dropdown.

Troubleshooting

If you cannot move a client, check the Eligible to Transfer column for these common errors:

• No (permission needed): The client hasn't been granted permission yet.
• No (different Billing system): An attached service (like Payroll) may be blocking the transfer.
• No (annual billing): The client must switch to monthly billing before transferring.