User roles and access rights in QuickBooks Online

The primary admin is the main user who has access to every part of the QuickBooks account. They can manage all users and other admin tasks. By default, the primary admin is the person who initially set up the account.

If you need to assign a new primary admin, you can transfer the role to another user.

A company admin has access to every part of the QuickBooks account. They can do everything the primary admin can do, except edit or remove the primary admin's access.

This user can have specific access to areas in QuickBooks Online. This gives you even more control on what they see or do. For example, you can allow a custom user to see only the Bank Deposit screen.

Learn more about adding custom users in QuickBooks Online Advanced.

You can set different levels of access for this user. They can work with customers, sales, suppliers, and expenses. These users can enter timesheets, add users, update company info, or manage subscriptions.

Note: These users cannot customise invoice templates.

If you have employees or suppliers that need to track time, you can make them a time tracking only user. They can only enter timesheets for themselves. And they will only have access to timesheets and time reports.

This user role isn't available to QuickBooks Online accounts that are connected to QuickBooks Time. The time tracking only user role is removed when QuickBooks Time is integrated.

A reports only user can see all reports, except reports that show payroll or contact info. These users can’t access the audit log.

Reports only users can create custom reports and add report groups, but can't view the actual transactions.

If you have QuickBooks GoCardless, you can give a user access to take payments without giving them access to QuickBooks. They can take payments through GoCardless that sync in real time with your QuickBooks account.

This user can have specific access to areas in QuickBooks Online. This lets you be more in control of what they see or do. For example, you can allow a custom user to see only the Bank Deposit screen. Learn more about adding custom users.

This user can see and do everything with:

• Customers and sales
• Suppliers and purchases

They can also:

• Add, edit, and delete employees
• Change preferences
• View activity log
• Create, edit, and delete budgets
• Add, edit, and delete accounts
• Make deposits and transfer funds
• Reconcile accounts and make journal entries
• View all reports
• Turn on VAT for the company, make VAT adjustments, file VAT returns, or change the setup for existing VAT info
• Set up multicurrency
• Perform home currency adjustments
• Forward receipts and bills from email

This user can't use any of the accounting features in QuickBooks Online. They can only submit timesheets.

When you select Limited access, then Customers, the user can:

• Enter estimates, invoices, sales receipts, credit notes, and refunds
• Enter charges and credits
• Create and delete statements
• Receive payments from customers
• Add, edit, and delete customers, products, and services
• View customer registers and A/R reports
• View customer and debtors reports
• View tax rates and agency settings
• Use and adjust VAT in sales transactions and general journal entries (i.e. manually overriding calculated tax amounts)
• Add, edit, and delete currencies
• Edit exchange rates

This user can't:

• Add, edit, and delete accounts and quantity on hand
• View Account history
• See total income and expense amounts on Home, Supplier, and Customer pages
• Run tax reports or view tax history
• Prepare a VAT return, record payments of VAT owing or receive VAT refunds, or file VAT
• Set up new or change existing tax agencies or settings
• Set up multicurrency
• Perform home currency adjustments

When you select Limited access, then Suppliers, the user can:

• Enter bills from suppliers
• Enter cash and credit card purchases
• Pay bills, write cheques, and view cheque detail reports
• Add, edit, and delete suppliers, products, and services
• View supplier and A/P reports
• View tax rates and agency settings
• Use and adjust VAT in purchase, card, and banking transactions (i.e. manually overriding calculated VAT amounts)
• Run tax reports or view tax history
• Prepare a VAT return, record payments of VAT owing or receive VAT refunds, or file VAT
• Add, edit, and delete currencies
• Edit exchange rates

This user can't:

• Add, edit, and delete accounts and quantity on hand
• View account histories
• Set up new or change existing tax rates, tax method, or agency settings
• Set up multicurrency
• Perform home currency adjustments
• See total income and expense amounts on Home, Supplier, and Customer pages

When you select Limited access, then select both Customers and Suppliers, the user can:

• Enter estimates, invoices, sales receipts, credit notes, refunds, charges, and credits
• Create and delete statements
• Receive payments from customers
• Fill out timesheets for anyone
• Add, edit, and delete customers, suppliers, products, and services
• View customer registers
• View customer and A/R reports
• View supplier and A/P reports
• Enter bills from suppliers
• Pay bills, write and print cheques, and view cheques reports
• Make bills and purchases billable to customers
• Enter cash and credit card purchases

This user can't:

• Add, edit, and delete accounts and quantity on hand
• View account history
• See total income and expense amounts on Home, Supplier, and Customer pages

The only users who can access payroll info and reports are the primary admin, company admin, or accountant user. Note that standard users can work with customers, suppliers, and expenses, but they can't see your company payroll.