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User roles and access rights

by Intuit95 Updated 1 week ago

Learn about the different options for user roles and access permissions in QuickBooks.

Note: This article is for customers using QuickBooks Online (Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.) User roles may vary depending on your QuickBooks subscription. If you've reached your user limit and need to add more users, consider upgrading to QuickBooks Online Advanced.

Note: The QuickBooks Online mobile app supports admin and standard all access. If you have another role, you’ll need to use the web app instead.

About user roles

QuickBooks user roles are customisable permissions you can give your team. User roles are either billable or non-billable. Billable users count toward your user limit, while non-billable users don’t.

Roles decide what people on your account can do with QuickBooks. Your account has a limited number of people who can be assigned to “billable” roles. People with “non-billable” roles don’t count toward this limit. 

You can also invite your accountant as a firm user so they can review your app company file.

Common billable roles

You can see and do tasks in every part of the account, including changes to people’s permissions and roles, and other admin tasks. 

  • When you first set up the account, you are assigned the primary admin role. The primary admin can also give people the company admin role.
  • If you are a company admin, you can perform the tasks above, except changing or reassigning the primary admin.

Note: Only admins can add, edit, or delete other admins, even if someone has permission to manage other people’s permissions or roles.

You can see and do everything with customers and sales, and suppliers and purchases. You can also:

  • Add, edit, and delete employees
  • Change preferences
  • View activity log
  • Create, edit, and delete budgets
  • Add, edit, and delete accounts
  • View and categorise online bank feeds
  • Make deposits and transfer funds
  • Reconcile accounts and make journal entries
  • View all reports
  • Manage VAT data and settings
  • Access and manage aspects of currency and multicurrency
  • Manage payroll if QuickBooks Online Payroll is enabled

In QuickBooks Online Accountant, you can also be assigned the Standard all access role. Firm members can use this to access their clients' companies who have QuickBooks Online Advanced.

Note: This role was originally the “Standard all access without payroll” role. It was renamed since May 2024.

You can access all bookkeeping and account tools, and financial reports. You can’t access payroll, manage other roles, or do admin tasks. 

You can see and do everything with customers and sales, and suppliers and purchases. You can also:

  • View activity log
  • Create, edit, and delete budgets
  • Add, edit, and delete accounts
  • View and categorise online bank feeds
  • Make deposits and transfer funds
  • Reconcile accounts and make journal entries
  • View all reports except payroll reports
  • Manage VAT data and settings
  • Access and manage aspects of currency and multicurrency

Note: This role was originally the “Standard limited customers only.” It was renamed May 2024 and given the ability to record bank deposits.

You can see and do everything with customers and sales, and accounts receivable (A/R) reports. You can also:

  • Enter estimates, invoices, sales receipts, credit notes, and refunds
  • Enter charges and credits
  • Create and delete statements
  • Receive payments from customers
  • Fill out timesheets for anyone
  • Add, edit, and delete customers, products, and services
  • Enter bank deposits
  • View customer and A/R reports
  • View VAT rates and agency settings
  • Use and adjust VAT in sales transactions and general journal entries (such as manually overriding calculated VAT amounts)
  • Add, edit, and delete currencies
  • Edit exchange rates
  • Add, edit, and delete projects
  • Add invoices, time, project estimates, and receive payments to projects

You can't:

  • Print cheques (including refunds)
  • Make bills and purchases billable to customers
  • Add, edit, and delete accounts and stock
  • View account histories
  • See total income and expenses on home, supplier, and customer pages
  • Prepare and file a VAT return and record sales payments
  • Set up multicurrency
  • Perform home currency adjustments
  • Add expenses, bills, and purchase orders to projects

Note: This role was originally the “Standard limited suppliers only” role. It was renamed May 2024.

You can see and do everything with expenses, suppliers, and accounts payable (A/P) reports. You can:

  • Enter bills from suppliers
  • Enter cash and credit card purchases
  • Pay bills, write cheques, and view cheque detail reports
  • Print cheques (except refunds)
  • Add, edit, and delete suppliers, products, and services
  • View supplier and A/P reports
  • View VAT rates and agencies
  • Use/adjust VAT on purchase, card, and banking transactions, including overriding calculated VATamounts)
  • Run VAT reports or view VAT history
  • Prepare and file VAT returns and record VAT payments
  • Add, edit, and delete currencies
  • Edit exchange rates

You can't:

  • Add, edit, and delete accounts and stock
  • View account histories
  • Set up new tax agencies or change VAT settings or change existing VAT rates, tax methods, or agency settings
  • Set up multicurrency
  • Perform home currency adjustments

You can only submit timesheets.

You can't use any of the accounting features in QuickBooks Online.

Note: You can’t assign this role to new people after May 2024.

You can see and do everything with customers and sales, and suppliers and purchases. You 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 accounts payable (A/P) reports
  • Enter bills from suppliers
  • Pay bills, write and print cheques, and view cheque reports
  • Make bills and purchases billable to customers
  • Enter cash and credit card purchases
  • Add, edit, and delete projects
  • Add invoices, expenses, bills, time, purchase orders, project estimates, and receive payments to projects

You can't:

  • Add, edit, and delete accounts and stock
  • View account histories
  • See total income and expense amounts on home, supplier, and customer pages

You can only access sales transactions and customers.

You can only access expense transactions and suppliers.

You can only access stock and suppliers.

Note: This role is available only in QuickBooks Online Advanced.

You can only access payroll, expenses and payroll reports.

Custom roles let you create your own roles and define access to specific areas in QuickBooks Online. This gives you even more control on what your team can see or do.

Common non-billable roles

You can see all reports, except reports that show payroll or contact info. You can create custom reports, and add report groups, but can’t view the actual transactions. 

You can’t access the audit log.

Note: This role isn’t available to QuickBooks Online accounts that are connected to QuickBooks Time. If you integrate QuickBooks Time, this role is removed.

You can access timesheets and time reports, and enter timesheets for yourself. 

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