Accountant Access

Hello there, @AC 2023.

When you add your accountant to your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account, they have the same level of access as the Primary Admin. They also gain specific privileges and capabilities to assist you effectively. Here's what your accountant can see and do with accountant access in QBO:

• Access Financial Data:
  • Your accountant can view and analyze your financial data, including transactions, reports, and account balances. This access helps them provide accurate advice and support for your business.
• Accounting Tasks:
  • Manage transactions, reconcile accounts, categorize expenses, and track income to ensure your books are accurate and up-to-date. Accountants can perform various accounting tasks to maintain the financial health of your business.
• Prepare Taxes:
  • With accountant access, your accountant can efficiently prepare and file your tax returns. They can access the necessary financial information directly from your QBO account, streamlining the tax preparation process.
• Work Collaboratively:
  • Collaborate with you in real-time on financial matters. Your accountant can leave comments, make adjustments, and communicate within the platform to address any financial concerns promptly.
• Generate Reports:
  • Create customized reports to analyze your business performance, track key metrics, and make informed decisions based on financial data. Your accountant can generate reports tailored to your specific needs.
• Troubleshoot Issues:
  • Identify and resolve any accounting discrepancies, errors, or issues that may arise in your financial records. Your accountant can proactively address problems to maintain the accuracy of your financial data.

Granting accountant access to QuickBooks Online is considered one of the best ways to provide your accountant with the necessary tools and permissions to support your business effectively. QuickBooks Online ensures data security and confidentiality, limiting your accountant's access to specific financial data relevant to your business.

Your accountant can also use accountant-specific tools to help you prepare for taxes or undo a whole reconciliation.

I recommend leaving a reply if you need additional clarification or details about adding an accountant to your QuickBooks Online account. I'm here to assist you anytime.

Hi @AC 2023 

Hope you’re doing great. I wanted to see how everything is going about the accountant access concern you had the other day. Was it resolved? Do you need any additional help or clarification? If you do, just let me know. I’d be happy to help you at any time.

Looking forward to your reply. Have a pleasant day ahead!

Is it possible to restrict the access I give my accountant if I do not want them to have access to everything like a primary admin?

Thanks!

We're unable to restrict an accountant from all admin privileges, @mwolff1. However, I'll be providing a workaround that you can utilize below.

Adding an accountant gives them primary admin access to your company data in QuickBooks Online (QBO) and modifying this is unavailable. However, you can invite them as a standard user to limit their access, and can also no longer undo entire reconciliations, reclassify transactions, and write off invoices.

To proceed, see the following steps:

1. Go to the Gear icon and select Manage Users.
2. Click Add User and fill out their Personal Info.
3. In the Roles section, choose which user roles and permissions you can assign to limit their access.
4. Then hit Send invitation.

To learn more about the roles and their descriptions, check out this article: User roles and access rights in QuickBooks Online.

On the other hand, if you're using QBO Advanced, you can assign a custom role. See this link for guidance: Add and manage custom roles in QuickBooks Online.

Furthermore, if you want to review the records of activity made by your users and accountants in QuickBooks, you can refer to this article: Use the audit log in QuickBooks Online.

Keep me posted if you have additional queries in managing users in your QuickBooks account. I'm always around to help.

Hello, I am wondering about the "accountant firm" view. I have a new bookkeeper that is going through 2024 transactions to categorize them for tax purposes. They are requesting being added as a "accountant firm" but I am worried it is going to give them access to sensitive information. 

Thank you for joining this thread and reaching out with your question about adding your new bookkeeper as an accountant firm user in QuickBooks Online (QBO), kmae131. I understand your concerns about sensitive information access, and I’m here to help clarify how this works and provide you with the best options to meet your needs.

When you invite an accountant firm to your QBO account, the accountant and members of their firm are granted admin-level access. This means they will have full access to your financial data, allowing them to review your books, make corrections, fix tricky transactions, and ensure all entries are accurate.

For more information, refer to this article: Add accountant users in QuickBooks Online.

However, if you prefer not to provide full admin access to your bookkeeper, you can add them as a standard user instead. This allows you to customize their role and limit their access to specific tasks, such as categorizing transactions without exposing sensitive data.

Here's how to add a new user:

1. Navigate Settings and click Manage users.
   
   
2. Select Add user and enter the user’s name and email address.
   
   
3. From the Roles dropdown, choose an appropriate role.
4. Review the features this role gives access to. You can expand each section.
5. Customize any Account Management settings if applicable for the role.
6. Hit Send invitation.
   
   

Once the invitation is accepted, your bookkeeper will have access limited to the tasks and areas you’ve specified.

For further details on user roles and their permissions, check out this article: User roles and access rights in QuickBooks Online.

Additionally, if you wish to monitor the activities performed by users within QBO, you can utilize the audit log feature. This allows you to review records of all actions taken by users and accountants in your account.

I hope this information clarifies your options and addresses your concerns effectively. If you have further questions or need assistance setting up the appropriate access level for your bookkeeper, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to help ensure that you're using QuickBooks Online in a way that best suits your business needs while maintaining the security of your sensitive information.

Thanks for all this information, it was helpful! I’m curious if I did allow them to become an accountant on the account. Would they be able to see bank account numbers and be able to transfer money to other accounts or outside accounts? Sorry I’m so new to this!

No, accountants added to a QuickBooks Online (QBO) account do not have access to view full bank account numbers or the ability to transfer money to other accounts or outside accounts, kmae131. I’ll share some valuable insights on it.

Once an accountant is granted access, they can manage various financial tasks such as entering transactions, handling invoices, and generating financial reports. However, sensitive actions like accessing complete bank details or transferring funds are usually restricted to ensure security and control over financial information.

For more details about adding an accountant, see this article: Add accountant users in QuickBooks Online.

I have compiled a selection of resources that include video tutorials and helpful materials to assist you in getting started with QuickBooks Online:

• Getting Started in QuickBooks Online
• How to videos in QuickBooks Online

Please know you can continue to reach me here if you need further assistance inviting accountants or any related task in QuickBooks. Thanks for coming to the Community, wishing you continued success.