Learn about the different options for user roles and access permissions.
When you add a user in QuickBooks online, you can manage their roles and limit their access to specific tasks. You can also choose what users can see and do within different areas of QuickBooks like customers and sales or suppliers and purchases.
Learn more 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. You can also invite your accountant as a firm user so they can review your QuickBooks company file.
Roles that count toward user limits
Learn more about each billable user role that counts toward your user limits.
Primary Admin
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.
Company admin
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.
Standard User
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.
Roles that don’t count toward user limits
Reports only user (only available in QuickBooks Online Plus)
They can see all reports except the Audit log. They can create custom reports and add report groups, but they can't view the actual transactions. They can't see reports that show contact info.
Reports only user (only available in QuickBooks Online Plus)
They can see all reports except the Audit log (reports that show contact info). They can create custom reports and add report groups, but they can't view the actual transactions. They can't see reports that show contact info.
Time tracking only user
You can invite employees or suppliers as time tracking only users. They can only enter their own time sheets. Their only access is to see time sheets and time reports.
Standard user role access rights
Primary admins and company admins get all access rights. When you assign the standard user role, QuickBooks lets you choose the user’s access rights. You can choose to give them all access, limited access or none.
Here's a summary of what the access options allow.
All access
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 tax for the company, make tax adjustments, file tax returns, or change the setup for existing tax info
- Set up multicurrency
- Perform home currency adjustments
- Forward receipts and bills from email
Limited (customers and sales)
This user can:
- Enter quotes, 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 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 tax return, record a tax payment or refund, or file taxes
- Set up new or change existing tax agencies or settings
- Set up multicurrency
- Perform home currency adjustments
Limited (suppliers and purchases)
This user can:
- Enter bills from suppliers
- Enter cash and credit card purchases
- Pay bills, write checks, and view check 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 tax in purchase, credit card, and banking transactions (i.e. manually overriding calculated tax amounts)
- Run tax reports or view tax history
- Prepare a tax return, record a payment or refund, or file taxes
- Add, edit, and delete currencies
- Edit exchange rates
They 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
Limited (customers and suppliers)
This user can:
- Enter quotes, invoices, sales receipts, credit notes, refunds, charges, and credits
- Create and delete statements
- Receive payments from customers
- Fill out time sheets 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 checks, and view check reports
- Make bills and purchases billable to customers
- Enter cash and credit card purchases
They 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
None
This user can't use any of the accounting features in QuickBooks Online. They can submit time sheets.
User settings for standard user role
After you’ve chosen a standard user role’s access rights, you’ll also be able to select their user settings. You can give them permission to manage users, edit company info, or manage subscriptions. Or you can choose a view only option or no permission at all.
