Adding an Accountant to QuickBooks Online: Complete Setup Guide

As your business grows, keeping your books accurate and up to date becomes a challenge, especially when sales span multiple channels and platforms. Delayed or improper accountant access can lead to errors, compliance risks, and missed insights.

In this guide, you will learn exactly how to add an accountant to QuickBooks Online, why it matters, and how to keep collaboration secure and efficient as your business scales.

How to add an accountant to QuickBooks Online: Step-by-step

Inviting your accountant to QuickBooks Online takes just a few minutes and ensures they can support your business directly in your books.

Step-by-step invitation process

1. Log in as the primary admin: Sign in to your QuickBooks Online account using your primary admin credentials. Only the main account owner or company admin can invite new accountants, which protects your financial data
2. Navigate to the Manage users section: Click the gear icon in the upper-right corner. Select "Manage users" from the dropdown menu. This page displays all current users and controls access permissions
3. Select the Accountants tab: Within Manage Users, click on the "Accountants" or "Accounting Firms" tab. This section is separate from standard users and is designed for professional accounting access
4. Enter your accountant’s email and send the invite: Click "Invite" and enter your accountant’s email address carefully. Double-check for accuracy, as any typo will prevent delivery. QuickBooks will send your accountant an email with instructions to accept the invitation
5. Confirm acceptance and grant access: Your accountant receives an email link to accept the invitation. Once they follow the link and set up their login, their status changes from “Invited” to “Active” in your dashboard

Most accountants accept invitations within 24 hours. If not, see the troubleshooting section below.

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Understanding accountant roles and permissions in QuickBooks Online

QuickBooks Online offers specialized accountant access that balances security with the ability to support your business.

What accountant users can see and do

When you invite an accountant, they receive permissions designed for financial professionals:

• Full access to view, edit, and reconcile all financial transactions
• Ability to run any report, including profit and loss, balance sheet, and custom reports
• Authority to complete bank and credit card reconciliations
• Access to all necessary data for tax preparation
• Limited admin rights, cannot change passwords or invite other users without explicit permission

Comparing user roles

Table: QuickBooks Online User Roles Comparison

When to grant different access levels

Grant full accountant access when:

• Working with a firm for ongoing monthly reconciliation
• Preparing for tax season with your CPA
• Implementing new financial strategies or systems
• Managing complex multichannel operations

Limited or read-only access is better for:

• One-time consultations or reviews
• Specialized tax advisors who only need visibility
• Training periods with new accounting partners
• Compliance audits requiring documentation access

Security best practices

• Never share your primary admin login credentials
• Always use the official Invite Accountant feature to maintain individual login tracking
• Assign unique logins to each user for clear audit trails
• Use audit logs to track who reconciled what and when
• Enable two-factor authentication for all users

Proper permissions allow accountants to review both manual entries and automated postings, such as those from automation tools like Webgility. 

With the right permissions in place, you are ready to verify access and ensure your accountant can get to work.

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Verifying, confirming, and troubleshooting accountant access

Always confirm your accountant’s access and permissions before they start work.

How to check invitation status

Return to Settings > Manage Users > Accountants tab. You will see each accountant’s current status:

• Invited: Email sent, but not yet accepted
• Active: Full access granted and working
• Inactive: Previously active but now removed
• Expired: Invitation timed out after 30 days

Common issues and solutions

• Accountant did not receive the invite: Ask them to check their spam or junk folder. Verify the email address entered is correct. Resend the invitation if needed
• Invitation expired after 30 days: Delete the expired invitation from the Accountants tab. Send a new invitation to the correct email address
• Wrong role assigned: Remove the user and re-invite them with the correct role
• Accountant cannot see automated postings or reconciliation logs: Confirm that the accountant has the necessary permissions. Ensure they know where to find logs from automation tools like Webgility

Periodic reviews

Review user access quarterly to maintain security and compliance. For automated data syncs, confirm your accountant’s visibility into posting and reconciliation logs.

With access confirmed, you can manage and update accountant users as your business and team evolve.

Managing and updating accountant access as your business evolves

Accountant access is not set-and-forget. Review it whenever your team or business changes.

How to manage accountant access:

• Transfer access to a new accountant: Remove the old accountant from the Accountants tab, invite the new accountant, and transfer any necessary notes or documentation
• Update permissions as roles evolve: Adjust user roles as responsibilities change, such as promoting a bookkeeper to full accountant access
• Remove access securely: Go to Manage Users > Accountants tab, select the user, and delete their access immediately after staff or firm changes
• Maintain an access log: Keep a record of who has access and when changes are made for compliance

When changing accountants, update their access to all connected tools, including Webgility, for seamless data continuity. As your business grows, you may need to scale your accounting team and coordinate more complex collaboration.

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Scaling accountant collaboration for multichannel and high-growth scenarios

Growth brings complexity. Scaling your accounting team and workflows keeps your books accurate and your business agile.

When and how to scale your accounting team

Triggers for scaling include reaching new revenue milestones, adding new sales channels or marketplaces, or expanding internationally.

Typical team structures:

• Lead accountant or controller
• Bookkeeper
• Tax specialist
• External CPA or advisory firm

Set up multiple users in QuickBooks Online and assign differentiated roles to match your team’s structure. Coordinate with regular check-ins, clear division of duties, and shared documentation.

For multichannel sellers, automation tools like Webgility enable teams to handle 10x more orders with the same staff and save time on reconciliation. 

For example, Vector Business Solutions reduced Amazon posting time from 8 hours to 1 hour using Webgility.

Table: Accounting Team Structure by Business Size

Automation lets accountants focus on analysis, not manual entry. No matter your team size, following best practices ensures secure, efficient accountant collaboration.

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Best practices for secure, efficient accountant collaboration in QuickBooks Online

Strong collaboration depends on clear routines, secure access, and the right tools.

Checklist:

• Review user permissions and access logs monthly
• Enforce password hygiene and two-factor authentication for all users
• Schedule regular syncs with your accountant to review exceptions and automation outputs
• For multichannel sellers, ensure your accountant understands how automated reconciliation works and where to find exception reports
• Document workflows for onboarding new accountants

With automation tools like Webgility, accountants spend less time on manual entry and more on analysis.

Ready to Scale Your Financial Team?

Learning how to add an accountant to QuickBooks Online is a crucial step, but it is only part of the equation. As your transaction volume grows, manual data entry will still slow down even the best financial team. Automation is the key to unlocking their full potential.

Webgility seamlessly connects your ecommerce channels to QuickBooks, automating the busywork so your accountant can focus on high-level strategy and growth. Don't let manual processes become your bottleneck.

Schedule a free demo today and see how automation can transform your accounting workflow.

FAQs

How many accountants can I add to QuickBooks Online?

You can add up to two accountant users on Simple Start and up to three on Advanced plans. Accountant users do not count toward your standard user limit.

Is there a cost for adding accountant users?

No, accountant users are free and do not count toward your paid user limit.

What should I do if my accountant does not receive the invite?

Ask them to check their spam folder, verify the email address, and resend the invitation if needed. If the invitation expires after 30 days, delete it and send a new one.

Can I remove or change accountant access later?

Yes, you can remove or update accountant access at any time from the Manage Users > Accountants tab.