How to Connect Your Accountant to QuickBooks Online
It takes less than 5 minutes and you don't need to be tech-savvy. Follow these simple steps and your accountant will have secure access to your books right away.
Why Connect Your Accountant?
When your accountant has direct access to QuickBooks Online, they can do their job faster and more accurately. They can see your transactions in real time, fix errors as they happen, and pull the reports they need without waiting on you to send files back and forth.
It also means fewer surprises at tax time. Your accountant can keep an eye on things throughout the year — not just when you hand them a folder of receipts in April.
The good news: connecting your accountant doesn't give them the ability to make payments or change your bank details. You stay in control of your money. They just get access to the financial records they need to help you.
What You Need Before You Start
Before you begin, make sure you have two things ready:
Your accountant's email address. This is the email they use to log in to QuickBooks. If you're not sure, just ask them — it only takes a second.
Access to your QuickBooks Online account. You'll need to be logged in as the account owner or an admin. If you're not sure what role you have, check with whoever set up your QuickBooks account.
That's it. You don't need to download anything or change any settings ahead of time.
Step-by-Step: How to Add Your Accountant
Follow these steps in order. The whole process takes about 3–5 minutes.
Step 1 — Log in to QuickBooks Online
Go to quickbooks.intuit.com and sign in with your email and password.
Step 2 — Open Settings
Look for the gear icon (⚙) in the top right corner of the screen. Click it to open your account settings.
Step 3 — Click "Manage Users"
Under the section called "Your Company," find and click Manage Users. This is where you control who has access to your QuickBooks account.
Step 4 — Go to the "Accounting Firms" Tab
At the top of the Manage Users page, you'll see a row of tabs. Click the one that says Accounting Firms. This is the right place to add your accountant — it gives them accountant-level access, which is different from adding a regular user.
Step 5 — Click "Invite"
Click the Invite button. A short form will appear asking for your accountant's information.
Step 6 — Enter Your Accountant's Email
Type in your accountant's email address. Double-check it before moving on — a typo here means the invite goes to the wrong person or bounces back.
Step 7 — Send the Invitation
Click Send Invitation. QuickBooks will send an email to your accountant right away with a link to accept the invite.
Step 8 — Your Accountant Accepts
Once your accountant clicks the link in their email and logs in with their QuickBooks credentials, they'll have access to your file. You'll see their name appear in the Accounting Firms tab once they've accepted.
That's all there is to it. You're done.
Common Questions
Yes — they can see your transactions, balances, and reports inside QuickBooks. But they can't move money, make payments, or change your bank login credentials. You stay in full control of your account.
No problem. Go back to the Accounting Firms tab, find the pending invite, and delete it. Then send a new one with the correct email address.
Ask them to check their spam or junk folder first. If it's not there, go back to QuickBooks, find the invite in the Accounting Firms tab, and click Resend.
Go to Settings → Manage Users → Accounting Firms. Find your accountant's name and click Delete. Their access will be removed right away.
Yes. Your accountant needs their own QuickBooks Online Accountant account to accept the invite. Most accounting firms already have this set up — if you're not sure, just ask them before you send the invite.