How to add a user in QuickBooks

Check that you can manage users. Only people with the right permissions can add or edit other users, and inviting your accountant needs primary admin or company admin access.

Your subscription sets how many users you can add, so if you're near the limit, keep in mind that your accountant doesn't use up a place when invited as a firm through the Accounting Firms tab.

Have the person's first name, last name and email address ready, and think about which role fits what they'll do. The role decides which features they can reach, and QuickBooks lets you look over a role's access in detail before you send anything. For your accountant, you need their email address or their firm's user ID instead.

1. Go to Settings and select Manage users.
2. Select Add user.
3. Enter the person's First name, Last name and Email.
4. Choose the role you want them to have from the Roles dropdown.
5. Look through the features that role gives access to, expanding each section as needed. Selecting View all permissions lists the features they won't be able to use.
6. If the role allows it, select the Account management settings you want them to manage.
7. Select Send invitation.
8. Ask the new user to open the invitation email and select its link. They can sign in with an Intuit Account they already have, or create a new one.

The new user is sent an email invitation to join your company, and their access starts when they accept it. An invitation lasts 48 hours. If it runs out, Intuit's advice is not to resend it: delete the user and add them again, which sends a fresh invitation.

Your accountant also gets an email. If they need to sign up for Intuit's product for accounting practices first, the email carries a link for that. On the Manage users page their status reads Invited until they accept, then Active, and from there they can work on your books.

Access can be adjusted later. On Manage users, select Edit in the Action column beside the user, choose a different role from the Roles dropdown or change their Account management settings, and select Save changes. The user needs to sign out and back in before the change shows. Track time only roles are the exception, as they can't be edited: delete that user and add them again with the right role.

Removing a user is permanent, although their past activity stays in the audit log. Select the ellipsis icon next to them, choose Delete, then confirm with Delete user. To remove your accountant, find their name on the Manage users tab that lists them and select Delete in the Action column, then Delete again in the pop-up.

Invitation not arrived? Ask the person to look in their junk folder. If it isn't there, they should add Intuit's service email addresses to the accepted senders list in their email.

If an error message appears when you try to add someone, clear your browser's cache and cookies. QuickBooks uses them to run faster, but they can sometimes stop pages loading properly.