Improved user experience and security protocols are being introduced for the QuickBooks® Desktop software user by requiring the company owner to login to an Intuit® account when opening the company file. Having an Intuit account provides a secure, single source login for access to all of Intuit’s powerful offerings, including owned QuickBooks Desktop software and connected services.

In this article for accountants, I will share with you different scenarios for managing the Intuit account login, while completing accounting tasks in your clients’ QuickBooks Desktop files.

Scenario 1: Accountant uses the External Accountant user credential when logging into a client’s QuickBooks Desktop company file

Click to watch a video of these instructions or watch the video below:

The accountant is using any of the following QuickBooks Desktop editions:

• Enterprise*
• Premier Plus*
• Premier*
• Pro Plus
• or Pro

*Not including the Accountant edition; this scenario is covered later in this article.

Instruct your client to complete these steps before they send you their file.

For your clients using QuickBooks Desktop Premier or Pro (including Plus versions of both):

1. Request that your client log into the company file with the Admin credentials.
2. From the menu bar, Company > Set Up Users and Passwords > Set Up Users.
3. If prompted enter the Admin password. Select the Add User.
4. Have them type a User Name and optional password (either set by the client or you are prompted to create one) then click Next.
5. Click to select either External Accountant (which has some restrictions) or All areas of QuickBooks.
6. Click Next and Yes to the warning message.
7. Click Finish and Close.

For your clients using QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise:

1. Request that your client log into the company file with the Admin credentials.
2. From the menu bar, select Company > Users > Set Up Users and Roles.
3. Enter the Admin password when prompted, and then click OK.
4. Click New.
5. Have your client type a User Name and optionally a password (either set by the client or you are prompted to create one).
6. In the Available Roles box on the left, select External Accountant > Add and optionally Full Access > Add.
7. Click Continue after reading each warning. Your client’s selections are now displayed in the Assigned Roles box on the right.

Before saving, your Enterprise client will be prompted to enter your accountant email, and an invite will be sent to you. While it is recommended that you accept the invite from within your email, it is not required for you to work in the file. If you do complete the process by accepting the invite, you will be prompted to create (or log into) your own Intuit account. Here is the best practice: If you use a single email (hence a single Intuit account) for yourself and instruct all of your Enterprise clients to use that specific email.

Your clients using any version of QuickBooks can now send to you any of the following file formats for you to work with at your office in your non-Accountant edition of QuickBooks Desktop including:

• Portable Company File (.qbm)
• Backup file (.qbb)
• Working QuickBooks file (.qbw)

When you log into the client’s file using the External Accountant and or All Areas/Full Access username and optional password, you will not be prompted to log into the Intuit account associated with this client’s file. Only the QuickBooks Desktop company file Admin user will be prompted for those credentials.

This provides easy and improved security for the client, and added control for the accountant receiving the file. It is as simple as asking your client to create a user for you with External Accountant and/or All Areas/Full Access privileges.

Scenario 2: Accountant uses the Admin user credentials when logging into a client’s QuickBooks Desktop company file

Click to watch a video of these instructions or click the video below:

This scenario assumes your client sends to you their QuickBooks Desktop file for you to work with at your office, and you are using one of the following versions of QuickBooks Desktop:

• Enterprise*
• Premier Plus*
• Premier*
• Pro Plus
• or Pro

*Not including the Accountant edition, this scenario is covered later in this article.

While not recommended, you choose to log into the client’s file using the QuickBooks Desktop Admin user credentials. The Admin user is then prompted to log into the Intuit account associated with this specific file. By default, QuickBooks will pre-fill the email address of the Primary Admin of the associated Intuit account.

Since this login is not to be shared, as the accounting professional, you should instead type your accountant email address and click Continue. You will now be prompted to log into your own accountant Intuit account. If you have forgotten your credentials you can click “I forgot my user ID or password,” or if you do not yet have your own Intuit account, click the Create an account and follow the prompts.

After logging into your own Intuit account a message displays, recognizing that you are not the Primary Admin for the Intuit account for this QuickBooks Desktop file. An email will be sent automatically to the Primary Admin of record for the Intuit account associated with this specific file. You will be able to work in the file uninterrupted for a limited amount of time.

Your client will receive an email where they can accept (or reject) your request to be included in this company file’s Intuit account. Once accepted, you will be able to work in the file uninterrupted.

As part of the process of accepting your request, your client can decide which Intuit account role(s) to assign to you, their accountant. These roles within the Intuit account do not provide access to the QuickBooks Desktop company file. Instead, the Intuit account users provide another layer of security for the owner of the business who wants to manage users’ access to connected services for this company file.

Managing these permissions either online or within the QuickBooks Desktop software provides added security and control for the QuickBooks Desktop users.

The most important take away here is only the company owner (or manager) should login to the Company file with the QuickBooks Desktop Admin credentials, and the Admin credentials should not be shared. By following this recommendation, you and your client can track exactly who added or edited transactions in the company file.

Scenario 3: Accountant using QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Accountant or Premier Accountant software and Intuit account management

Click to watch a video of these instructions or click on the video below.

These instructions assume that the accountant:

• Is using a supported version of QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Accountant or Premier Accountant
• Is creating or working with their clients’ company files at the accountant’s office
• Is logging into the clients’ company files using the QuickBooks Desktop Admin user credentials

Note: The functionality detailed in this section is not at all related to being a subscriber to the QuickBooks Desktop ProAdvisor community. There is no additional fee or ProAdvisor requirement for this functionality.

3a: Accountant manages company file for a short period of time:

The accountant logs into the company file using the QuickBooks Desktop Admin user credentials. The accountant then selects “You Sign in on your clients’ behalf.” Signing in this way defers creating or associating an Intuit account for this QuickBooks Desktop company file for a short period of time.

3b: Accountant manages company file for a longer period of time:

The accountant logs into the company file using the QuickBooks Desktop Admin user credentials. The accountant then selects “You’re the admin who owns or manages this company file.”

The accountant has now associated this company file with the accountant’s Intuit account or creates a new Intuit account using the accountant’s ID or email.

Do you have any questions? Do you need additional support? I encourage you to like the video and leave any comments, or visit my YouTube channel for more videos.