How to Give Your Accountant Access to Your Books
Most solo operators don't need to give an accountant direct login access to their day-to-day tools — exporting a clean summary of income, expenses, and mileage for the year (or the relevant period) and sharing that file is usually sufficient. If your accountant does need ongoing access, invite them as a limited or read-only user rather than sharing your own login, so they can see records without being able to change them.
Exporting beats sharing a login for most solo operators
A clean export — income, expenses, mileage — is usually all an accountant actually needs, and it avoids the security question of sharing account credentials entirely. Most bookkeeping tools can generate this kind of summary directly.
If ongoing access is needed, use a limited invite
Some accountants prefer to review books directly rather than working from periodic exports. If your software supports inviting a limited or read-only user, use that instead of sharing your own login — it lets them see what they need without the ability to change records, and it keeps a clear line between your account activity and theirs.
What to include in a shared export
- Total income for the period, ideally broken down by month.
- Expenses by category — supplies, equipment, insurance, vehicle.
- Mileage records, if you’re deducting vehicle expenses that way.
- Outstanding invoices or unpaid balances, so your accountant has the full picture, not just completed transactions.
Share more often than once a year
Waiting until tax season to hand over a full year of records means issues surface after it’s too late to fix them cleanly. Sharing quarterly — especially if you’re making estimated tax payments — gives your accountant a chance to flag a missing category or miscategorized expense while there’s still time to correct it.
One export, not three apps’ worth
If your income and expenses live in a single ledger rather than scattered across a spreadsheet, a mileage app, and a separate invoicing tool, a year-end (or quarterly) export is one file instead of three things your accountant has to reconcile themselves.
Frequently asked questions
Should I share my login and password with my accountant?
No — use an invited or read-only access option if your software supports one, rather than handing over your own credentials. It's both a security practice and keeps a clear record of who made any changes.
What does an accountant actually need to see?
Total income, itemized expenses by category, mileage records, and any outstanding invoices or unpaid balances. A clean export covering these is usually more useful to them than raw access to every individual transaction.
How often should I share records with my accountant?
At minimum, once a year before filing — but sharing quarterly, especially if you're making estimated tax payments, lets them catch issues early instead of discovering them at year-end.