Switching Between Business View and Accountant View in QuickBooks Online

One of the key features of QuickBooks Online is the ability to switch between the Business View and the Accountant View. These views offer unique features and menu sets tailored to the specific needs of business owners and accountants. In this article, we will explain the differences between the Business View and the Accountant View, when to use each, and the process of switching between them.

Understanding Business View & When to Use It

The Business View is designed to cater to small business owners, entrepreneurs, and financial personnel who are responsible for day-to-day financial operations. It provides a simplified user interface with a simple navigation menu, making it ideal for individuals who may not have extensive accounting backgrounds. 

The primary focus of the Business View is to simplify financial tracking and reporting for businesses, making it easier for them to manage their finances efficiently. Whether you run a startup, a family-owned business, or a small enterprise, the Business View provides essential tools to easily track income, expenses, and cash flow. 

Business View of the QuickBooks Online dashboard

Some of the key menus in the Business View include the following:

• Business Overview: The Business Overview tab provides users with a high-level snapshot of their company’s financial health. This section displays essential key performance indicators (KPIs), such as total income, total expenses, and net profit/loss trends over a specific period. 
• Bookkeeping: The Bookkeeping tab in Business View focuses on organizing and managing various financial transactions. Users can efficiently enter and categorize expenses, revenue, and other transactions to keep track of their business’s financial activities. This is where users can manage and review bank transactions, app transactions, and sales and expenses. 
• Sales and Expenses: This section allows users to generate and send invoices to customers, issue bills to customers, track payments received, and record business-related expenses. 
• Customers & Leads: This is where you can easily add, edit, and view customer details, including contact information, payment history, and open invoices. The tab also enables users to track leads and potential sales opportunities.

Understanding Accountant View & When to Use It

The Accountant View is specifically tailored to meet the needs of accounting professionals and bookkeepers. It provides accountants with advanced tools and features, allowing them to efficiently manage multiple clients and streamline the accounting process. The Accountant View enhances collaboration between accountants and their clients.

Accountant View of the QuickBooks Online dashboard

Some of the important menus found in the Accountant View Include:

• Tasks: This serves as a centralized hub for accountants to organize and manage their to-do list. It allows accountants to create, assign, and track various tasks related to client accounts, streamlining workflow and ensuring timely completion of essential accounting activities.
• Banking: This is where accountants can view and manage all bank transactions and reconciliations for their clients. This feature allows them to stay on top of financial transactions, categorize expenses, and ensure that client bank accounts are accurately balanced.
• Workflows: This feature provides accountants with pre-designed templates and tools to streamline their accounting processes. It allows them to create customized workflows for specific tasks, such as client onboarding, financial statement preparation, or tax filing, ensuring consistent and efficient practices.
• Projects: This is where accountants can efficiently manage and track project-related financial data for their clients. It enables them to monitor project expenses, allocate budgets, and generate project-specific reports.
• Budgets: This menu allows accountants to create, edit, and manage budgeting data for their clients. This feature helps accountants work closely with clients to set financial goals and analyze variances between actual and projected figures.
• Mileage: This menu allows accountants to automatically track and record mileage expenses for their clients, streamlining the process of claiming mileage deductions and accurately capturing travel-related costs.
• Accounting: The “Accounting” menu offers accountants access to advanced accounting tools, including batch transactions management and reclassifying transactions. These features enable accountants to efficiently handle bulk changes and ensure accurate financial reporting.
• My Accountant: The “My Accountant” menu provides a direct link for clients to collaborate with their assigned accountants in the Accountant View. It allows seamless communication, data sharing, and real-time access to financial information.

How to Switch Between the Business View and Accounant View

To switch between the Business View and Accountant View, click on the cog wheel on the upper right side of your QuickBooks Online dashboard, and select Switch to Business View or Switch to Accountant View on the lower left side of the pop-up window. You will see in the description below the popup window whether you are on the Business View or Accountant View. 

If you’re using the Business View, then you should see the Switch to Accountant View, and if you’re on the Accountant View, you should see Switch to Business View instead. 

Switching to Business View of the QuickBooks Online dashboard

Wrap Up

The ability to switch between the Business View and the Accountant View allows business owners and accountants to work harmoniously to improve their productivity. Whether it’s managing day-to-day finances or providing expert accounting services, QuickBooks Online’s Business View and Accountant View cater to every financial need.