Access Levels Explained

Access levels explained

When a client grants you access to their Accounted data, they choose an access level that determines what you can see and do within their account. This ensures clients remain in control of their data whilst giving you the tools you need to support them effectively.

The three access levels

Read-Only

Best for: Initial review, occasional monitoring, or clients who manage their own books and just want you to have visibility.

With read-only access, you can:

• View all transactions and their categories
• View receipt images and invoice PDFs
• View the tax position dashboard
• View financial reports (P&L, Balance Sheet, Trial Balance)
• View submission history and HMRC acknowledgement references
• Export data and reports

You cannot:

• Change transaction categories
• Approve or modify submissions
• Add notes visible to the client
• Create or edit invoices
• Modify any settings

Read-only access is useful for accountants who want to monitor a client's records without actively managing them. It's also a good starting point for new client relationships where trust is still being established.

Review

Best for: Active collaboration where you review and correct Penny's categorisations, approve submissions, and provide ongoing oversight.

With review access, you can do everything in read-only, plus:

• Approve or correct transaction categories
• Flag transactions for the client to explain
• Add internal notes (visible only to your practice)
• Approve quarterly submissions before they go to HMRC
• Review and approve the End of Period Statement and Final Declaration
• Generate and download reports on the client's behalf

You cannot:

• Create or send invoices on behalf of the client
• Modify bank connections
• Change the client's business details or settings
• Submit to HMRC without client approval (submissions you approve still require the client's final confirmation)

Review access is the most common level for accountants actively managing their clients' MTD compliance. It gives you the ability to ensure the books are correct whilst keeping the client involved in the final sign-off.

Full Access

Best for: Clients who want you to manage everything on their behalf, including submissions and invoicing.

With full access, you can do everything in review, plus:

• Submit quarterly updates and year-end filings to HMRC on the client's behalf (without requiring their additional confirmation)
• Create, edit, and send invoices
• Modify business details and settings
• Manage bank connection re-authorisation reminders
• Set up and manage payroll (when available)

Full access is intended for accountants who act as the primary bookkeeper for their clients. It's equivalent to having the client's own access, except you cannot:

• Change the client's password or email
• Modify the accountant access settings (only the client can change or revoke your access)
• Delete the client's account

How clients grant access

Clients manage accountant access from Settings > Accountant in their Accounted dashboard. They can:

1. Choose the access level when they first connect you.
2. Change the level at any time — for example, upgrading you from read-only to review after an initial trial period.
3. Revoke access entirely if the relationship ends.

Clients receive a clear explanation of what each level allows before they confirm.

Team member access

Within your practice, you can assign different team members different levels of access to individual clients. For example:

• A senior partner might have full access to all clients.
• A bookkeeper might have review access to their assigned clients.
• A trainee might have read-only access for learning and shadowing.

Team member permissions are managed from Settings > Team in your accountant portal. Each team member's access cannot exceed the level the client has granted to your firm.

Audit trail

All actions taken through the accountant portal are logged in the client's audit trail. This includes:

• Which team member made the change
• What was changed (e.g., category correction, submission approval)
• When the change was made

This audit trail is visible to both you and the client, ensuring full transparency. It's also useful for regulatory compliance and professional indemnity purposes.