Handing over admin access safely to whoever sets up your books

You're about to hand over the keys to your financial records. Your bookkeeper, accountant, or software specialist will need real access to set things up properly — but handing over admin credentials creates a risk. The question underneath your uncertainty is: how do I give them what they need without exposing my business later?

This is less about paranoia and more about hygiene. A competent provider will expect you to think this way and will guide you through it. A vague provider who says "just give me your password" is already a red flag.

Separate access from ownership

Before you share anything, understand the distinction between admin access and account ownership. The person who sets up your books should be able to configure users, create accounts, set permissions and troubleshoot — but they should not own your company account itself. Your Xero, Sage or QuickBooks account ownership remains with you or a trusted director. This means you can revoke their access the moment the engagement ends, and they cannot delete or redirect your data.

Most respectable providers will ask for admin access to the accounting software itself, not the email address that holds the master account. Some will ask for a temporary admin user account created specifically for the setup project. This is a good sign. It means they understand compartmentalisation. If they need access to your email, bank feeds or payment systems to test integrations, they should ask for temporary elevated access to those specific tools, not permanent credentials.

Before you share login details, agree with your provider on what "after the setup" means. Will they hand back a list of all user access credentials? Will they remove their own login once training is complete? Will they stay as a named contact for questions? Get this in writing so there's no ambiguity later.

What to gather so they don't have to ask

A well-organised provider will send you a checklist. If yours doesn't, you can prompt them. They'll likely need your chart of accounts structure (or your current bank statements and invoices so they can build one), your VAT registration number if applicable, employee details if you run payroll, bank account information for feed connections, and historical transaction data if you're migrating from spreadsheets or another system.

They may also ask for director or authorised signatory details, your tax year end, any loans or standing agreements, and details of who will be the day-to-day user. The more complete you are upfront, the less back-and-forth and the faster they finish. It also reduces the chance they need to revisit access later.

If you use multiple bank accounts, credit cards, or payment platforms, list them all. If you've been using spreadsheets with custom formulas, send copies. If you have old accounting records, mention it. The provider needs to understand what they're stepping into before they log in for the first time.

Setting up after they've gone

Once setup is done, change your master account password. Not as a rebuke — this is standard practice. Ask them to confirm they've removed their temporary admin user. If they've created a named user for "Jane Smith — Bookkeeper", you can disable that login yourself once the relationship ends, without needing them to do it.

Request a handover document: a list of all user accounts that exist in your system, their permission levels, and which ones are no longer needed. Keep your account recovery email and backup authentication method (like your phone number for two-factor verification) up to date and in your control. These are your levers to regain access if something goes wrong.

A good provider will also leave you with documentation of what they set up, why, and how to maintain it. This protects you and them — if you later hire someone else, there's a record of what was done and why, not a mystery configuration to debug.

Trust requires structure, not paranoia. When you're evaluating someone to set up your accounting software, their ease and clarity around access and handover is a sign of professionalism. On Strove, verified bookkeepers and accounting software specialists understand these protocols because they use them daily. You can compare their approaches before committing your access to anyone.