Switching bookkeepers goes best when you collect 8 things from the old one before their access ends. Get the admin role, reconciliation reports, a trial balance, payroll reports, open items, documents, logins and a short note. Do it over 2 weeks.
Last updated November 1, 2026. Reviewed by Aryan Patel, founder of Senvora Group, a bookkeeping firm that supports CPA firms and business owners in the US, UK, Canada and Australia. This is the handoff method our team uses when a new client moves their books over to us. The software facts come from Intuit’s help pages. The record keeping facts come from the IRS and the CRA.
Key takeaways
- Ask for the primary admin role first. Intuit says the person who creates a QuickBooks account holds it by default, and only the current primary admin can transfer it.
- Export your reports before anyone is removed. Intuit says a removed accountant user is immediately removed and can no longer access your company file.
- Get a trial balance, bank reconciliation reports and payroll reports as of a clear cutoff date. They give your new bookkeeper a fixed starting point.
- Keep copies of everything. The IRS says to keep employment tax records for at least 4 years. The CRA says six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to.
- Never accept passwords by text or email. Use a password manager and change shared logins on the day the handoff ends.
- Plan for 2 weeks. A rushed handoff on the last day of the month is where records get lost.
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Why a handoff goes wrong
Most messy handoffs are not about bad people. They are about nobody writing down what exists. The old bookkeeper knows where things live. The new one does not. You, the owner, are stuck in the middle.
Behind on your books before tax season? We review your file for free and give you a fixed quote. Get your books CPA ready before January.
We see this a lot at onboarding. In our 5 QuickBooks setup errors we see most, these setup errors come up again and again. Unreconciled history and a wrong company start date were two of them. Both are far easier to spot when you ask for the right reports on day one.
The fix is simple. Treat the handoff like a small project. Give it a checklist, an owner and dates.
The handoff checklist: what to ask the old bookkeeper for
Send this list in writing. Ask for a reply date. Here is what we ask for, in this order.
- Access and the admin role. Ask that you or a person you trust becomes the primary admin before anything else changes. Then ask for a list of every user on the file.
- Bank reconciliation reports. Ask for the reconciliation report for every bank, card and loan account, through your cutoff date. Ask for the last reconciled date on each account.
- A trial balance. Ask for a trial balance as of the cutoff date. Also ask for the profit and loss and balance sheet for the same date.
- Payroll reports. If the bookkeeper handled payroll, ask for payroll summaries, tax liability reports and copies of filed payroll returns for the year to date.
- A list of open items. This means unpaid bills, unpaid invoices, uncategorized transactions, questions waiting on you and any filing that is half done.
- Documents. Ask for receipts, statements, loan papers, 1099 records and anything else stored outside the software. Ask where each item lives.
- Passwords, handled safely. Ask which third party logins the bookkeeper used, such as bank feeds, payroll or payment apps. Move them to a password manager you control. Do not ask anyone to email a password.
- A short transition note. One page is enough. It should cover how the books were kept, known problems, recurring tasks, filing dates and anything unusual.
A quick note on exports. The Intuit page on exporting your QuickBooks Online data says you can export reports and lists to Excel, and attachments as a zip file. It does not say which user roles can export. So ask early, and check that you can actually open the files.
The handoff table: why each item matters and how to check it
Print this or paste it into your own tracker. Tick each row only after you have opened the file yourself.
| Item | Why it matters | How to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Primary admin role | It is the highest level of access. Per the Intuit page on changing the primary admin, only the current primary admin can transfer it. | Go to Settings, then Manage users. Confirm your name is the primary admin. |
| User list | Old users can keep access you forgot about. | Review every name on the Manage users screen. Remove anyone who should not be there. |
| Bank reconciliation reports | They show the books match the bank. Gaps carry into every later month. | Open the report for each account. Compare the ending balance to the statement. |
| Trial balance | It is a snapshot of every account on one date. | Run it for the cutoff date. Confirm debits equal credits and the totals match your reports. |
| Payroll reports | They tie your wages and tax liabilities to filed returns. | Compare liability balances to the last filed returns. Ask about any difference. |
| Open items list | It shows what is unfinished so nothing drops. | Check it against unpaid bills, unpaid invoices and uncategorized transactions in the file. |
| Documents and attachments | The IRS and the CRA both expect you to keep records. | Open a sample of receipts and statements. Confirm you can read them. |
| Password handling | Shared logins are a quiet risk. | Confirm each login sits in a password manager you control. Change shared ones on handoff day. |
| Transition note | It captures what only the old bookkeeper knows. | Read it. Ask the old bookkeeper two follow up questions to test it. |
Take your own backup first
Do this before you tell anyone the relationship is ending. Sign in as an admin and export your reports and lists. The Intuit page on exporting your QuickBooks Online data walks through it step by step. Save the files somewhere you control, not in the old bookkeeper’s shared drive.
Then look at the audit log if you are an admin. Per the Intuit page on the audit log, it records sign ins, changes to settings and edits to customers, vendors, employees and payroll submissions. You can filter it by user, date or event. Intuit also says events are kept for two years. The page does not mention exporting the log, so do not count on being able to save it. Review it while you still can.
A 2 week transition timeline
This is the timeline Senvora recommends. Adjust the dates, but keep the order.
- Days 1 and 2: take your own backup. Confirm who is the primary admin. Send the written checklist to the old bookkeeper with a reply date.
- Days 3 to 5: have the new bookkeeper join the file. Agree on a cutoff date, usually a month end.
- Days 6 to 8: receive the reconciliation reports, trial balance, payroll reports and open items list. Open every file.
- Days 9 and 10: the new bookkeeper reviews the books and writes down questions. The old bookkeeper answers them in one batch.
- Days 11 and 12: read the transition note together. Move third party logins into your password manager.
- Day 13: set a closing date up to the cutoff, then remove the old bookkeeper’s access.
- Day 14: the new bookkeeper runs a fresh trial balance and confirms it matches the one you were given.
On day 13, two Intuit pages matter. The Intuit page on locking your books says you can set a closing date, and that you cannot edit transactions before it. It also describes an option that asks for a password before changes are made. And the Intuit page on removing an accountant user says a primary admin or company admin can remove an accountant, who is then immediately removed and can no longer access your company file. That is why you export first.
Red flags during a bookkeeper handoff
- The old bookkeeper owns the admin login. If you are not the primary admin, you do not control your own books. Fix this first. If the primary admin has left and cannot sign in, Intuit says you must submit a request to its account protection team with documents proving you own the business or can take over the account.
- Reports arrive as screenshots. You need files you can open and filter.
- No one can say when each account was last reconciled. That usually means it was not.
- Passwords come by text or email. Treat that as a security problem.
- The bookkeeper holds your documents hostage over a fee dispute. You need those records. Ask a CPA or lawyer how to proceed.
- The trial balance does not match the financial statements. Stop and find out why before you sign off.
If the file is a mess when you open it, do not panic. Our retroactive bookkeeping guide and QuickBooks Online cleanup checklist show how we fix it. Common problem spots are a wrong company start date fix and a chart of accounts cleanup guide.
How long should you keep the old records?
Longer than you think. The IRS page on how long to keep records says to keep records until the period of limitations for the return runs out. The default is 3 years. It also says to keep employment tax records for at least 4 years after the tax becomes due or is paid, whichever is later.
In Canada, the CRA guide RC188, Keeping Records says records must be kept for six years from the end of the last tax year they relate to, unless the CRA gives permission to destroy them earlier. It also says you remain responsible for adequate records even if a bookkeeper or accountant keeps them for you. That is a strong reason to hold your own copies.
These are general rules, not advice for your situation. Ask your CPA what applies to you.
Frequently asked questions
What should I ask my old bookkeeper for?
Ask for the primary admin role, bank reconciliation reports, a trial balance, payroll reports, an open items list, your documents, a safe handoff of logins and a short transition note. Get them as of a clear cutoff date.
Who should be the primary admin of my QuickBooks file?
You, or a person you trust inside your business. Intuit says the person who creates the account is the primary admin by default, and only the current primary admin can transfer the role. If it is not you, ask for the transfer first.
Can I remove my old bookkeeper right away?
Yes, an admin can. Intuit says a removed accountant user is immediately removed and can no longer access your company file. So export your reports and collect your handoff items before you do it.
How long should I keep my old bookkeeping records?
The IRS says to keep employment tax records for at least 4 years, and other records until the period of limitations expires, which is 3 years by default. The CRA says six years from the end of the last tax year. Ask your CPA about your case.
How long does switching bookkeepers take?
Senvora recommends 2 weeks. That gives you time to back up your data, collect the reports, review them and then end the old access. A smaller file may go faster.
Handing your books to your accountant soon? Our team wrote down exactly what to send your CPA at year end.
If you run a home care agency, ask your next bookkeeper whether they check these every month: home care agency bookkeeping: 5 money leaks to check every month.
Sources
- Intuit page on changing the primary admin (quickbooks.intuit.com)
- Intuit page on removing an accountant user (quickbooks.intuit.com)
- Intuit page on locking your books (quickbooks.intuit.com)
- Intuit page on the audit log (quickbooks.intuit.com)
- Intuit page on exporting your QuickBooks Online data (quickbooks.intuit.com)
- IRS page on how long to keep records (irs.gov)
- CRA guide RC188, Keeping Records (canada.ca)
- 5 QuickBooks setup errors we see most (senvoragroup.com)
Want a clean handoff to a new bookkeeper?
Senvora Group provides monthly outsourced bookkeeping for business owners and CPA firms. We start every new file with a review of the items in this checklist. You can also see our outsourced bookkeeping pricing breakdown, or DM Aryan. Which item on the checklist worries you most right now?
