By Cameron Wells, cloud-accounting systems analyst with 9 years of experience supporting bookkeepers and small-business owners
Last reviewed: July 22, 2026
FreshBooks business owners use the main account login to manage invoices, expenses, reports, and accounting records. An accountant should receive their own invitation and role rather than using the owner’s credentials.
This independent guide is not affiliated with FreshBooks.
The immediate job is choosing the right access level, confirming the report period, and exporting the records the accountant actually needs. A successful login alone does not prove that the correct business, role, currency, or accounting method is being viewed.
What FreshBooks Is
FreshBooks is cloud accounting and invoicing software for small businesses and independent professionals. It includes invoices, expenses, online payments, time tracking, bank reconciliation, financial reports, and accountant collaboration tools.
A business owner and an accountant can work inside the same business without sharing a password. FreshBooks provides accountant roles and an Accountant Hub that gives accounting professionals access to client books through their own accounts.
That separation matters.
Shared credentials make it harder to identify who changed an account, journal entry, expense, or reconciliation item. They can also expose parts of the account that the other person does not need.
Choose the Correct FreshBooks Route
| Your task | Correct starting point |
|---|---|
| Manage your own business | Main FreshBooks login |
| Reset account access | Forgot Your Password? |
| Let an accountant review the books | Invite an accountant with the appropriate role |
| Manage several accounting clients | Accountant Hub |
| Review transactions by account | General Ledger report |
| Check account balances | Trial Balance or Balance Sheet |
| Export a report | More Actions or Send inside the report |
| Check a wider interruption | FreshBooks status page |
The FreshBooks login currently provides email and password fields, Google and Apple sign-in, Forgot Your Password?, Can’t Log In?, and Sign Up.
Do this first: confirm whether you are entering as the owner, an invited accountant, or an Accountant Hub user. Skip creating another business when the correct account may already exist under another role.
Log In to the Correct Business
Open FreshBooks through the company’s website and use the sign-in method connected to the account. FreshBooks supports its own credentials as well as Google and Apple authentication.
Owners and accountants who work with several businesses should check the active business name before reviewing reports or recording adjustments. FreshBooks says invited accountants can switch among client businesses that have granted them access.
This is a quiet source of mistakes. The report may load normally, the dates may appear correct, and the numbers may look plausible, yet the user could be viewing another client’s books.
Check the business name first. Skip journal entries until that is settled.
Someone who normally signs in with Google or Apple should reset that provider’s password through the provider. FreshBooks documents that a separate FreshBooks password should be created before disconnecting a linked Google or Apple account.
Invite an Accountant Without Sharing Credentials
FreshBooks allows a business owner to invite team members and assign roles such as admin, manager, employee, contractor, or accountant. The invitation process begins from the Dashboard or Team Members section, where the owner adds the person and assigns the intended access.
FreshBooks currently distinguishes between Accountant and Accountant – Full Access roles. A standard accountant can review accounting information and perform bookkeeping tasks, while an Accountant – Full Access user can access the broader account through Accountant Hub and the client’s business account.
Full access is broad.
FreshBooks states that Accountant – Full Access reaches the entire account, although certain payment functions remain restricted. For example, that role cannot access the Online Payments subsection, set up online payment options, or process refunds.
Choose the narrower role when it covers the work. Skip full access simply because it sounds more convenient.
Never send an accountant the owner’s password, login code, payment information, or recovery email.
What an Invited Accountant Can Do
An invited accountant can access financial reports, add journal entries, manage the Chart of Accounts, view invoices, manage payments, record other income, review expenses, and work with Bank Reconciliation.
The accountant’s view may differ from the owner’s. That is expected.
FreshBooks records routine activity such as invoices, expenses, payments, other income, and reconciliation work as journal entries posted to the Chart of Accounts and General Ledger.
Manual journal entries require more care. FreshBooks says manually created entries affect accounting reports, including the Chart of Accounts, General Ledger, and Balance Sheet. Cash-basis Profit and Loss behavior can differ depending on whether the entry affects a cash account.
Do not enter a manual adjustment merely to force two reports to match. Identify why they differ, then use the accounting treatment appropriate to the transaction.
For material tax or financial-statement questions, use a qualified accountant.
Pick the Right Financial Report
FreshBooks reports answer different questions.
Profit and Loss: Shows income and expenses for the selected period. FreshBooks displays a separate report for each currency.
Balance Sheet: Shows assets, liabilities, and equity at a point in time. FreshBooks recommends using its comparison settings when matching net income with another report covering a specific period.
General Ledger: Displays the transactions moving through each account on an accrual basis. It can be filtered by date and used alongside a bank statement or Trial Balance review.
Trial Balance: Shows debit and credit totals by account as of a specific date. FreshBooks advises using the General Ledger when the goal is to see activity during a period rather than ending balances.
Accounts Aging: Collects outstanding and overdue invoices so the business can identify clients who are taking longer to pay.
Select the report based on the question. Skip sending every available report when the accountant requested one defined period and purpose.
Why FreshBooks Reports May Not Match
Two reports can appear inconsistent even when both are functioning correctly.
A Balance Sheet shows closing account balances, while a Trial Balance may be filtered to net movement over a selected period. The Trial Balance also handles retained earnings differently. FreshBooks recommends adjusting date filters and using Compare Dates on the Balance Sheet when checking net income against Profit and Loss or Trial Balance results.
Sales-tax treatment can create another difference. FreshBooks notes that taxes on bills and expenses may be excluded from Profit and Loss totals, so the Sales Tax Summary may need to be reviewed.
Accounting method matters too. A report using Billed (Accrual) can differ from one using Collected (Cash-Based) because revenue and expenses are recognized under different timing rules.
Pause there.
Do not change transactions until the report period, accounting method, currency, and fiscal-year settings have been compared.
Report Periods, Currencies, and Fiscal Years
FreshBooks reports can be filtered by date, but report behavior depends on the report itself. The updated Trial Balance displays balances as of a selected date, while the General Ledger shows transaction detail over a period.
FreshBooks reports can be run in only one currency at a time. A separate report must be reviewed for each currency used by the business.
That detail can explain an apparently incomplete income total. A report opened in U.S. dollars will not automatically combine activity recorded in another currency.
FreshBooks also allows a business to specify its fiscal year end in the financial information settings, which affects automatic report filters.
Priority one is the filter bar. Skip exporting until the period, currency, and accounting method have been confirmed.
Export or Send FreshBooks Reports
FreshBooks provides three report-sharing options in a browser.
To download a spreadsheet-compatible file:
More Actions > Export for Excel
FreshBooks downloads the report as a CSV file.
To create a PDF:
More Actions > Print
The browser’s print dialog can be used to print the report or save it as a PDF.
To send the report:
Send > enter recipient and message > Send Report
FreshBooks says the recipient’s download link remains valid for up to 30 days.
A report link is not permanent storage. Download the required copy before the link expires.
Send financial records only to the intended accountant or authorized recipient. A Profit and Loss statement, General Ledger, or Balance Sheet can expose detailed business information even when it contains no login credentials.
Prepare FreshBooks for Tax Work
FreshBooks markets reports such as Profit and Loss, Expense, and Accounts Aging as tools for organizing tax-time records.
Software reports are only as reliable as the records behind them.
Before handing the books to an accountant, review:
- unreconciled bank transactions;
- duplicate or uncategorized expenses;
- unpaid and partially paid invoices;
- personal transactions mixed into business accounts;
- incorrect sales-tax settings;
- unsupported manual journal entries;
- reports in additional currencies;
- the selected accounting method and fiscal year.
FreshBooks organizes its Chart of Accounts using U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles classifications, with account types, subtypes, parent accounts, and subaccounts.
GAAP is an accounting framework, not a guarantee that every user-entered transaction has been classified correctly.
Check the records first. Skip treating a generated report as a filed tax return.
Tax obligations and filing requirements vary by jurisdiction and business structure.
FreshBooks Accountant Hub
Accountant Hub provides accounting professionals with a centralized place to create and manage FreshBooks client accounts and access client books. The firm can pay for a client’s FreshBooks subscription or leave subscription payment with the client.
Each client remains a separate business.
FreshBooks currently allows up to 10 accountants per business. Accountant Hub firms can also add their own staff to client accounts through the client or through an Accountant – Full Access relationship.
This is useful for firms with several bookkeepers, but access should be reviewed when staff assignments change.
Remove people who no longer work on the account. Skip leaving old accountant invitations active as a convenience.
FreshBooks FAQ
Does my accountant need my FreshBooks password?
No. Send an accountant invitation instead.
What can a FreshBooks accountant access?
An accountant can review reports, work with the Chart of Accounts, add journal entries, manage expenses and payments, and assist with Bank Reconciliation. The exact reach depends on whether the role is Accountant or Accountant – Full Access.
Why does the Trial Balance differ from the Balance Sheet?
The reports measure balances differently and can use different date logic. Retained earnings and sales-tax treatment can also affect comparisons. Align the dates and use the Balance Sheet’s comparison settings before changing entries.
Can I export FreshBooks reports to Excel?
FreshBooks exports reports as CSV files through More Actions > Export for Excel.
How long does an emailed report link work?
Up to 30 days.
Can FreshBooks combine report currencies?
No. FreshBooks reports display one currency at a time, so separate currency reports may be required.
Can an accountant process FreshBooks refunds?
The Accountant – Full Access role cannot access the Online Payments subsection or process refunds, according to FreshBooks’ current permissions guide.
Is FreshBooks a tax-filing service?
FreshBooks organizes transactions and produces financial reports, but filing duties and accounting treatment depend on the business and jurisdiction. Use an accountant or tax professional for filing decisions.