Adding your accountant to Gusto takes about two minutes. You’ll invite them as an external collaborator from the People section of your dashboard, and they’ll receive an email to set up their own login. Here’s exactly how to do it.
Steps to Add Your Accountant
You need to be the account owner (called the “Primary admin” in Gusto) to add an external collaborator. If you’re a limited admin yourself, you’ll need to ask the account owner to handle this or upgrade your permissions first.
Once you’re signed in as the Primary admin:
- Go to People from the left-hand navigation.
- Find the Add person button. Click the small dropdown arrow (caret) next to it and choose Add collaborator.
- Select Accountant as the collaborator type. You’ll also see options for bookkeeper, broker, or other, but choosing accountant helps Gusto label the role correctly.
- Enter your accountant’s first name, last name, and email address.
- Add an optional personal note if you want to include context in the invitation email.
- Choose a role: Limited admin or Global admin.
- Click Save collaborator.
Gusto sends an email invitation to the address you entered. Your accountant clicks the link, creates a password (or signs in if they already have a Gusto account), and gains access to your company’s account based on the permissions you selected.
Choosing Between Limited and Global Admin
This is the most important decision in the process, because it controls exactly what your accountant can see and do inside your Gusto account.
Global admin gives your accountant the same level of access as you. They can run payroll, view employee pay rates, access tax documents, manage benefits, and change company settings. This is the right choice if your accountant handles payroll on your behalf or needs full visibility into your finances.
Limited admin lets you pick and choose access levels for each function individually. For example, you might let your accountant view payroll reports and tax filings but block them from editing employee records or running payroll themselves. If your accountant only needs access for tax prep or monthly reconciliation, limited admin keeps their access appropriately narrow.
You can change these permissions later without removing and re-adding the collaborator. Go back to the People section, find your accountant’s name, and edit their role.
If Your Accountant Uses Gusto Pro
Some accounting firms use Gusto’s partner platform, called Gusto Pro, to manage multiple clients from a single dashboard. If your accountant’s firm is already on Gusto Pro, the process may work slightly differently. Your accountant can initiate the connection from their end, or you can add them as a collaborator using the steps above. Either way, the result is the same: they get access to your company’s Gusto account.
If you’re unsure whether your accountant uses Gusto Pro, just ask them. They may prefer to send you the connection request from their side, which simplifies things for both of you.
What to Do If the Invitation Doesn’t Arrive
The most common reason an accountant doesn’t receive the invite is a typo in the email address. Go back to People, find the collaborator entry, and double-check the address. If it’s wrong, edit it and Gusto will send a fresh invitation.
If the email address is correct, ask your accountant to check their spam or junk folder. Gusto’s invitation emails sometimes get caught by aggressive email filters, especially at larger accounting firms with strict IT policies. Adding notifications@gusto.com to their contacts or safe-sender list can help. You can also resend the invitation from the People section if needed.
Removing or Changing Accountant Access
If you switch accountants or need to revoke access for any reason, go to People, find the collaborator, and remove them. Their login will stop working immediately, and they’ll no longer be able to view any of your company data. Any actions they previously took in your account, like running a payroll or editing a record, remain in your account’s audit history.
If you’re bringing on a new accountant to replace an old one, remove the previous collaborator first, then follow the same steps above to add the new person. There’s no limit on how many external collaborators you can have, so you can also keep both active during a transition period if that’s easier.