Accounting expert permissions and limits
Accountant (expert) access is specifically designed for chartered accountants mandated by a client. It gives full access to accounting modules while preserving the client’s legal responsibility over their own company settings.
Principle of separation of responsibilities
Section titled “Principle of separation of responsibilities”The file ADMIN is the client themselves (director or CFO). They are legally responsible for their company’s information. The expert (your firm) is responsible for the accounting quality of the records. This separation prevents an accountant from inadvertently modifying the client company’s legal settings.
Permissions table by module
Section titled “Permissions table by module”Accounting
Section titled “Accounting”| Action | Expert | ADMIN | ACCOUNTANT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter accounting entries | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validate entries | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reverse a validated entry | Yes | Yes | No |
| Reconcile contact accounts | Yes | Yes | No |
| Manage journals | Yes | Yes | No |
| Close a fiscal year | No | Yes | No |
| Reopen a closed fiscal year | No | Yes (reason required) | No |
| Carry forward opening balances | Yes | Yes | No |
| Action | Expert | ADMIN | ACCOUNTANT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Create and edit quotes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validate and send quotes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Create and edit customer invoices | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validate invoices (generates entry) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Record customer payments | Yes | Yes | No |
| Manage automatic follow-ups | Yes | Yes | No |
Purchases and expenses
Section titled “Purchases and expenses”| Action | Expert | ADMIN | ACCOUNTANT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enter supplier invoices | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validate supplier invoices | Yes | Yes | No |
| Enter expense reports | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Validate expense reports | Yes | Yes | No |
Banking and treasury
Section titled “Banking and treasury”| Action | Expert | ADMIN | ACCOUNTANT |
|---|---|---|---|
| View bank accounts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Import bank statements | Yes | Yes | No |
| Create and edit bank transactions | Yes | Yes | No |
| Manage Mobile Money | Yes | Yes | No |
Exports and reports
Section titled “Exports and reports”| Action | Expert | ADMIN | ACCOUNTANT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Export FEC (accounting file) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Export financial statements (balance sheet, P&L) | Yes | Yes | No |
| View general ledger | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| View general balance | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Export to Excel / CSV | Yes | Yes | No |
Settings and configuration — restricted access for the expert
Section titled “Settings and configuration — restricted access for the expert”| Action | Expert | ADMIN |
|---|---|---|
| Modify company legal information (name, RCCM, NIU) | No | Yes |
| Modify system settings (currency, timezone) | No | Yes |
| Invite or remove file users | No | Yes |
| Modify user roles | No | Yes |
| Configure VAT settings | No | Yes |
| Configure journals | Yes | Yes |
| Manage chart of accounts | Yes | Yes |
The company decides, module by module
Section titled “The company decides, module by module”Since 2026 this table is no longer the last word: the client company itself chooses what its firm may do inside its folder, module by module. Three levels exist:
| Level | What the firm can do |
|---|---|
| Manage | View and edit — the historical behaviour |
| Read | View only; any change is refused |
| None | The module is closed, viewing included |
Modules covered: client invoices, supplier invoices, banking, accounting documents, accounting, chart of accounts, counterparties, products, fixed assets, financial statements, analytics, overview, subscription and settings.
Where these authorisations are set
Section titled “Where these authorisations are set”-
At invitation time — when the company invites its firm, it ticks the modules it opens. Those choices apply as soon as the folder is created.
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At any time — the company opens Settings → Chartered accountant access and adjusts the matrix for its firm folder. The rule belongs to the client: the firm can see it, but cannot change it.
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On the firm side — each folder shows My authorisations: the collaborator knows, before starting, what the client has opened.
A firm can restrict its own collaborators further
Section titled “A firm can restrict its own collaborators further”Symmetrically, a firm sets what each of its collaborators may do on a given folder. The two settings always combine to the most restrictive: a firm can close more than the client opened, never the opposite.
Why these restrictions?
Section titled “Why these restrictions?”The ADMIN remains legally responsible for information declared to the tax authority (NIU, company name, RCCM). An accountant should not be able to modify this information without the explicit agreement of the director — hence the role-level restriction.
Traceability of expert actions
Section titled “Traceability of expert actions”All actions performed via accountant (expert) access are recorded in the file’s audit log with:
- Your identifier and first name
- The action performed (validation, reconciliation, export, etc.)
- The exact date and time
- The file concerned
The file ADMIN can consult this log at any time from Settings → Audit log.
Requesting additional permissions
Section titled “Requesting additional permissions”If you need an action reserved for the ADMIN or CFO (e.g. closing a fiscal year, modifying VAT settings):
- Identify the blocked action and its module.
- Inform the file ADMIN or CFO (your client) of the need.
- The client performs the sensitive action themselves, or temporarily grants you a role that has the required permission from Settings → Team.
Common errors
Section titled “Common errors”| Error | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| ”Insufficient permission” | Action reserved for ADMIN | Ask the file ADMIN to perform the action or promote you |
| ”Module access denied” | Module not included in your plan or role | Check the file’s subscription plan and your role |
| ”Cannot close fiscal year” | Closure is reserved for ADMIN and CFO | Ask your client (ADMIN or CFO) to proceed with the closure |
Further reading
Section titled “Further reading”- Managing client files — create and archive your firm’s client files
- Understanding roles — complete ADMIN / CFO / ACCOUNTANT / AUDITOR / CLIENT table (and accountant access) in SynkriaOps