Should your Accountant or Bookkeeper have access to your bank and/or Credit Card accounts?

The answer is YES but with restrictions.

Most banks and/or credit card companies offer “VIEW ONLY ACCESS” to its consumers. This will allow you to give access to your bookkeeper or accountant with no concern for fraud or worse. Never let them have your account creditials. However, you can assign him/her their own log in and password and they will only be able to view your accounts. This definitely is a must if they are reconciling your accounts. It is a real time saver since they will not have to wait or ask you for the information. You want your bookkeeper or accountant to be able to provide timely reports.

Make sure to have your statements set to paperless so that a pdf can be downloaded by the bookkeeper/accountant.