How to set up new users and audit trails in accounting software?

Most accounting software offers role-based access - Accountant, Bookkeeper, View Only, Admin. Assign the minimum access needed for each person's job. Your bookkeeper does not need to see payroll. Your accountant needs ledger access but maybe not billing settings. Note.now lets you customize permissions per user.

Document your user access decisions in writing, even informally. A simple note saying "Jane has bookkeeper access - can enter and categorize transactions but cannot approve payments or change settings" gives you a record to refer back to if access needs to be reviewed or if someone leaves the business. Good access management is one of the easiest and most effective internal controls.

An audit trail records every change to your financial records - who created a transaction, who edited it, what the original value was, and the timestamp. This is essential for businesses that are audited and for catching internal errors or fraud. In Note.now, the audit log is always on and accessible from the Audit section in the sidebar.

Never turn the audit trail off. Some businesses are tempted to disable it to save storage space or simplify the interface. The audit trail is your primary protection against undetected errors and internal fraud. In an audit, auditors specifically look for evidence that your audit trail is complete and unaltered. A gap in the audit log is a red flag that triggers further scrutiny.