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hawthorn_hoa
March 13, 2026
Question

Quickbooks file viewer/ report writer

  • March 13, 2026
  • 2 replies
  • 11 views

I am the Treasurer of an HOA.  We use a management company to send invoices, collect fees and pay our bills. The management company uses Quickbooks and produces monthly financial reporting package for the board.  I am wondering if there is a way I can request the actual data files from them, so that I can access/ review and query data, when needed.  As it is now, I need to go thru paper reports (actually PDF files) and manually search for records when I need them.

 

I am familiar with quickbooks, and can easily create reports that would answer my queries much easier. Do I need get a license for quickbooks for this?  Or is there some sort of query/ report writer that can "read" the files?  I will not be entering any transactions or editing the data in any way.

2 replies

J
Janiqueca_TQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
March 13, 2026

Hello hawthorn_hoa. It’s understandable that you’d want a more direct way to look at your HOA’s financial details without having to dig through PDF files. Having the ability to run your own reports makes your job as Treasurer much simpler and more transparent.

 

Currently, a specific "View Only" is not available in QuickBooks Online. However, you can ask your management company to invite you as a user with the View company reports role. This permission allows you to see almost all financial reports, excluding those with private payroll or contact info, without needing your own separate license or the ability to change any data.

 

Here’s how:

 

  1. Click the Gear icon at the top and choose Manage Users.
  2. Go to the Users section and select the Add user button.
  3. Enter your name and email, then click the Select a role dropdown menu.
  4. Locate and select View company reports.
  5. Click Send invite.

 

This is a workaround since a dedicated "read-only" feature isn't available yet. It gives you the transparency you need to query data whenever you like.

Need a hand? Our QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted team is ready to walk you through any task with dedicated, one-on-one support tailored to your business.

 

Feel free to reply below if you have further questions or need more clarification. We’re always here to help.

J
Janiqueca_TQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
March 14, 2026

Hi hawthorn_hoa,


I just wanted to follow up to check if the resolution we provided helped resolve your issue.


Please let us know if everything is now working as expected or if you’re still experiencing any problems.


We’ll be glad to assist further if needed.

H
hawthorn_hoaAuthor
March 14, 2026

I am not sure.  I need to check with the management company.  I believe they use the multi-user desktop version and it seems your suggestion is relevant to online version?  not sure

S
ShangYQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
March 14, 2026

Hi there, @hawthorn_hoa. Currently, QuickBooks Desktop doesn't have a built-in file viewer. We suggest these two options: download a QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise trial version, or have your management company export the reports to Excel.
 

QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is the only version that can create a "view-only" user, so if your management company uses this version, you can access the data safely. Simply have them create a backup file and share it with you so you can restore it to the trial version.
 

For exporting data, you can refer to this article: Export reports as Excel workbooks in QuickBooks Desktop. This is the easiest way to search and sort through your information without needing to install the software.
 

You can also refer to and share these resources with your management company:
 

  1. Download a trial of QuickBooks Desktop
  2. Back up your QuickBooks Desktop company file
     

Let us know if you have further questions.

 

S
ShangYQuickBooks Team
QuickBooks Team
March 15, 2026

Hi @hawthorn_hoa.  Just following up to see how things are going. If you’re still having any issues or need more help, feel free to reach out.

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