Prepare approved variations for accounting export

Choose the provider and owner

Agree which accounting system the workspace will use and who is responsible for the connection. Only authorised office roles should manage credentials and exports.

• Xero uses a direct connection from VariationDesk.
• QuickBooks Online, Sage Accounting and FreeAgent are available through guided setup on eligible plans.
• One accounting provider is connected to a workspace at a time.
• Keep provider access limited to the people who manage finance.

Connect from the Accounting area

Use the workspace Accounting section rather than copying credentials into notes or support messages. Follow the provider’s own authorisation screen where a direct connection is available.

• Confirm you are signing into the correct accounting organisation.
• Read the permissions requested before approving the connection.
• Return to VariationDesk and check that the provider shows as connected.
• Use support for guided providers rather than attempting an unsupported manual integration.

Review the variation before export

The accounting sync expects a commercially reviewed record. Check the same information you would check before preparing an invoice manually.

• Client and project are correct
• Description is suitable for finance and customer review
• Net value, VAT treatment and total are correct
• Required approval and evidence are present
• The record has not already been exported or duplicated

Export deliberately

Select the connected provider and use the approved export action. Read the result rather than assuming every sync created the intended accounting record.

Work without a connection when needed

A provider outage or unfinished setup should not stop the office from reviewing the evidence. Download the PDF or available data export and complete the accounting step once the connection is ready.

• Do not reconnect repeatedly while an export result is uncertain.
• Keep the VariationDesk status accurate while finance investigates.
• Disconnect a provider only when authorised and after checking pending work.
• Use the evidence pack as backup, not as proof that accounting sync succeeded.