Odoo has set up a system designed foraccounting firms(called“fiduciaries”in Belgian terminology): allowing a firmto access the Odoo databases of its clientswithout it automatically becoming “one more paying user” at each client.
A small vocabulary point: Odoo often uses “fiduciary” because it is the common term in Belgium. In France, one would rather sayaccounting firm.
The conditions to be recognized as “fiduciary / accounting firm” at Odoo
On the Odoo side, the official entry goes through registration for the“Accounting Firm / Accountant Partner Program”.
The rule highlighted on the form is simple:
be a practicing accountant / chartered accountant,
have at least 2 clients using Odoo,
and register to be listed and obtain resources.
This “minimum 2 clients” point also appears in your memo and is consistent with the official registration page.
On which platforms does it work (and especially: where does it not work)
Here, it is necessary to be precise, because it is the heart of the “in a specific case.”
- Odoo Online (SaaS) : yes, adding the firm/accountant as a user can befree(under the conditions set by Odoo).
- Odoo.sh : no, Odoo indicates that thismay incur additional costsfor each added user.
On-premise / self-hosted : no, same logic: the firm user is a user like any other in terms of licenses (and therefore generally paid).
In short:“without a license” = Odoo Online. OnOdoo.shor On Premise, you need to have a user for the accountant.”
In practical terms: what does “without a license” mean?
It does not mean “we can do anything with a shared login.”
It means:a firm registered in the program can have access intended to work on its clients' files, within the framework and limits of the program(and according to the hosting platform).
Not to be confused with:
“portal users”(client/supplier portal) which are useful, buttoo limitedto do real accounting production (journals, matching, reconciliation, reports, etc.). Odoo's documentation also reminds that the portal is read-only.
The information to provide from the firm side (the useful checklist)
Upon registration, Odoo asks for very “directory + qualification” information: identity of the firm, contact, country, client volume, version of Odoo used, platform (Online / On-premise / Odoo.sh), etc.
And in practice (your memo is very good on this), we generally end up with a list like this:
email confirming the desire to be referenced / become a “trustee”,
names of Odoo clientsaccompanied,
name of the firm,
first name/last name/email of the person or people who will connect.
The idea: Odoo must be able toqualifythe firm andproperly linkaccess to the right contacts.
Why, on the integrators' side, this is a real issue
When a firm “understands Odoo” and knows how to work properly with the tool, everyone wins:
1) Smoother projects
Less of “we export / we import / we manually fix”, more decisions based on consistent figures.
2) Cleaner data (and therefore more manageable)
Chart of accounts, journals, taxes, suspense accounts, reconciliation: if it's framed early, we avoid accounting archaeology at D+180.
3) A more serene company
Because management operates on reliable dashboards and the closing no longer requires a ritual sacrifice (just a good coffee and a good process).
And yes:everyone sleeps better. Even during closing. (Especially during closing.)
The “user manual” of Auguria: how we structure this properly
At Auguria, the challenge is often to avoid two extremes:
either the firm has no access and works “blindly”,
either we end up with poorly framed access (too broad rights, bad practices, or multiple profiles).
A healthy approach looks like this:
Validate the platform(Online / Odoo.sh / on-premise) from the outset.
Define the scope of the firm: production, review, closing, consulting, occasional interventions?
Establish a usage agreement: who does what, who validates what, and how we track.
Set specific rights(groups, journals, restrictions, separation of duties).
Rhythm the collaboration: monthly meetings, closing checklist, data quality rules.
Conclusion
Yes, there is indeed a scenario where a firm can access its clients' databaseswithout mechanically triggering an additional license… as long as it operates within the framework of the fiduciary program and (especially) on Odoo Online.
And for us, integrators, this is great news: when the accountant is comfortable in Odoo, projects gain in quality, speed, and peace of mind — in short, we transform Odoo into a management tool, not an export machine.
FAQ
Clearly no, and the firm user then counts as a normal user in terms of licenses
The Odoo documentation is very clear: adding an accountantis free on Odoo Online, whileOdoo.sh and On-premise can incur additional costs per user
The portal isread-onlyand designed for viewing documents. It is generally not suitable for actual accounting production.