Do I have to give the lender access to my accounting software?
In most cases no, though a lender that asks for Xero or MYOB access will want something in its place, usually full financials backed by recent management reports. The request turns up most often on cash flow and unsecured facilities, where the decision leans on how you have traded in the last few months. Access is normally read only and can be withdrawn once the facility settles. If you would rather not give it, say so early.
Why lenders ask for the file
Year end financials can be nine or ten months old by the time an assessor opens them. A live ledger shows what has happened since. Funders pricing recent performance want to see it. They are generally looking at the revenue trend, debtor and creditor ageing, wages and whether the ATO account is being kept current. Read only access also saves you exporting a fresh report every time a question comes back, so it usually shortens the assessment. And it settles any argument about whether a PDF has been edited on the way through.
Keeping control of what you share
You can offer management accounts, a debtor and creditor ageing and recent bank statements instead. A good number of lenders will accept that. Where you do grant access, use the accounting package’s own invitation with a read only role rather than handing over your login. Remove the user once the facility has settled. Check the lender’s privacy policy for how long the data is held. If a lender will not move and you are not comfortable, that is a reason to look at another lender rather than to hand over admin rights.
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Last updated 15th July 2026. Reviewed by Authorised Credit Representative 554584 of Australian Credit Licence 414426.