AI for Accounting, bookkeeping and tax
Busy season doesn't get shorter. The client emails can.
Write document request lists and reminder emails
Every season starts with the same request: send us these documents, through the portal, by this date. The AI drafts the checklist and a short series of reminders by client type, with no client data involved.
Time back: Saves the office from rewriting the same request and reminder emails every season.
Prompt to copy:
You are helping [FIRM NAME] write a document request for [CLIENT TYPE, E.G., SOLE PROPRIETORS / S CORPORATIONS / INDIVIDUALS WITH RENTALS] for [TAX YEAR OR PROJECT]. Our standard checklist: [PASTE CHECKLIST] Our secure portal: [PORTAL NAME AND LINK] Our internal due date for documents: [DATE] Write: 1) a plain-language checklist, 2) a first request email, 3) two short reminder emails. Rules: Every email says to upload through the portal and never asks a client to email a tax form, bank statement or ID. Do not state any IRS or state deadline, threshold or tax rule. Use only the facts I gave you and do not invent documents, dates or fees. If you need a fact I did not give you, ask me. Steady and reassuring tone.
Watch out: A preparer checks the checklist against this year's forms, and anyone who adds a date checks it against the IRS or state calendar for the current year.
Write plain-English explainers for the questions clients ask every year
Why profit and cash don't match, what an estimated payment is, why a 1099 matters: clients ask these every year. The AI drafts short, general explainers for your FAQ or newsletter, and a licensed person reviews them.
Time back: Replaces the same explanation typed from scratch in a dozen client emails with one reviewed version.
Prompt to copy:
Write a short, general explainer for small-business clients of [FIRM NAME] on this question: [QUESTION, E.G., 'WHY DOESN'T MY PROFIT MATCH MY BANK BALANCE?']. Key points our firm wants made: [YOUR POINTS] Length: [UNDER 300 WORDS] Rules: Keep it general; do not say what applies to any specific client. Do not invent facts, and do not state tax rates, dollar thresholds, deadlines or law as fact unless I give them to you. End with: 'Every situation is different. We'll confirm what applies to you when we review your documents.' If a point I gave you is unclear or seems wrong, ask me instead of rewriting it.
Watch out: The CPA, EA or preparer reviews every explainer before it is sent, and any number in it is checked for the current year.
Review the AI flags in your bookkeeping software
QuickBooks Online and Xero now include AI that suggests bank matches and flags odd transactions (see the AI Finder for which plans include it). Use it to find the problems faster, and keep a person making every decision.
Time back: Moves the bookkeeper's time from hunting for the odd transaction to deciding what to do about it.
Prompt to copy:
Ask this inside your bookkeeping software's AI assistant, not a general chat: Review the [MONTH] reconciliation for [ACCOUNT NAME]. List every transaction you are unsure about and say why. Do not post, match or change anything, and do not invent explanations for a transaction. If you are not sure a match is correct, say so rather than guessing, and ask me for the information that would settle it.
Watch out: A person approves every match and posting; the AI's suggestion is not a finished reconciliation.
First step
Run the document-request prompt on your standard checklist this week and add the portal-only rule to your staff rules at /tools/staff-rules. Tax advice and sign-off stay with the licensed CPA, EA or preparer.