Accountants & bookkeepers playbook · 5 free jobs

AI for accountants and bookkeepers: 5 jobs to hand to AI this week

Your clients trust you with their numbers, so the rule here is simple: AI writes the words, you own the figures, and no client data goes into a tool your firm hasn't approved.

Job 1 of 5ChatGPTCopilotClaude

Chase missing records with a clear, tailored checklist

Most deadline stress comes from records arriving late. A specific checklist per client gets more back first time than "please send your paperwork".

Time: About 5 minutes per clientCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool, or Microsoft 365 Copilot if your firm has it

Steps

  1. Note what you have and what's missing for the client, using a reference not a name (e.g. "Client 14, sole trader, landlord income").
  2. Paste the prompt below.
  3. Check the list is right for this client's situation, then send it from your practice software or email.
  4. Diary a follow-up for 7 days.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
I'm a [UK] [accountant / bookkeeper]. Write a friendly, clear request to a client for their missing records.
Client type: [e.g. sole trader with one rental property]. Deadline we're working to: [date].
Already received: [list]. Still need: [list].
Format: short intro, a tick-box checklist of what's missing with one line each on where to find it (e.g. "your bank app, statements section"), how to send it [secure portal link], and the date we need it by.
Plain [British] English, under 180 words, no jargon, no tax advice.

✓ Check before you send

  • No client name, UTR, NI number or bank details went into the AI tool.
  • The checklist matches what this client actually needs.
  • The upload method is your secure portal, not email attachments if you avoid those.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 2 of 5ChatGPTGeminiPerplexity

Explain Making Tax Digital to a worried client

MTD for Income Tax is rolling out by income threshold, and clients have questions. A clear explainer, checked by you, saves dozens of phone calls.

Time: About 20 minutes once, then reuse itCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool to draft, with GOV.UK open to check every date and threshold

Steps

  1. Open GOV.UK's Making Tax Digital for Income Tax pages and note the current thresholds and start dates yourself.
  2. Paste the prompt below with those facts. Don't let AI supply dates or thresholds.
  3. Check every line against GOV.UK.
  4. Send it as a client newsletter or use it as a script for calls, adding what your firm will do for them.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Write a plain-English explainer for [UK] sole traders and landlords about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax.
Use ONLY these facts, which I've checked on GOV.UK: [thresholds, start dates, what changes, quarterly updates].
Sections: Does this affect me? What changes? What do I need to do? What will we do for you: [our service and price].
Under 300 words, friendly, no scare tactics. If something isn't in my facts, write [CHECK GOV.UK] instead of filling it in.

✓ Check before you send

  • Every date and threshold matches GOV.UK on the day you send it.
  • No [CHECK GOV.UK] gaps remain.
  • Your service and fees are clear.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 3 of 5CopilotChatGPTOtter

Turn client meeting notes into actions and a follow-up email

Good meetings get forgotten without a written follow-up. AI turns your rough notes into a clean record and action list.

Time: About 5 minutesCost: free tools work

Teams intelligent recap needs a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot licence at the time of writing; otherwise paste your own notes into a free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. If you record, tell the client and get their agreement first.
  2. Paste your notes or the transcript (with names swapped for initials) and the prompt below.
  3. Check every figure and action against your notes.
  4. Send the follow-up and save the record in your practice software.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Turn these notes from a meeting between a [UK] accountant and a client into:
1. A short internal file note (date, attendees by initials, topics, decisions, figures mentioned).
2. An action list with who does what by when.
3. A friendly follow-up email to the client (under 150 words) summarising what we agreed and what we need from them.
Don't add advice or figures that aren't in the notes. Mark anything unclear as [CONFIRM].

Notes:
[paste]

✓ Check before you send

  • Every number matches what was said.
  • Nothing in the email reads as advice you didn't give.
  • The client agreed to recording if you recorded.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 4 of 5ExcelGoogle SheetsCopilot

Tidy a messy bank export before it goes into the software

Clients who do their own books send spreadsheets full of vague lines. AI can suggest categories and flag queries so you spend time only on the judgement calls.

Time: 15 minutes for a few hundred linesCost: free tools work

Copilot in Excel (included with some Microsoft 365 plans at the time of writing, with usage limits) or Gemini in Google Sheets (needs an eligible paid Workspace or Google AI plan). Use anonymised data with free chat tools.

Steps

  1. Strip account numbers, names and anything identifying from the export.
  2. Paste a sample with the prompt below, including your chart of accounts.
  3. Review every suggestion. You decide what's allowable.
  4. Import into Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent or Sage and reconcile as normal.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Suggest a category for each bank line below, using ONLY this chart of accounts: [list codes and names].
Output a table: date, description, amount, suggested code, confidence (high/medium/low), and a query for the client where the line is unclear.
Don't decide whether anything is tax-deductible; flag "possibly personal" lines for me.

Lines:
[paste, anonymised]

✓ Check before you send

  • Low-confidence lines are checked by a person.
  • Personal spending isn't slipped into business costs.
  • Totals reconcile to the bank statement.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑
Job 5 of 5ChatGPTClaude

Add a one-page plain-English summary to your engagement letter

Clients rarely read engagement letters, then argue about scope. A one-page summary of what's included, what isn't and when you need things cuts that down.

Time: 20 minutes per service typeCost: free tools work

A free AI chat tool

Steps

  1. Take your standard engagement letter for one service, with no client details in it.
  2. Paste it with the prompt below.
  3. Check the summary says nothing the letter doesn't. The letter remains the contract.
  4. Attach it as the front page for new clients.

The exact prompt

Copy, paste, then fill in the [brackets]
Summarise this [UK] accountancy engagement letter for [service, e.g. sole trader annual accounts and tax return] into a one-page, plain-English client summary.
Sections: What we do, What we don't do (extra fees apply), What we need from you and by when, Our fees and how you pay, How to reach us.
Use only what's in the letter. Under 250 words. Add a line: "This summary doesn't replace the full engagement letter."

Letter:
[paste]

✓ Check before you send

  • It matches the full letter exactly. No new promises.
  • Fees and extra-fee items are clear.
  • Your regulator's required wording stays in the full letter.

UK notes extra

Last reviewed Oct 2026. Free tools change. If a screen looks different, the steps still apply.Back to top ↑

Questions accountants & bookkeepers ask

Can we put client data into ChatGPT?

Only into tools your firm has approved after checking their data terms, and never into a personal free account. For free tools, anonymise everything: no names, UTRs, NI numbers or bank details.

Which tools are free and which need a licence?

Free chat tools are fine for drafting letters and explainers with anonymised data. Meeting recaps in Teams need a Teams Premium or Microsoft 365 Copilot licence. Copilot in Excel and Gemini in Sheets depend on your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan.

Will AI get tax rules wrong?

It can, especially thresholds and dates that change. Always take figures from GOV.UK or HMRC and treat AI as a writing assistant, not a source.

Privacy tip: don't paste customers' full names, addresses or other personal details into AI tools unless you need to and you've checked the tool's privacy settings.