12 ready-made prompts
These prompts are built for the day-to-day of accounting and bookkeeping firms: replying to clients, chasing documents, explaining tax in plain English, organizing month-end and keeping up with rule changes. Copy one, fill in the brackets and use it in ChatGPT or Claude.
When a client doesn't understand why their bill went up.
You are an accountant explaining to a non-specialist client, who runs a [type of business], why their tax bill this [period] is [higher / different]. Technical reason: [explain briefly]. Write an email of up to 6 lines, jargon-free, with a simple analogy and ending with what they can do about it, if anything. Tone: warm and reassuring.
To standardize replies to the questions you get most.
You work at an accounting firm in [country] serving [sole traders / small companies]. Write short, accurate answers (up to 5 lines) to the questions below, in plain language, saying when the client should speak to their accountant: [list the questions] Wherever the answer depends on current thresholds or dates, write [CHECK CURRENT FIGURE].
When a new client signs up.
Write a welcome email for a new client of [firm name], which serves [type of businesses]. Include: what happens in the next 2 weeks, the documents we need, how and when they should send things each month, and who their contact is. Warm and organized, up to 12 lines, using bullet points.
To standardize your messages at the start of each month.
Create 4 short messages to chase monthly documents from clients: 1) the initial request with the list [documents]; 2) a reminder 3 days before the deadline; 3) a note on the deadline day explaining the impact of delays; 4) a thank-you when everything arrives. Up to 5 lines each, kind but firm. Use [NAME] and [DEADLINE].
To organize month-end for a type of client.
You are an accounting practice manager. Build a month-end close checklist for a [industry] client, with steps in order, suggested owner (bookkeeping, payroll, tax) and what can hold up each step. Table format. Where it depends on local rules, mark [CHECK].
When sending clients what they need to pay.
Write a short email to send [CLIENT] what's due for [period]. Include: a table of amounts and due dates ([details]), how to pay, what happens if they're late (without alarming them) and a reminder of what we need next month. Clear subject line, body up to 10 lines.
For educational content on LinkedIn or Instagram.
You are an accountant creating content for small business owners. Create a 6-slide carousel about [topic, e.g. a filing deadline]. Slide 1 with a strong hook, slides 2 to 5 with one idea each in plain language, slide 6 inviting people to talk to the firm. Don't use figures or dates I haven't confirmed: mark [CHECK].
For a 30 to 45 second Reel, Short or TikTok.
Write a short video script (up to 45 seconds) for an accountant explaining [topic] to freelancers and small businesses. Structure: a hook in the first 3 seconds, 3 quick points, a practical tip to close. Conversational language, short sentences, with notes on what appears on screen.
When presenting a proposal to a prospect.
Write the text of an accounting services proposal for a [industry, size] business. Sections: our understanding of their situation, what's included, what's not included, how the monthly routine works, deadlines and next steps. Leave [FEE] as a field. Professional and clear, no jargon.
When reading new guidance or a technical update.
I'll paste the text of [guidance or article]. Summarize it for an accountant: what changes, from when, who's affected, what the firm needs to do and what questions remain. Separate what's in the text from your interpretation. Then write 3 lines explaining it to a non-specialist client. [PASTE THE TEXT]
To prepare a planning conversation with a client.
For study purposes, explain the factors an accountant should weigh when comparing [structure options, e.g. sole trader vs limited company] for a [industry] business with annual revenue around [amount] in [country]. List the factors, the questions to ask the client and the data needed to model it. Don't calculate the final answer: say what to check against current rules.
To teach an internal process to someone new.
Create a one-page training guide for a new bookkeeping assistant to learn [process, e.g. coding supplier invoices]. Include: the goal, numbered steps, the most common mistakes, how to know it's done right and who to ask. Plain language.
Yes, carefully. AI helps a lot with writing, explaining things to clients, organizing and studying. What you shouldn't do is paste identifiable client data, like tax IDs or bank statements, into public tools, because of confidentiality and data protection rules. Anything involving tax rules needs checking against current guidance, because professional responsibility stays with the accountant.
Not always. Models can have outdated information or mix up rules from different countries. Use AI to structure your thinking, summarize texts you paste in and explain concepts, and check figures, thresholds and deadlines against official sources. The prompts on this page already ask the AI to flag what needs checking.
These prompts work in both. The bigger difference is how you subscribe: for anything involving firm data, choose paid or business plans with terms that prevent your data being used for training. For generic text, like posts and standard messages, the regular versions work well.
AI takes over part of the repetitive work around accounting: writing, organizing, chasing and summarizing. Professional judgement, planning and the client relationship stay with the accountant. Firms that use AI for routine work usually gain time for advisory work, which is what clients value most.
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