AI prompts for accountants & bookkeepers

Write a warm, professional onboarding email to a new client, [client name] at [business name]. We are their [accountant / bookkeeper] and will be handling [services, e.g. BAS, payroll, year-end accounts]. In the email: welcome them, list the 3 things we need from them to get started ([e.g. bank feed access, prior-year financials, ABN details]), and explain how they can reach us. Keep it under 200 words, friendly but businesslike, no jargon.

Turn these rough notes from a client meeting into a clear recap email. Client: [client name]. My notes: [paste your notes]. Structure it as: a one-line summary, "What we discussed" (bullets), "What we agreed" (bullets), and "Next steps" with who owns each item and any dates mentioned. Keep my voice professional and concise. Do not invent anything that isn't in my notes.

Help me reword this message so it stays firm but doesn't damage the relationship. Context: [what's going on, e.g. the client keeps sending receipts late]. My draft: [paste your blunt version]. Rewrite it to be polite and constructive, explain the impact on them (not just on us), and offer one concrete way to make it easier next time. Keep it short.

Draft an email to [client name] explaining that our fee for [service] is changing from [old amount] to [new amount], effective [date]. Explain the reason honestly ([e.g. increased scope / annual review]), reassure them about the value they receive, and invite them to book a call if they'd like to discuss it. Warm, confident, not apologetic.

Help me reply to a client who is frustrated about [the issue, e.g. a delay / an unexpected bill / a mistake on our side]. What happened: [the facts, honestly]. What I want to say / do about it: [your position and any fix]. Write a calm, respectful reply that acknowledges how they feel, takes appropriate responsibility, states clearly what we'll do and by when, and keeps the door open. Don't over-apologise or over-promise. Use only the facts I've given.

Write a friendly first reminder to [client name]. We're still waiting on [list the specific documents, e.g. March bank statements, three supplier invoices] so we can complete their [period] [BAS / accounts]. State the deadline ([date]), make it clear exactly what to send and how, and thank them in advance. Keep it light — this is the first nudge, not a warning.

Write a firmer but still courteous second reminder to [client name], who hasn't yet sent [missing items]. The lodgement deadline is [date], which is now [X days] away. Spell out plainly what happens if we don't receive it in time ([e.g. risk of a late-lodgement penalty]), and offer to help if there's a hold-up on their end. Under 150 words.

Create a short, plain-English checklist I can send to [client name] listing everything we need from them to prepare their [year-end accounts / tax return] for [period]. Group it into sensible categories (income, expenses, bank, assets, other). For each item add a one-line note on what it looks like so a non-accountant knows what to look for. End with how and by when to send it.

Help me write a quick query to [client name] about a transaction I can't code. Details: [date, amount, payee/description as it appears in the bank feed]. Ask them, in plain language, what it was for and whether it was business or personal, and give 2–3 likely options they can just pick from to make replying fast. One short paragraph.

Explain this to [client name], who is not an accountant, in plain English. Their [period] net profit was [amount], compared with [prior amount] the period before. The main drivers were [e.g. higher materials costs, lower sales in month X]. Write 2–3 short paragraphs: what the number means for them, what changed and why, and one thing worth keeping an eye on. No jargon, no advice beyond what I've given you.

My client [client name] is confused about why their business is "profitable on paper" but the bank balance is tight. In simple terms, explain the difference between profit and cash flow using their situation: [e.g. profit of [amount], but [amount] tied up in unpaid invoices and [amount] in stock]. Use an everyday analogy, keep it reassuring, and finish with one practical thing they could look at. Under 250 words.

Explain the metric "[metric, e.g. gross margin]" to a small-business owner who has never heard the term. Their current figure is [value]. Cover: what it measures, why it matters to their kind of business ([industry]), and whether [value] is something to feel good about or watch. Plain language, one short analogy, no lecture.

Write a short cover note to sit at the top of the [period] management report I'm sending [client name]. Highlights I want to mention: [2–4 bullet points in your own words]. Keep it to 4–5 sentences, lead with the single most important takeaway, and end by inviting them to book a call if they'd like to walk through it. Confident and human, not robotic.

Rewrite this so a small-business owner with no finance background would understand it. Original: [paste the technical sentence, e.g. about accruals, depreciation, GST treatment]. Give me one plain-English version in 1–2 sentences, keep it accurate, and avoid dumbing it down so far that it becomes wrong. If a term genuinely can't be simplified, keep it but add a short parenthetical explanation.

Draft a reusable BAS reminder email template. It should tell the client their [quarter] BAS is due for lodgement by [date], list what we still need from them to prepare it, and note when we need it by so we have time to review before lodging. Leave clear [placeholders] for anything client-specific. Friendly, organised, and easy to skim.

Help me tell [client name] their estimated tax payable for [period] is [amount], due [date]. This is [higher / lower] than last year mainly because [reason]. Write an email that delivers the number clearly up front, explains the "why" simply, sets out the payment options I've listed ([options]), and offers to talk it through. Calm and matter-of-fact — a tax bill is stressful enough.

Write a proactive email inviting [client name] to a pre-year-end planning conversation before [financial year-end date]. Explain, in general terms, why it's worth reviewing their position before the year closes rather than after, list a few things we could look at together ([e.g. timing of purchases, superannuation, upcoming changes]), and make it easy to book a time. Warm and helpful, not salesy. Do not give specific tax advice — this is an invitation to a conversation.

Write a brief, reassuring confirmation email to [client name] letting them know their [BAS / tax return] for [period] has been lodged. Include the key outcome ([e.g. refund of [amount] / payable of [amount] due [date]]), any single action they need to take, and a thank-you for getting their records to us on time. Under 120 words.

Turn my rough description into a clear step-by-step procedure a team member could follow. Process: [e.g. how we onboard a new bookkeeping client]. My description: [paste the messy version]. Format it as numbered steps with a short "who does this / what's needed" note per step, flag any point where a review or sign-off should happen, and keep it practical. Ask me about anything that's ambiguous rather than guessing.

Summarise this email thread so I can pick up where it left off. Thread: [paste it]. Give me: the current status in one line, the key points agreed so far, any open questions waiting on a reply, and the one thing I most likely need to do next. Don't add anything that isn't in the thread.

Draft a short client update for [firm name] on the topic of [topic, e.g. a general reminder about keeping records for the new financial year]. Keep it genuinely useful and general — practical housekeeping, not specific financial or tax advice. Aim for 150–200 words, a clear subject line, a friendly tone, and a simple call to action to get in touch with questions. Write it so I can reuse the structure each quarter.

Help me write a short "how we helped" note for our website, based on real facts I'll give you. Facts: [client type, what they needed, what we did, the outcome in their words]. Keep it truthful and modest — no exaggerated claims or invented numbers. Around 120 words, third person, ending with the kind of client we're a good fit for. Only use what I've provided.