AI by industry · Accounting firms
Cut admin for accounting firms with AI
Admin in an accounting firm means sorting a flood of PDFs, entering the same client details in several places, writing engagement letters and answering repeat emails. AI can name and file incoming documents, pull key figures into a worksheet, draft routine replies and summarize a client’s history before a call. A person checks the figures.
Talk through your firm with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your accounting firm to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Documents in, in order
Clients send photos, scans and screenshots. AI can read them, name them (“2024 mortgage interest statement, Smith”) and drop them in the right folder, flagging anything unreadable.
Set one naming pattern and use it every year. A folder that looks the same for every client means a new preparer can find anything.
Fewer retyped details
Client information entered once should appear everywhere it is needed. A custom system can connect your forms, folders and billing so nobody keys the same address four times.
Keep a log of who changed a number and when. If a question comes up later, you can see where it came from.
Check the numbers
AI can misread a figure. Treat extracted numbers as a draft until a preparer ties them out. Keep an audit trail of what was changed.
When a figure looks odd, a one-line “is this right” to the client clears most doubts.
Picture this
Examples of what it can look like. Illustrations, not clients.
A client texts three photos of statements. They are read, named and filed, with one blurry page flagged for a retake.
Before a call, you see a one-paragraph summary of the client’s last year: prior return, open questions and unpaid invoice.
An engagement letter is drafted from the client’s entity type and services, ready for your review.
The rules that apply, in their own words
“unfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce, are hereby declared unlawful.”
“intended for voluntary use and to improve the ability to incorporate trustworthiness considerations into the design, development, use, and evaluation of AI products, services, and systems.”
Sources
- NIST AI Risk Management Framework: The U.S. standards body’s framework for using AI responsibly.
- IRS: Circular 230: The rules for people who practice before the IRS.
- 15 U.S.C. § 45 (FTC Act, Section 5): The federal ban on unfair or deceptive business practices, ads included.
Talk through your firm with the person who builds it
A free 30-minute call. You leave knowing which part of your accounting firm to hand to AI first, what we would build, and roughly how long it takes.
Questions
Will AI make mistakes with figures?
Sometimes. That is why a preparer checks the numbers before they go anywhere.
Where does the data go?
It should stay in accounts you control. Ask before using any tool.
Can AI draft replies to client emails?
Yes, as drafts. Routine replies, like confirming receipt or a due date, are good candidates. Anything involving advice or judgment is written by the preparer.
More jobs AI can take on
What Westward builds for this
Cut admin and paperwork: the same job in similar businesses