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By CPA Trendlines Research
Artificial intelligence has a lot in store for the accounting industry. AI is still in its infancy, but it’s also ready to start helping any CPA firm, even the low-tech solo shop.
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You can start right now. You don’t need to invest anything other than the few minutes it takes to register to use ChatGPT at chat.openai.com. It’s free. You can ask a question, and an astonishingly poignant and detailed answer will appear within seconds.
And there you are, on the cusp of 21st-century technology.
We gave it a spin. We sent ChatGPT a message that said, “Give me a list of blog topics for an accountant”
Three seconds later, we had a list of 20 topics. Here they are. (And please feel free to use them.)
- How to Organize Your Financial Records for Tax Season
- 10 Essential Tax Deductions Every Small Business Owner Should Know
- Understanding the New Tax Laws: A Guide for Individuals and Businesses
- Top 5 Accounting Software Solutions for Small Businesses
- The Importance of Regular Financial Health Checks for Your Business
- Tax Planning Strategies for Freelancers and Gig Workers
- Common Mistakes to Avoid When Filing Your Taxes
- How to Navigate IRS Audits: Tips for Business Owners
- The Role of an Accountant in Business Growth and Success
- Cryptocurrency and Taxes: What You Need to Know
- Retirement Planning Tips for the Self-Employed
- Managing Cash Flow: Tips for Small Business Owners
- Understanding Financial Statements: A Beginner’s Guide
- Tax-Saving Strategies for Real Estate Investors
- The Benefits of Outsourcing Your Accounting Needs
- Navigating Tax Compliance for E-commerce Businesses
- Tax Implications of Hiring Independent Contractors vs. Employees
- How to Maximize Your Tax Refund: Tips and Strategies
- The Future of Accounting: Trends and Technologies to Watch
- Financial Planning for Newlyweds: Combining Finances and Taxes
So there’s your list. Now you have to produce content for those blog posts.
No sweat. We took the first topic and asked, “What can I suggest to tax clients so they organize their financial re3cords better?” (For the sake of confusion, we left the typo in “records.”)
The AI app knew what we meant by “re3cords.” Three seconds later we had this list. (And please feel free to pass it on to your clients.)
- Establish a Record-Keeping System: Encourage clients to set up a dedicated system for organizing their financial documents. This could be physical folders, digital folders on their computer, or cloud-based storage solutions.
- Use Accounting Software: Recommend reputable accounting software such as QuickBooks, Xero or FreshBooks. These platforms can automate many aspects of record-keeping and provide a centralized location for all financial data.
- Maintain Separate Bank Accounts: Advise clients to separate their personal and business finances by maintaining separate bank accounts. This helps prevent commingling of funds and simplifies tracking business transactions.
- Track Expenses Categorically: Encourage clients to categorize their expenses systematically according to relevant tax categories (e.g., office supplies, travel, utilities). This makes it easier to identify deductible expenses during tax time.
- Regularly Reconcile Accounts: Emphasize the importance of reconciling bank and credit card statements regularly to ensure accuracy and detect any discrepancies or errors promptly.
- Keep Receipts and Invoices: Stress the importance of keeping receipts and invoices for all business-related expenses. These documents serve as evidence in case of an IRS audit and support the deduction of legitimate expenses.
- Maintain Mileage Logs: For clients who use their vehicle for business purposes, recommend keeping a detailed mileage log to track deductible mileage accurately. Apps like MileIQ or QuickBooks Self-Employed can simplify this process.
- Organize Tax Documents Year-Round: Encourage clients to keep tax-related documents (e.g., W-2s, 1099s, investment statements) organized throughout the year rather than waiting until tax season.
- Set Reminders and Deadlines: Suggest setting up reminders for important tax-related deadlines (e.g., quarterly estimated tax payments, tax filing deadlines) to avoid missing any crucial dates.
- Seek Professional Help: Finally, advise clients to seek guidance from a qualified tax professional, such as yourself, to ensure compliance with tax laws and maximize available deductions and credits.
All of this information should be of interest to your family clients. And if they need more help, you can ask the app for an explanation of, for example, how to reconcile a bank account. In three seconds, you have more good advice for your client.
ChatGPT is just one of many AI-based apps. There are plenty more being devised. What can they do?
Well don’t just sit there. Ask.
One Response to “ChatGPT for the Reluctant Accountant”
ROGER ROTOLANTE
I don’t need an AI to search for websites. The ChatGPT has never given me a completely correct answer for any of my questions. It is fun to play with but not quite ready for prime time. it is good at parroting what it knows. If I want to train it it will eventually get to the right answer some of the time. It is as good as its data base and its trainers. Maybe you believe everything posted on the internet is true. I bet I would disagree with 50% of everything it parrots back. It cannot tell fact form fiction. How can it be correct? I asked it a lot of questions and never got back more than 50% correct answers. I argued with it for fours and cold not correct it 50% of the time.