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The use case for AI in accountancy firms.

This page lists the jobs inside a UK accountancy practice that AI can take on, broken down by the function that does them. It is written for partners and owners of general practice firms, and it starts with the work that grows the firm: a second read of every set of accounts, more time with clients, and the advice they would buy from you if you offered it.

[WHERE THE TIME GOES]

Where the time goes

These are the tasks that come round with every client and every deadline in a general practice firm, grouped by the kind of work they are.

01

Chasing clients for what they have not sent

6 tasksClose
  • Records requests in April, and chasers from October to January
  • The second bank account seen in transfers but never provided
  • Query lists that come back half answered
  • Approval of the VAT return the day before it is due
  • Starter details that arrive after payday
  • Directors who have not verified their identity at Companies House
02

Checking the numbers by hand

6 tasksClose
  • Bank reconciliations with items months old
  • The suspense account at the year end
  • VAT control accounts that do not agree to the returns
  • This year against last year, line by line
  • Dividends against reserves, and the director's loan account
  • Each Making Tax Digital quarter against the same quarter last year
03

Writing the same letters again and again

6 tasksClose
  • Engagement letters and the schedule of services
  • The accounts approval letter and the board minute
  • The tax summary showing payments on account
  • The annual fee review letter
  • Professional clearance letters and handover requests
  • The Budget newsletter
04

Moving figures between systems

6 tasksClose
  • Mapping a trial balance into accounts production
  • Exporting to a spreadsheet to build a forecast
  • Copying the payroll journal into the books
  • Keying risk assessments from the ID check report
  • Rebuilding the partners' report from practice management
  • Logging meeting actions against the client by hand
[THE POINT]

What an accountant does brilliantly, and what sits around it

This is the point of the whole page. The work in the left column is why a client stays with a firm and pays more for its advice. The work in the right column is what has grown up around it, and in most firms it fills the hours the conversations should have had.

What a human does brilliantly
  1. Reading a set of accounts and seeing the business behind it
  2. Telling an owner what the numbers mean for them
  3. Knowing which tax planning suits this client
  1. Spotting the client who is in trouble before the bank does
  2. Deciding the risk rating on a new client
  3. Setting a fee and holding to it
  4. Delivering bad news about a tax bill
  5. Signing off accounts and returns
  6. Advising on a sale, a funding round or a succession
  7. Earning the trust that brings referrals
What sits around it
  1. Chasing the bank statements for the third time
  2. Clearing the suspense account
  3. Mapping the trial balance
  1. Writing the approval letter
  2. Ticking dividends against reserves
  3. Keying the risk assessment
  4. Writing the fee review letter
  5. Checking the VAT return against the bank
  6. Rebuilding the WIP report
  7. Sending the same Budget summary to everyone

The use case for AI is taking away the time that gets spent on the work sitting around the job, and freeing your people up to do the work only a human can do. The work that grows the business, and the work they enjoy the most.

[THE USE CASES]

93 things you could hand over, by function.

The times are our own estimates for a typical client of a general practice firm. Nobody has published measured times for this work in UK practices, so where a professional body, HMRC or a survey gives a figure, we have used it to check ours. The highlighted use cases either take the most hours or make the biggest difference to the firm's revenue.

A second view on client accounts

Every set of accounts, read again for what the client should hear.

7 use cases
Highest value

A second read of the draft accounts

Reads the draft accounts alongside last year's and the trial balance, and writes down what a client would ask about and what the firm should raise first.

ProjectSkillAccounts productionFile storage
ProjectSkillAccounts productionFile storage
You give itThe draft accounts, last year's accounts and the trial balance.
You get backA one page note covering the movements worth explaining, the balances that look odd, and anything on the file that points to advice the client has not been offered, such as an overdrawn director's loan or a margin that has fallen two years running.
You stillDecide what matters. This is a second pair of eyes on work you have prepared, and the professional bodies' 2026 guidance is clear that the judgement and the sign-off stay with you.
Highest value

Finding the advice hidden in a compliance file

Goes through a finished compliance job and lists the conversations it points to, the ones that otherwise stay buried in working papers, review notes or one person's head.

SkillProjectAccounts productionTax software
SkillProjectAccounts productionTax software
You give itThe accounts, the tax computation, the review points and last year's file.
You get backA short list of advice opportunities for this client, each with the figure that prompted it and the service it leads to, such as a cash flow forecast, an extraction plan or a pension contribution before the year end.
You stillDecide which of them to raise, and with whom. Ravical, who sell AI to accountants, found 35% of clients who bought advice elsewhere said their firm had never offered it.
Highest value

Reading every client in a portfolio for the same issue

Takes one change, such as the dividend tax rise, and reads every client's latest accounts and returns to find the ones it affects and by roughly how much.

CoworkSkillAccounts productionTax softwareSpreadsheet
CoworkSkillAccounts productionTax softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe change, and an export of client figures from your accounts production and tax software.
You get backA list of the clients affected, ranked by the size of the effect, with the figures behind each one and a draft line for the letter or call.
You stillCheck the ones at the top of the list before anyone contacts them. A ranking from exported figures is a starting point, not advice.

Reviewing a new client's last accounts

Reads the accounts and returns a new client brings with them, before the first job starts, so the firm knows what it has inherited.

ProjectSkillFile storageCompanies House
ProjectSkillFile storageCompanies House
You give itThe last two years of accounts and tax returns, and the outgoing accountant's handover.
You get backA note of the balances that do not agree to the returns, the reliefs that look unclaimed, the filings that were late on the public record, and the questions to put to the client in the first meeting.
You stillRaise anything that belongs to the previous firm before you sign, and decide what to say to the client about it.

Commentary on the management accounts

Writes the commentary that goes with a client's management accounts, explaining what moved against the budget and the prior period and what it means for cash.

SkillConnectorAccountingForecasting tool
SkillConnectorAccountingForecasting tool
You give itThe management accounts pack, the budget and last month's commentary.
You get backA plain English page for the directors, with the three or four movements that matter, the questions they should be asking, and anything that points to a forecast, a pricing review or credit control.
You stillRead it as the client's adviser. The pack shows what happened. Whether it matters for this business is your call.

Explaining the year on year movements

Compares this year's figures with last year's, line by line, and drafts an explanation for each movement above the firm's threshold.

SkillAccounts productionSpreadsheet
SkillAccounts productionSpreadsheet
You give itThis year's and last year's trial balance, and your threshold.
You get backThe analytical review schedule, with an explanation drafted where the records explain the movement, and a question for the client where they do not.
You stillAccept or reject each explanation. A movement explained by a coding error is still a coding error.
Highest value

Spotting which clients are in trouble

Reads the bank feeds and latest figures for every client the firm keeps books for, and lists the ones showing signs of cash pressure.

ConnectorScheduled taskAccountingSpreadsheet
ConnectorScheduled taskAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itRead access to your clients' accounting software, or an export of their balances.
You get backA list of clients with an overdraft used more each month, debtors getting older, an HMRC payment plan, new lenders or falling receipts, with the evidence for each.
You stillCall them. A client in difficulty needs to hear from their accountant before they hear from the bank.

Catching errors in the numbers

Bank recs, suspense, VAT and control accounts, across every client.

7 use cases
Highest time

Checking bank reconciliations across every client

Reads the bank reconciliation for each client the firm keeps books for and lists the ones with old unreconciled items, duplicates or transfers that do not match.

ConnectorScheduled taskAccounting
ConnectorScheduled taskAccounting
You give itRead access to each client's accounting software.
You get backOne list for the whole portfolio, sorted by the size of the problem, showing each unreconciled item, likely duplicates from bank feeds and manual entries, and transfers between accounts that only appear on one side.
You stillFix the books. The checks inside each accounting package only see that package, which is why the cross-portfolio view is worth having.

Clearing the suspense account

Works through the suspense and ask my accountant lists and suggests where each item most likely belongs, from the payee, the amount and last year's coding.

SkillConnectorAccountingEmail
SkillConnectorAccountingEmail
You give itThe suspense listing and last year's nominal ledger.
You get backA suggested code for each item, the reason for it, and a short query list for the client covering the items nobody could place.
You stillApprove the postings. Anything that might be personal spending goes to the director's loan account only once the client confirms it.
Highest time

A VAT check before the return is filed

Checks a VAT return against the books and the last four quarters before it goes to the client for approval.

SkillAccountingMTD software
SkillAccountingMTD software
You give itThe draft return, the VAT detail report and the last four returns.
You get backBox 6 against bank receipts, input VAT as a share of costs against previous quarters, large one-off claims, likely miscoding such as VAT claimed on entertaining or cars, and whether the flat rate percentage still fits the trade.
You stillDecide what to correct and whether an error needs separate disclosure. Net errors over £10,000, or 1% of outputs up to £50,000, cannot simply go on the next return.

Agreeing the control accounts

Agrees the VAT, PAYE and director's loan control accounts to the returns filed and to HMRC's own records.

SkillProjectAccountingHMRC portalSpreadsheet
SkillProjectAccountingHMRC portalSpreadsheet
You give itThe control account balances, the VAT returns, the payroll submissions and the HMRC account statements.
You get backA reconciliation for each control account, the differences that remain, and the most likely cause of each, such as a quarter's VAT paid late or an RTI submission that was corrected.
You stillClear the differences, and decide which ones the client needs to know about.

Sense checking the balance sheet

Looks for the balances that should not exist: a creditor in debit, a debtor in credit, accruals that never reversed, and an overdrawn bank with no facility.

SkillAccounts production
SkillAccounts production
You give itThe trial balance and last year's balance sheet.
You get backA list of every balance with the wrong sign or one that has not moved in twelve months, and the question each one raises.
You stillInvestigate them. Most will be postings. One a year will be something the client has not told you.

Checking dividends against reserves

Checks the dividends declared in the year against the distributable reserves on the accounts, and the paperwork that should support them.

SkillAccounts productionFile storage
SkillAccounts productionFile storage
You give itThe accounts, the dividend vouchers and the board minutes.
You get backWhether the dividends were covered by reserves at the time they were paid, which vouchers or minutes are missing, and what the shortfall is where they were not covered.
You stillAdvise the directors. An unlawful dividend is a conversation that needs a person, not a letter.

Cross-checking a tax return against the company

Agrees a director's personal tax return to the company records the firm already holds, before it goes for approval.

SkillProjectTax softwarePayroll software
SkillProjectTax softwarePayroll software
You give itThe draft return, the company's dividend vouchers and payroll records, and last year's return.
You get backDividends and salary agreed to the company, income compared with last year, and flags for the child benefit charge, the personal allowance taper between £100,000 and £125,140, and payments on account set too high or too low.
You stillReview the return and sign it off. The cross-check saves the client a correction later.

Time with clients

The conversations that get dropped when the deadlines win.

6 use cases
Highest value

Preparing for a client meeting

Prepares the partner for a meeting with a client by reading the file, the last year of emails and the latest figures.

ConnectorProjectEmailPractice managementAccounting
ConnectorProjectEmailPractice managementAccounting
You give itThe client's name. It reads the rest from your files, email and accounting software.
You get backA one page brief with the client's position, what has changed since you last spoke, open queries in both directions, deadlines coming up, and three things worth raising that would help the client.
You stillHave the conversation. The brief means you spend the meeting on the client rather than on catching up.
Highest value

The year end meeting pack

Turns the finished accounts into the pack for the year end meeting, the one conversation of the year many clients get.

SkillClaude DesignAccounts productionSlides
SkillClaude DesignAccounts productionSlides
You give itThe signed off accounts, the tax computation and last year's pack.
You get backA short pack in plain English: how the year went, what tax is due and when, how the business compares with last year, and a page of suggestions for the year ahead.
You stillHold the meeting. In the 2019 research Xero did with small businesses, being made to feel a low priority was one of the most common reasons for switching accountant.

Notes and actions after a client meeting

Turns the recording or notes of a client meeting into the follow-up email and the actions in the practice management system.

SkillConnectorCall recordingEmailPractice management
SkillConnectorCall recordingEmailPractice management
You give itThe meeting recording or your notes.
You get backA follow-up email setting out what was agreed, who does what by when, and the documents the client needs to send, plus each action ready to log against the client.
You stillCheck that the advice in the email is what you said. A written record of advice is something you will be held to.

Answering the client's quick question

Drafts the reply to a client's quick question by email, using their file, their figures and the firm's past advice to them.

ConnectorSkillEmailPractice management
ConnectorSkillEmailPractice management
You give itThe client's email.
You get backA draft reply in the firm's voice, with the figures it relies on, and a note when the question is really a new piece of work that sits outside the engagement letter.
You stillAnswer the hard ones yourself, and decide whether to charge. Quick questions are where scope creep starts.
Highest value

Finding the clients nobody has spoken to

Looks across the practice management system, email and diaries for clients the firm has not had a real conversation with this year.

ConnectorScheduled taskPractice managementEmailCalendar
ConnectorScheduled taskPractice managementEmailCalendar
You give itAccess to your practice management system, email and calendar.
You get backA list of clients sorted by fee and by time since the last proper contact, with the reason worth calling each one now.
You stillPick up the phone. Valuable clients rarely leave over price. They leave because nobody called.

Explaining a tax bill the client did not expect

Writes the explanation of why a client's tax bill is what it is, including the payments on account that make the first bill feel doubled.

SkillTax softwareEmail
SkillTax softwareEmail
You give itThe tax computation and last year's figures.
You get backA plain letter showing what the bill is made of, why it differs from last year, what is due on 31 January and 31 July, and whether a claim to reduce payments on account is worth considering.
You stillTalk it through with them. A client who is shocked by a bill needs a call before they read a letter.

Advisory services

Forecasts, planning and the work clients now buy elsewhere.

9 use cases
Highest value

A cash flow forecast from the client's own books

Builds a 13 week or 12 month cash flow forecast from the client's bank history, debtors, creditors and known commitments such as VAT and corporation tax dates.

CoworkConnectorAccountingSpreadsheetForecasting tool
CoworkConnectorAccountingSpreadsheetForecasting tool
You give itThe client's accounting data, and what they have told you about the year ahead.
You get backA forecast with the assumptions written down, a low and a high case, the weeks where cash runs short, and the tax payments already falling due.
You stillAgree the assumptions with the client and stand behind the forecast. Xero's 2026 survey of 520 UK practices found advisory had the highest profit margin of any service, at 51%.
Highest value

A salary and dividend plan for a director

Works out salary, dividend and pension mixes for a director under this year's rates and lays them side by side.

SkillProjectTax softwareSpreadsheet
SkillProjectTax softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe company's expected profit, the director's other income and their pension position.
You get backA comparison of three or four mixes, the tax on each for the director and the company, and a draft letter. Clive Owen LLP put the saving from the usual low salary plan at about £2,000 on £100,000 since the April 2026 dividend rise.
You stillRecommend the plan. The figures are arithmetic. What suits this director is advice.

An incorporation report for a growing sole trader

Compares staying a sole trader with trading through a company, on the client's actual figures, including the effect of Making Tax Digital quarters.

SkillProjectTax softwareSpreadsheet
SkillProjectTax softwareSpreadsheet
You give itThe client's last two years of figures and their plans.
You get backA report setting out the tax each way for the next three years, the one-off costs, the extra paperwork, and the points at which incorporating starts to make sense.
You stillGive the advice. The report is the evidence for a decision the client makes with you.

A funding application pack

Puts together what a lender asks for: the forecast, the narrative, the historic figures and the answers to the lender's own questions.

ProjectCoworkAccountingSpreadsheetFile storage
ProjectCoworkAccountingSpreadsheetFile storage
You give itThe lender's requirements, the client's figures and the forecast.
You get backA pack in the lender's format, with the narrative drafted from the client's story and the figures, and a list of the documents the lender wants that the file does not yet hold.
You stillDecide whether the application is sound before your name goes near it, and prepare the client for the lender's questions.

Tax planning before the year end

Projects a company's profit to its year end from the latest figures and lists the planning points that are still open.

SkillConnectorAccountingTax software
SkillConnectorAccountingTax software
You give itThe latest management figures and the year end date.
You get backThe projected profit and tax, and the actions still possible before the year end, such as timing an asset purchase, an employer pension contribution or a dividend before 5 April.
You stillChoose what to recommend. Planning that is not done before the year end usually cannot be done after it.

Spotting a possible R&D claim in time

Reads a client's accounts, notes and correspondence for signs of development work that might qualify for R&D relief.

SkillAccounts productionFile storage
SkillAccounts productionFile storage
You give itThe accounts and your notes from the client.
You get backA flag on the client with what was said or spent that suggests qualifying work, and the date by which a first-time claim notification is due, six months after the period end.
You stillDecide whether to take it further and who does the claim. HMRC removes a first claim when the notification is missed.

A KPI dashboard for a client

Builds a dashboard of the handful of numbers a client should watch, fed from their accounting software.

ArtifactsConnectorAccountingAnalytics
ArtifactsConnectorAccountingAnalytics
You give itAccess to the client's books, and the measures that matter to them.
You get backA dashboard the client can open, covering cash, margin, debtor days and whatever drives their business, with a short monthly note on what changed.
You stillAgree the measures with the client and talk them through it. A dashboard nobody discusses is just another report.

A pricing and margin review

Breaks a client's gross margin down by product, service or customer, and shows where the money is made and lost.

CoworkSkillAccountingSpreadsheet
CoworkSkillAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itSales and cost detail from the client's books, and any job or product records.
You get backMargin by line, the customers or products losing money, how margin has moved over three years, and the questions to ask the owner about prices.
You stillAdvise on what to change. The owner knows their customers, and the figures only start the conversation.

Getting a business ready to sell

Pulls together what a buyer will ask for, from three years of accounts to contracts and staff records, and lists what is missing.

ProjectCoworkFile storageSpreadsheet
ProjectCoworkFile storageSpreadsheet
You give itThe client's accounts, files and their intended timetable.
You get backA data room checklist with what the firm already holds, what the client needs to find, the normalised profit adjustments to discuss, and the reliefs to check, such as Business Asset Disposal Relief at 18% from April 2026.
You stillAdvise on structure, timing and value. Those decisions carry the client's future, and they are why the client came to you.

Winning new clients

Enquiries, discovery calls and proposals, mostly by a partner.

5 use cases

Researching a prospect before the first call

Looks up a prospect on the public register and the web before the discovery call.

Claude in ChromeChatCompanies HouseBrowser
Claude in ChromeChatCompanies HouseBrowser
You give itThe prospect's name and company.
You get backThe company's filing history, late filings, directors, charges, accounts type and size, and the questions worth asking on the call.
You stillRun the call. What a prospect says about why they are leaving their accountant is worth more than anything on the register.
Highest value

Writing the proposal

Writes the proposal from the discovery call, offering the compliance work the prospect asked for and the advisory work the call pointed to.

SkillConnectorProposal softwareCall recording
SkillConnectorProposal softwareCall recording
You give itYour notes or recording from the call, your service list and your prices.
You get backA proposal in the firm's format with the services, the options and the fee, and a separate line for the advice the prospect did not ask for but should be offered.
You stillSet the price. Ravical's 2026 survey found clients of 2 to 10 person firms took 48% of their advisory work elsewhere, so the second line matters.

Reading a prospect's accounts before you quote

Reads the accounts and returns a prospect sends with their enquiry and notes the work and the advice they point to.

SkillFile storage
SkillFile storage
You give itThe prospect's last accounts and tax returns.
You get backA note of the likely workload, the state of the records, and the advice opportunities, such as an overdrawn director's loan or an extraction mix that no longer works, so the quote reflects the real job.
You stillDecide whether this is a client you want, and at what price.

Replying to a website enquiry

Drafts a reply to each website or email enquiry that answers the question asked and books the discovery call.

SkillConnectorEmailCalendar
SkillConnectorEmailCalendar
You give itThe enquiry, your services and your diary.
You get backA reply in the firm's voice with a link to book, and a note at the top of any enquiry that is outside what the firm does or is urgent because of a deadline.
You stillDecide which enquiries are worth a partner's time.

Keeping referrers informed

Writes to the bank manager, solicitor or client who referred a new client, and keeps a record of who sends the firm work.

SkillConnectorEmailCRM
SkillConnectorEmailCRM
You give itThe referral and the outcome.
You get backA thank you note in your voice, the referrer logged against the new client, and a quarterly list of who has referred the most.
You stillLook after the referrers that matter. Most firms grow by recommendation, and the relationship is personal.

Pricing, fees and scope

Fee reviews, extra work and the time nobody bills.

6 use cases
Highest value

Finding the clients you are underpricing

Compares time recorded on each fixed fee client with the fee they pay, and lists the ones where the work has outgrown the price.

CoworkConnectorPractice managementTimesheet software
CoworkConnectorPractice managementTimesheet software
You give itTime and fee data from your practice management system.
You get backEach client's recovery on their fixed fee, the jobs where the time has grown, and the out of scope work recorded but never billed.
You stillDecide who to reprice and how. Heather Townsend advises a call for any rise of 50% or more, and a meeting for 100%.

Quoting for out of scope work

Spots when a client request falls outside the engagement letter and drafts the quote for it before the work starts.

SkillPractice managementEmailE-signature
SkillPractice managementEmailE-signature
You give itThe request and the client's engagement letter.
You get backA short note confirming the request is outside the agreed scope, a quote for it, and an updated schedule of services ready to sign.
You stillSend it. One practitioner on AccountingWEB put it plainly: putting off raising additional fees means it will never happen.

The annual fee review letter

Drafts each client's fee review letter, explaining what changed in their work and in the rules this year, and what it means for their fee.

SkillCoworkPractice managementEmail
SkillCoworkPractice managementEmail
You give itThe client's current fee, their services and the changes that affect them.
You get backA letter for each client setting out the new fee and the reason in terms that apply to them, such as Making Tax Digital quarters or a larger payroll.
You stillSet the fee. Ring the clients where the rise is large rather than letting a letter do it.

Repricing clients for Making Tax Digital

Works out which sole trader and landlord clients come into Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and when, and drafts the letter about the new work and the fee.

CoworkSkillPractice managementTax software
CoworkSkillPractice managementTax software
You give itYour client list with each client's qualifying income.
You get backThe clients in scope from April 2026, April 2027 and April 2028, a draft letter for each group explaining the quarterly updates and the fee, and the clients near a threshold.
You stillSet the price for the new service, and decide how much notice to give.

Chasing unpaid fees

Drafts reminders for overdue fee invoices, in the right tone for each client and how late they are.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice managementEmail
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice managementEmail
You give itYour aged debtors from the practice management system.
You get backA reminder for each overdue invoice, a list of the clients to ring rather than write to, and the jobs still in progress for clients who owe money.
You stillMake the calls, and decide when to stop work. The partner usually does this, and usually last.

Reviewing WIP before billing

Reads the work in progress report and lists the jobs that should be billed, the ones running over budget, and the time likely to be written off.

SkillConnectorPractice managementTimesheet software
SkillConnectorPractice managementTimesheet software
You give itThe WIP report and job budgets.
You get backA list of jobs to bill now, jobs over budget with the reason from the time narratives, and draft invoices for the ones ready to go.
You stillDecide the write-offs. Some accountants write off time out of fear of losing the client, and that is a decision worth making on purpose.

Records and chasing

Getting the records in, from April to the last week of January.

5 use cases

Asking for the year end records

Writes each client's records request from what the firm needed last year, so the list fits their business rather than a generic checklist.

SkillScheduled taskEmailOnline portalPractice management
SkillScheduled taskEmailOnline portalPractice management
You give itLast year's file and the client's year end date.
You get backA request listing exactly what this client needs to send, including the bank accounts and loans seen last year, with a date and a link to upload.
You stillDecide the deadline you will hold them to.
Highest time

Chasing missing records

Keeps a chasing sequence going for every client whose records are late, each message naming exactly what is still missing.

Scheduled taskConnectorEmailPractice management
Scheduled taskConnectorEmailPractice management
You give itYour job list and what has arrived for each client.
You get backChasers sent on your schedule, worded more firmly as the deadline nears, and a weekly list of clients now at risk of a late filing.
You stillRing the ones who ignore the emails. As one practitioner put it, if you give clients six months, most will leave it to the end of the six months.

Checking what a client sent is complete

Checks the records a client has sent against what the job needs, before anyone starts work on them.

SkillCoworkFile storageData capture
SkillCoworkFile storageData capture
You give itThe documents the client uploaded and last year's file.
You get backA list of gaps: missing months of bank statements, a second account seen in transfers but not provided, months with no sales or no fuel, and loans with no statement.
You stillSend the query list, and decide whether to start the job before it is complete.

Writing the client query list

Turns the preparer's open points into one clear list of questions for the client, in words the client will understand.

SkillAccountingEmail
SkillAccountingEmail
You give itThe preparer's notes and the transactions in question.
You get backA query list grouped by topic, each question with the date, amount and payee, and a suggested answer where the records suggest one, so the client can confirm rather than write.
You stillDecide which queries matter enough to hold up the job.
Highest time

A weekly list of deadlines at risk

Reads the job list and lists the filings due in the next eight weeks where the records are not yet in or the job has not started.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice management
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice management
You give itYour practice management job list.
You get backThe jobs at risk, with the deadline, what is missing and the penalty if it is missed. Corporation tax late filing penalties doubled from April 2026, to £200 and £400.
You stillDecide where to put the team's time, and which clients to warn.

Year end accounts

Working papers, review points and the approval letter.

5 use cases

Getting the trial balance into accounts production

Maps a client's trial balance from their bookkeeping package to the codes your accounts production software expects, where there is no direct import.

SkillCoworkAccountingAccounts productionSpreadsheet
SkillCoworkAccountingAccounts productionSpreadsheet
You give itThe trial balance export and last year's mapping.
You get backA mapped trial balance ready to import, with new or changed codes listed so nothing lands in the wrong place.
You stillCheck the mapping on anything new. A code mapped wrongly produces accounts that balance and are still wrong.
Highest time

Preparing the year end working papers

Prepares the lead schedules for a set of accounts: fixed assets and depreciation, accruals and prepayments, the director's loan account and dividends.

ProjectCoworkAccountingAccounts productionSpreadsheet
ProjectCoworkAccountingAccounts productionSpreadsheet
You give itThe trial balance, the client's records and last year's file.
You get backDraft lead schedules with every figure traced to its source, the adjustments proposed, and the items that need the client or the reviewer to decide.
You stillPrepare the accounts and own the judgements, such as what is a repair and what is an asset.

Clearing review points

Takes the reviewer's points on a file and drafts the response to each, with the evidence that answers it.

SkillProjectAccounts production
SkillProjectAccounts production
You give itThe review points and the working papers.
You get backA response to each point, the working paper changes it needs, and a list of the points that need the client, so the file goes back once rather than three times.
You stillMake the changes, and accept that the reviewer may still disagree.

The accounts approval letter

Writes the covering letter that goes with the draft accounts, with the key figures, the tax due and what the directors need to do.

SkillAccounts productionE-signature
SkillAccounts productionE-signature
You give itThe draft accounts and the tax computation.
You get backA letter with profit, tax due and its date, the filing deadline, and what to sign, plus the board minute approving the accounts and any dividends.
You stillSign it off. The directors are legally responsible for the filing, and Companies House says so.

Checking the accounts disclosures

Reads the draft accounts against the disclosures a small or micro company must make, and against last year's.

SkillAccounts production
SkillAccounts production
You give itThe draft accounts and the company's size.
You get backA list of disclosures that look missing or out of date, such as directors' advances, related party transactions and the average number of employees.
You stillDecide what the accounts need. The reporting framework is your call to apply.

Self assessment and MTD

The January peak, and now four quarterly updates a year as well.

7 use cases

A tax return questionnaire for each client

Writes each client's tax return questionnaire from last year's return, so it asks about their rental properties, their pensions and their dividends rather than everything.

CoworkSkillTax softwareEmail
CoworkSkillTax softwareEmail
You give itLast year's return for each client.
You get backA short questionnaire for each person, asking only about the income and reliefs they had last year plus the questions that catch what changed.
You stillDecide which clients get a call instead of a form.
Highest time

Preparing a tax return from the client's papers

Reads the papers a client sends, such as P60s, dividend vouchers, bank interest and letting agent statements, and prepares the figures for the return.

ProjectCoworkTax softwareFile storage
ProjectCoworkTax softwareFile storage
You give itThe client's documents and last year's return.
You get backA schedule of every figure with the document it came from, rental income and expenses laid out, and a list of what is missing compared with last year.
You stillPrepare and review the return in your tax software, and sign it off.
Highest time

Reviewing a Making Tax Digital quarter

Reviews a sole trader's or landlord's quarter before the update goes, against the same quarter last year.

SkillConnectorMTD softwareAccounting
SkillConnectorMTD softwareAccounting
You give itThe quarter's records and last year's figures.
You get backMissing months, expense categories that look wrong, private use not taken out, and a running estimate of the tax bill for the year.
You stillSubmit the update. HMRC said just over 436,000 had filed the first one by 7 August 2026, against more than 864,000 in scope.
Highest value

Turning a quarter into a conversation

Writes the note that goes back to the client after each quarterly update, saying what the figures mean for their tax bill and their business.

SkillMTD softwareEmail
SkillMTD softwareEmail
You give itThe quarter's figures and the running estimate.
You get backA short note to the client: income against last year, the tax bill it points to, and one thing worth discussing, such as incorporating or putting money aside for January.
You stillDecide which clients need a call. A firm that treats each quarter as a filing gets four times the admin and none of the conversations.

Finding which clients come into Making Tax Digital

Reads every individual client's last return to work out who comes into Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and when.

CoworkTax softwareSpreadsheet
CoworkTax softwareSpreadsheet
You give itYour tax software's client list and last year's returns.
You get backThe clients over £50,000 now, over £30,000 from April 2027 and over £20,000 from April 2028, those close to a threshold, and the ones whose software is not yet ready.
You stillPlan the work, and decide who you will take on and who to refer.

The tax summary letter

Writes the letter that goes with the finished return, setting out what to pay, when, and why.

SkillTax softwareEmail
SkillTax softwareEmail
You give itThe tax computation.
You get backA letter with the balancing payment, both payments on account, the payment reference, and a note when a claim to reduce payments on account is worth discussing.
You stillReview and send it.

Replying to HMRC letters and penalties

Reads an HMRC letter or penalty notice, checks it against the client's records, and drafts the reply or the appeal.

SkillProjectHMRC portalFile storage
SkillProjectHMRC portalFile storage
You give itThe letter and the client's file.
You get backWhat HMRC is asking or charging, whether it agrees with what was filed and when, and a draft reply or appeal with the reasonable excuse set out where there is one.
You stillDecide whether to appeal, and talk to the client before HMRC does.

Owner-managed companies

Corporation tax, dividends and the director's loan account.

4 use cases

Drafting the corporation tax computation

Drafts the computation from the accounts, with disallowed items, capital allowances and losses brought forward agreed to last year.

ProjectSkillTax softwareAccounts production
ProjectSkillTax softwareAccounts production
You give itThe accounts, last year's computation and the fixed asset register.
You get backA draft computation with each adjustment explained, the capital allowance pools rolled forward, the associated companies count checked, and the payment date nine months and a day after the year end.
You stillPrepare and file the return in your tax software, and own the treatment of anything unusual.

Watching the director's loan account

Tracks each director's loan account and warns before it becomes a tax problem.

ConnectorScheduled taskAccounting
ConnectorScheduled taskAccounting
You give itThe director's loan account from the books.
You get backThe balance and its movement, the s455 tax due if it is still overdrawn nine months after the year end, any benefit in kind above £10,000, and repayments followed by new drawings within 30 days.
You stillAdvise the director on how to clear it. That conversation is worth more than the calculation.

Dividend vouchers and minutes

Drafts the board minute and vouchers for a dividend, after checking the company has the reserves to pay it.

SkillAccountingFile storage
SkillAccountingFile storage
You give itThe amount, the shareholders and the latest figures.
You get backThe minute and a voucher for each shareholder, and a warning where the latest figures do not show enough reserves.
You stillAdvise on whether to pay it. The directors decide.
Highest value

What the Budget means for each owner-managed client

Reads the Budget measures and works out which owner-managed clients each one affects, using their latest figures.

CoworkSkillTax softwareSpreadsheetEmail
CoworkSkillTax softwareSpreadsheetEmail
You give itThe Budget documents and an export of your clients' figures.
You get backA list of clients for each measure that touches them, the rough effect, and a short letter drafted for each. The Autumn Budget is on 28 October 2026.
You stillCheck the effect for your largest clients, and decide who gets a call rather than a letter.

Bookkeeping and VAT

Bank feeds, coding and a VAT deadline on the 7th of every month.

5 use cases

Coding the bank feed

Suggests a code for each uncoded bank transaction from the payee, the amount and how the client has coded it before.

ConnectorSkillAccounting
ConnectorSkillAccounting
You give itRead access to the client's accounting software.
You get backSuggested codes for each transaction, with the uncertain ones listed separately, and a note of anything that looks personal.
You stillApprove the postings. Your bookkeeping software may already suggest codes, so use this where it does not, or for the clients it gets wrong.

Matching receipts and invoices to the bank

Matches receipts and bills the client has sent to the bank transactions they paid.

CoworkConnectorData captureAccounting
CoworkConnectorData captureAccounting
You give itThe receipts and invoices, and the bank transactions.
You get backEach document matched to its transaction, the transactions with no document, and the documents with no payment.
You stillChase the client for what is missing.

Sending the VAT return for approval

Writes the email asking the client to approve their VAT return, with the figures and what they will need to pay.

SkillMTD softwareEmail
SkillMTD softwareEmail
You give itThe draft return.
You get backAn email with the amount due, the payment date one month and seven days after the quarter end, and a comparison with the last quarter.
You stillFile the return once the client has approved it.

Watching clients near the VAT threshold

Tracks rolling twelve month turnover for every unregistered client and warns before they cross £90,000.

Scheduled taskConnectorAccounting
Scheduled taskConnectorAccounting
You give itRead access to clients' accounting software.
You get backA list of clients approaching the threshold, the month they are likely to cross it, and a draft note to each.
You stillAdvise them on registration and pricing. Registering late is an expensive conversation.

Checking a client is on the right VAT scheme

Compares what a client pays under their VAT scheme with what they would pay under the others, on their own figures.

SkillAccountingSpreadsheet
SkillAccountingSpreadsheet
You give itA year of the client's VAT returns and their costs.
You get backThe VAT due under standard, cash accounting and flat rate, whether they fail the limited cost trader test, and a short note.
You stillRecommend the scheme.

Payroll

Every pay date is a deadline, and every employee has a question.

4 use cases

Checking a payroll before it is paid

Compares this pay run with the last one before it is submitted.

SkillPayroll software
SkillPayroll software
You give itThe payroll reports for this run and the last.
You get backChanges in headcount and gross pay, anyone paid twice, starters and leavers without the paperwork, and a flag where a sole director company is claiming the employment allowance.
You stillApprove and submit the run. Every pay date is a deadline.

Answering employees' payroll questions

Drafts answers to questions from a client's employees about their pay, tax code, sick pay or pension.

SkillConnectorPayroll softwareEmail
SkillConnectorPayroll softwareEmail
You give itThe question and the employee's payslip history.
You get backA reply that explains the figure in plain English, and a note when the answer needs the employer to decide something.
You stillAnswer anything that is really an employment question for the employer.

Setting up starters and leavers

Reads the starter details or leaving information a client sends and prepares the payroll changes.

SkillPayroll softwareEmail
SkillPayroll softwareEmail
You give itThe client's email and the new starter's or leaver's details.
You get backThe record ready to key, the final pay calculation for a leaver with holiday owed, and a list of what is missing, such as a starter checklist or a P45.
You stillCheck and process it.

Getting ready to payroll benefits

Works out which clients will need to payroll benefits in kind from April 2027, from their last P11Ds.

CoworkSkillPayroll softwareSpreadsheet
CoworkSkillPayroll softwareSpreadsheet
You give itLast year's P11Ds.
You get backThe clients affected, the benefits involved, and a letter to each explaining what changes and what you need from them.
You stillPlan the work, and price it.

Onboarding and AML

Due diligence, clearance letters and the engagement letter.

5 use cases

Writing the client risk assessment

Drafts the client risk assessment from the ID check results, the business and the services you will provide.

SkillAML checksPractice management
SkillAML checksPractice management
You give itThe ID check report and your notes on the client.
You get backA risk assessment in the firm's format, with the reasons for the rating written out and the further checks it calls for.
You stillDecide the risk rating. ICAEW found client risk assessments were the most common AML failing in its 2024 to 2025 reviews.

Professional clearance letters

Drafts the professional enquiry to the previous accountant and the list of handover information you need from them.

SkillEmail
SkillEmail
You give itThe client's details and the services you are taking on.
You get backThe clearance letter and a handover request covering losses, capital allowance pools, the director's loan balance, elections and open HMRC matters.
You stillRead the reply. Whether there is a professional reason not to act is your decision.

Engagement letters and schedules

Builds the engagement letter and the schedule of services from the proposal the client accepted.

SkillE-signaturePractice management
SkillE-signaturePractice management
You give itThe accepted proposal and your standard terms.
You get backThe engagement letter with a schedule for each entity and service, ready to sign, including how the firm uses AI if your terms cover it.
You stillApprove the terms. The professional bodies now expect any use of AI on client work to be covered in the engagement terms.

Refreshing AML records for existing clients

Checks each existing client's due diligence for anything out of date and drafts the update.

Scheduled taskSkillAML checksPractice management
Scheduled taskSkillAML checksPractice management
You give itThe client's AML file and what has changed this year.
You get backWhat has expired or changed, such as new directors or a new line of business, and a refreshed risk assessment ready to approve.
You stillApprove it. A note saying no new risk factors, carried forward every year, is what a monitoring visit finds.

Companies House identity checks for clients

Lists the clients' directors and people with significant control who still need to verify their identity, and writes to each.

CoworkClaude in ChromeCompanies HouseEmail
CoworkClaude in ChromeCompanies HouseEmail
You give itYour client list and the Companies House register.
You get backEach person still to verify and their deadline, which for existing directors falls at the next confirmation statement and no later than 18 November 2026, with a letter explaining what to do.
You stillDo the verification where you act as an authorised service provider.

Regulating the firm

AML supervision, agent registration and the rules on using AI.

5 use cases

Keeping the firm-wide AML risk assessment current

Updates the firm's own risk assessment from its client mix and the changes to the regulations since the last one.

ProjectSkillFile storagePractice management
ProjectSkillFile storagePractice management
You give itLast year's assessment and a summary of your client base.
You get backA revised assessment covering the June 2026 amendments, such as the FATF high-risk country list, with the controls and training that follow from it.
You stillApprove it as MLRO. The supervisor reads it, and so will the FCA if supervision moves.

An AI policy the professional bodies would accept

Drafts the firm's policy on using AI on client work, built on the joint professional body guidance from January 2026 and the ICAEW's guidance on ethics.

ProjectSkillFile storage
ProjectSkillFile storage
You give itHow the firm uses AI, and the guidance.
You get backA policy covering which tools may be used, what client data may go in, how output is checked and recorded on file, and the wording for engagement letters.
You stillAdopt it and make sure people follow it. The duty of care stays with the adviser.

Registering as a tax adviser with HMRC

Sets out what the firm needs to register as a tax adviser under the new HMRC rules and drafts what it can.

ChatProjectHMRC portal
ChatProjectHMRC portal
You give itYour agent details and the people who would be named.
You get backA checklist of the information HMRC asks for and the dates. Firms with an agent services account register between 31 December 2026 and 31 March 2027.
You stillMake the declarations. They are the firm's to make.

Keeping CPD records up to date

Turns the courses, webinars and reading people have done into CPD records for each member of staff.

SkillSpreadsheetEmail
SkillSpreadsheetEmail
You give itCertificates, webinar invites and notes.
You get backA CPD log for each person in the format their professional body asks for, and a list of who is behind.
You stillPlan the learning. The record is the easy part.

Responding to a complaint

Reads a client complaint against the file and drafts a response that follows the firm's procedure.

ProjectFile storageEmail
ProjectFile storageEmail
You give itThe complaint, the file and your complaints procedure.
You get backA timeline of what happened from the file, the points of the complaint answered one by one, and a draft response with the client's right to refer it on.
You stillDecide what you got wrong and say so. Speak to your insurer before admitting liability.

Running the firm

Capacity, people, WIP and the numbers the partners look at.

6 use cases

Seeing where the team's capacity goes

Reads the job list, the time records and the deadlines for the next three months to show who is overloaded and when.

CoworkConnectorPractice managementSpreadsheet
CoworkConnectorPractice managementSpreadsheet
You give itYour practice management data.
You get backA view of each person's load against the deadlines coming up, the weeks where the work outruns the team, and the jobs that could move.
You stillDecide who does what, and whether to take on that next client. Advancetrack's 2026 survey found 73% of firms turning work away for lack of staff.

The monthly numbers for the partners

Pulls fees, WIP, lock-up, recovery and debtors into one short report for the partners' meeting.

Scheduled taskConnectorPractice managementAccounting
Scheduled taskConnectorPractice managementAccounting
You give itYour practice management and accounting data.
You get backA two page report with the trends, the clients behind the movements, and the questions worth discussing, rather than a spreadsheet to decode.
You stillRun the firm. The report shows where to look.

Which clients make money

Ranks every client by fee, time spent and recovery, so the partners can see which clients fund the firm.

CoworkConnectorPractice managementSpreadsheet
CoworkConnectorPractice managementSpreadsheet
You give itA year of time and fee data.
You get backClients ranked by profit, the bottom tenth with the reason for each, and the clients where advisory work would change the picture.
You stillDecide who to reprice, who to grow and who to let go.

Hiring for the practice

Writes the advert from what the role really involves, screens the applications against it and prepares the interview questions.

SkillProjectEmailFile storage
SkillProjectEmailFile storage
You give itThe role, the applications and your notes.
You get backThe advert, a shortlist with the reasons, and interview questions for each candidate based on their CV.
You stillInterview and decide. In a firm where one wrong hire costs a year, that is the partner's job.

Training juniors on your way of working

Answers the questions juniors and apprentices ask about how the firm does things, from your own procedures and past files.

ProjectFile storage
ProjectFile storage
You give itYour procedures, checklists and example files.
You get backAnswers that point to the firm's own procedure, and a list of the questions asked most, which shows where the procedures need writing down.
You stillTeach the judgement. Procedures can be looked up. Experience cannot.

Writing down how the firm does things

Turns how your people actually do a job into a written procedure, from a recorded walkthrough or their notes.

SkillProjectCall recordingFile storage
SkillProjectCall recordingFile storage
You give itA recording of someone doing the job, or their notes.
You get backA step by step procedure in the firm's format, with the checks at each stage and the questions it leaves open.
You stillAgree that this is how the firm will do it.

Marketing

Budget letters, articles and reviews, written when there is time.

4 use cases

The Budget newsletter

Writes the firm's Budget summary for clients from the official documents, cut to what affects the firm's own client base.

SkillProjectEmail
SkillProjectEmail
You give itThe Budget documents and a note of your client mix.
You get backA newsletter in your voice covering the measures that matter to your clients, a shorter version for social media, and a list of client groups who need their own letter.
You stillCheck the technical points, and add the opinion clients read it for.

A case study from a client success

Writes a case study from a piece of advisory work, with the client's permission, for the website and proposals.

SkillFile storage
SkillFile storage
You give itYour notes on the work and the outcome.
You get backA short case study in the client's words where you have them, and a version for proposals.
You stillGet the client's approval. Their name on it is their decision.

Articles for the firm's website

Writes articles on the questions clients ask most, such as Making Tax Digital or the dividend changes, in the firm's voice.

SkillBrowser
SkillBrowser
You give itThe questions clients have asked this month.
You get backAn article for the website and a short version for social media, with the technical points marked for checking.
You stillCheck them. A firm's articles are advice in public.

Asking happy clients for reviews

Drafts a personal request for a review to clients who have just had a good outcome.

SkillScheduled taskEmail
SkillScheduled taskEmail
You give itThe clients and what you did for them.
You get backA short personal email to each, with the link, and a note of which clients have been asked already.
You stillDecide who to ask.

A partner's day

Clearing what does not need a partner.

3 use cases

Clearing the partner's inbox

Sorts the partner's inbox into what needs the partner, what someone else can answer, and what can wait, with a draft reply for the routine ones.

ConnectorScheduled taskEmail
ConnectorScheduled taskEmail
You give itAccess to the inbox.
You get backA short list of the emails that need the partner today, draft replies for the rest, and suggestions for who on the team should take each one.
You stillRead the short list, and send what you agree with.
Highest time

Getting a file ready for partner sign-off

Summarises a file for the partner's final review: what changed, what was decided, and what is still open.

SkillProjectAccounts production
SkillProjectAccounts production
You give itThe file and the review points.
You get backA one page summary with the key figures, the judgements made, the points cleared, and the advice the second read of the accounts suggested.
You stillSign off. The summary means the partner reviews the decisions rather than reading the whole file.

Planning the partner's week

Looks across the diary, the deadlines and the client list and plans the week's priorities.

Scheduled taskConnectorCalendarPractice management
Scheduled taskConnectorCalendarPractice management
You give itAccess to the calendar, the job list and email.
You get backThe week's deadlines that need the partner, the client calls worth making, and the time blocked for them.
You stillKeep the time for the calls.
[THE NUMBERS]

What it is worth on your numbers

Nobody has published a reliable figure for how many hours a week accountants in practice spend on this work, so put in your own.

£45000
10
8 hrs
50%
£100000

Costed at £32 an hour. An hour is costed from that salary plus employer National Insurance and pension, over 1,740 hours.

0
hours a week, back, per fee earner
Hours a year across the firm0
Working days a year back, each0
Cost of that time
£0
What those days could earn
£0
Total opportunity
£0

Both figures value the same hours, one as cost and one as fee income, so the total is the size of the opportunity rather than a number you would book. The fee figure assumes the days back are billed like the rest of the year. Pointed at advisory work, which Xero's 2026 survey of 520 UK practices found carries the highest margin of any service at 51%, they are worth more.

[TWELVE MONTHS]

What good looks like in twelve months

Not a bigger firm. The same firm, with the work on the right hand side of that list mostly gone and the time spent with clients.

The advice in a client's file stays in the working papers
Every set of accounts gets a second read, and the partner goes into the year end meeting with three things to raise
Clients hear from the firm when it wants their records
The firm knows which clients it has not spoken to this year, and calls them first
Reconciliations and VAT checks are done client by client, when someone has time
The whole portfolio is checked each month, and people only open the files that need them
Making Tax Digital quarters are four more filings a year
Each quarter ends with a note to the client about their tax bill, and some of those notes become advisory work
Fixed fees drift below the work, and extra requests go unbilled
The partners see which clients are underpriced every quarter, and out of scope work is quoted before it starts
After a Budget, every client gets the same newsletter
The firm knows which clients each measure affects, and the ones that matter get a call

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