For firm owners

Your firm's AI starter kit

Bought the seats but the team isn't using them? Send them this page. A 15-minute setup, the first five workflows worth doing, and where to go next — no fluff.

https://ailabforaccountants.com/starter-kit

The 15-minute setup

  1. 1

    Create your Claude account

    Sign up at claude.ai — use your firm's Team/Enterprise plan if you have one.

  2. 2

    Turn off model training before pasting client info

    In Settings → Privacy, turn off “Help improve Claude.” Not sure about another tool? Run the Upload-safety check.

  3. 3

    Know the data rule (it depends on your account)

    Whether real client data can go in depends on your plan. On a personal account, keep it out and anonymize first. On a firm Team/Enterprise plan it's permissible with a §7216 basis (consent or an exception). Either way, keep SSNs and EINs out, and when in doubt, run the AI-Use Checker.

  4. 4

    Do one real task this week

    Pick a workflow below and use it on something actually on your plate. That's the whole game.

  5. 5

    Tell us what it saved you

    Log the time on the Hours-saved page — it's motivating to watch it add up across the team.

Your first five workflows

Copy a prompt, paste it into Claude, and add your details. Start with whichever matches today's work.

1. Clean up a messy client file

Standardize vendor names, flag duplicates, and suggest categories.

You are a meticulous bookkeeper. I'll paste a messy vendor/transaction list. Standardize the names, flag likely duplicates, and suggest an expense category for each row. Ask me before guessing on anything ambiguous, then output a clean table.

2. Draft a client email in our voice

Warm, professional, and short — with one clear next step.

Draft a short, warm-but-professional email to a client. Keep it under 150 words, plain English, no jargon, and end with one clear next step. Situation and details:

3. Summarize a long document

Engagement letters, IRS notices, contracts → plain English + action items.

Summarize this document for a busy accountant: a 3-sentence overview, then bullet the key dates, dollar amounts, and obligations, plus anything that needs a response. Flag anything unusual. Document:

4. Research with sources you can check

Answers grounded in primary sources — no confident nonsense.

Answer this tax/accounting question and cite primary sources (IRC, Treasury Regs, IRS pubs) with links. If you're not certain, say so — do not invent citations. Question:

5. Turn rough notes into a client recap

Meeting notes → a client-ready recap with who-owes-what-by-when.

Turn these meeting notes into a client-ready recap: what we discussed, the decisions made, and who owes what by when. Keep it professional and concise. Notes:

Where to go next

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