Bookkeeping is mostly the numbers — but a surprising amount of the day is the words around them: a query about a payment you can't code, a polite chase for last month's receipts, a plain-English note explaining why the books look the way they do. That writing is exactly what AI is good at drafting, so you spend less time wording emails and more time on the ledger.
The short version: pick a prompt below, paste it into any capable AI assistant (ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini or Claude — the free tiers are fine), swap the [bracketed] bits for the client's real details, read what comes back and edit it before it goes out. That's the whole workflow — no new software, no setup.
One rule runs through all of these: AI drafts the words, you own the numbers. It never sees your bank feed, never decides how a transaction is coded, and never confirms that the books balance — those stay your job. The prompts are written to keep you as the final reviewer, because the accuracy and the client relationship are yours, not the tool's.
01
Coding & reconciliation queries
You've hit a transaction you can't code, or a reconciliation that won't clear, and you need an answer from the client. The trick is a question that's specific and painless to reply to — so it actually gets answered the same day.
AI is writing the question, not the answer. It can't see your bank feed or decide what the transaction was. Give it the facts you've verified; it makes them into a clear message.
Query an unknown transaction
Write a short, friendly query to [client name] about a payment I can't code. As it appears in the bank feed: [date], [amount], "[payee / description]". Ask plainly what it was for and whether it was business or personal, and give 2–3 likely options they can just pick from so replying takes ten seconds. Keep it to one short paragraph, no accounting jargon.
Tip: list the real likely options (supplier, owner drawings, a refund) — a client answers a multiple-choice far faster than an open question.
Batch of queries in one email
Turn this list of unexplained transactions into a single tidy email to [client name]. Items (date, amount, description): [paste your list]. Format it as a short intro plus a numbered list, one line per item, each ending with a simple question or 2–3 options to choose from. Ask them to reply against the numbers. Keep it easy to skim and thank them for the quick turnaround.
Explain a coding decision
Help me explain a coding decision to [client name] in plain English. What happened: [e.g. I've coded the [amount] payment to [account] rather than [account] because ...]. Write 2–3 sentences that say what I did and why, in language a non-bookkeeper understands, and invite them to flag it if they see it differently. Don't give tax advice — just explain the treatment I've decided on.
Ask about a duplicate or mismatch
Write a quick note to [client name] about a possible duplicate/mismatch I've spotted while reconciling. Details: [what you see, e.g. two identical [amount] payments to [payee] on [dates], or an invoice with no matching payment]. Ask them to confirm whether it's genuine or an error, without assuming fault. One short, neutral paragraph.
02
Chasing receipts & records
The task every bookkeeper does dozens of times a week. A good reminder is specific about what's missing and why it matters, and easy to act on — without sounding like a debt collector.
First reminder — missing receipts
Write a light, friendly first reminder to [client name]. We're still missing [list the specific items, e.g. receipts for three card payments, the March bank statement] to finish their [period] bookkeeping. Say clearly what to send and the easiest way to send it ([e.g. photo to the app, email]), give a gentle deadline of [date], and thank them. This is the first nudge, so keep it warm.
Second reminder — firmer
Write a firmer but still courteous second reminder to [client name], who hasn't sent [missing items]. Explain plainly why it matters now — [e.g. we can't reconcile [period] or prepare the [BAS/return] without them, and the deadline is [date]] — and offer to help if something's making it hard on their end. Under 150 words, still respectful.
A simple "what we need" checklist
Create a short, plain-English checklist I can send [client name] of everything we need each [week / month] to keep their books up to date. Group it sensibly (bank, sales, purchases/receipts, payroll, other). For each item add a one-line note on what it looks like so a non-bookkeeper knows what to grab, and finish with how and by when to send it.
Set up a routine going forward
Help me propose a simple monthly routine to [client name] so we stop chasing the same records every period. My idea: [e.g. they photograph receipts as they go and send bank access, we reconcile by the 10th]. Write a short, encouraging message that frames it as making their life easier (less month-end scramble, cleaner numbers), lays out who does what, and asks if they're happy to try it.
03
Payroll & pay-run communication
Payroll is exact work with a lot of small messages attached — confirming hours, flagging a change, answering a worried employee question routed through the client. AI drafts the message; you confirm every figure.
Never let AI calculate pay, tax or entitlements. Enter and check those in your payroll software. These prompts only draft the wording around numbers you've already worked out.
Confirm hours before a pay run
Draft a brief message to [client name] asking them to confirm this period's payroll before I process it. What I need confirmed: [e.g. hours for casual staff, any leave taken, new starters or leavers, bonuses]. Set the cut-off ([date/time]) so I have time to run and check it, and make it easy to reply. Short and clear.
Explain a change on a payslip
Help me explain, in plain and reassuring language, why an employee's pay changed this period. The facts (which I've checked): [e.g. net pay is lower because of [reason — extra tax, leave without pay, a correction]]. Write a short note the employer can pass on that states the reason clearly and points them to who to ask if they have questions. No tax or legal advice — just explain the figures I've given.
Payroll deadline reminder
Write a reusable reminder template telling [client name] that payroll for [period] needs to be finalised, what I need from them to run it, and the cut-off to get it to me. Leave clear [placeholders] for the dates and any variable items so I can reuse it each cycle. Friendly and organised.
04
Client updates & everyday comms
The regular back-and-forth: onboarding a new client, a monthly "here's where you're at", the occasional awkward message. Give the AI the facts and a tone, and let it draft the first version.
New-client onboarding note
Write a warm, professional onboarding message to a new bookkeeping client, [client name] at [business name]. Cover: a short welcome, the 3 things I need to get started ([e.g. bank feed access, login to their accounting software, a list of regular suppliers]), how often we'll work on their books ([weekly/monthly]), and how to reach me. Under 200 words, friendly and clear, no jargon.
Monthly "here's where you're at"
Turn these figures I've already prepared into a short, friendly monthly update for [client name]. Figures: [e.g. income [amount], expenses [amount], cash in bank [amount], anything notable]. Write 3–4 short paragraphs in plain English: how the month looked, anything worth their attention, and a reminder of anything I still need from them. Warm, human, no lecturing, and don't add any number I haven't given you.
Tip: paste only figures you've reconciled. The AI is wording the update, not producing the accounts.
Softening a firm message
Reword this so it stays firm but keeps the relationship intact. Context: [what's going on, e.g. the client keeps sending receipts weeks late]. My blunt draft: [paste it]. Rewrite it to be polite and constructive, explain the impact on them (messy numbers, last-minute stress), and offer one concrete way to make next month easier. Keep it short.
Explain a fee or scope change
Draft a message to [client name] explaining that my fee for [service] is changing from [old] to [new] from [date], or that the scope has grown because [reason, e.g. transaction volume has doubled]. Be honest about the reason, remind them of the value they get, and invite a quick call if they'd like to talk. Warm and confident, not apologetic.
05
Month-end, write-ups & process
The work around the work — the notes that explain what you did, the procedure a new team member can follow, the handover so nothing gets lost. First drafts here save the most time.
Write up your month-end notes
Turn my rough month-end notes into a clear write-up for the file. My notes: [paste them — what you reconciled, anything unusual, adjustments made, items still open]. Structure it as: what was completed, anything unusual and how it was handled, adjustments made and why, and open items to follow up next period. Keep it factual and concise, in my professional voice. Don't add anything that isn't in my notes.
Document a repeatable process
Turn my rough description into a clear step-by-step procedure a team member could follow. Process: [e.g. how I do a weekly bank reconciliation for a client]. My description: [paste the messy version]. Format it as numbered steps with a short "what's needed / what to check" note per step, flag any point where something should be reviewed or signed off, and ask me about anything ambiguous instead of guessing.
Handover note for cover or year-end
Write a handover note for [client name]'s file so someone else could pick it up. Facts: [software used, where things are, what's done to what date, quirks of this client, what's outstanding]. Lay it out clearly with headings, keep it practical, and end with the top 3 things the next person should do first. Only use what I've given you.
Summarise a long email thread
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, 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.
Privacy and review, in one line. Check what any AI tool does with your data before using it for client work, keep sensitive identifiers out of your prompts, and never let a draft reach a client unread — you check the figures and the coding, the AI just helps with the words.
06
Common questions
Which AI tool should a bookkeeper use?
Any capable general assistant works for everything on this page — ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini or Claude. The free tiers are enough to try every prompt. The brand matters less than the habit: the tool drafts the words, you check the numbers and the coding.
Can AI do the reconciliation or code my transactions?
No — and you shouldn't let it. A general AI assistant can't see your bank feed or ledger and must never decide what a transaction is or whether the books balance. Use it for the wording around the work: querying an unknown payment, explaining a coding decision, writing up your month-end. The judgement stays yours.
Is it safe to paste client details into an AI tool?
Treat it like any external service and follow your own confidentiality obligations. Keep bank account numbers, tax file numbers and other sensitive identifiers out of the prompt — use the [bracketed] placeholders and add only the context the draft needs. Check what the tool does with your data first.
Do I still need to check what the AI writes?
Always. Everything here is a first draft, not a finished document. Read every line, fix anything wrong, and make sure the figures and coding are right before it goes to a client. AI drafts; a person is responsible.
If you'd rather this just happened on its own
These prompts are the manual version — copy, paste, edit, send. They work, and for a lot of bookkeepers that's plenty. But if you find yourself doing the same drafting, chasing and explaining every week, that's the part that can run quietly inside the tools you already use, with your data handled properly and a person always reviewing before anything goes out.
That's what SG1 Consulting builds with The Everything — and there's a free 22-page playbook that shows exactly how a firm puts it to work.