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Accountants

AI Prompts for Accountants, Tested

Tested AI prompts for accountants, filtered by task, with the model and date of each test.

Tax filing

TestedOct 19, 2026Tax filing

Tax-season document checklist from last year's return summary

Turn a returning client's prior-year return summary into a document checklist and question list for this season — without the model quoting this year's limits from memory.

ClaudeTested with claude-opus-5-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
You are assisting a US tax preparer before filing season.
From the prior-year return summary below, produce:
A) a document request checklist for the coming return, one line per income/deduction item, naming the form or record to request;
B) a short list of "life change" questions for the client;
C) a list of items that need the preparer's professional judgment (do not decide them).
Do NOT state any current-year dollar limit, threshold, rate or deadline as fact. If something depends on a current-year figure, write "[verify current-year figure]".
Prior-year summary:
[Paste the prior-year return summary: forms, schedules, income sources, deductions, life events you know about]
Test result · Oct 19, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Client: "Jordan Sample" (fictional), single, prior return = tax year 2025. - W-2 wages from Example Health Systems. - Schedule C: freelance UX consulting; claimed a home office. - 1099-INT from Example Online Bank. - 1099-B: sold shares in a brokerage account (Sample Brokerage). - Schedule E: one rental condo, depreciation started 2023. - Form 1098-E student loan interest. - Moved from New York to North Carolina in July 2026 (current year).

Account reconciliation

TestedOct 19, 2026Account reconciliation

Month-end bank reconciliation with proposed adjusting entries

Paste the bank and ledger balances plus the unmatched items; get a two-sided reconciliation, the adjusting entries for the book side only, and a list of what still needs evidence.

ClaudeTested with claude-opus-5-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
Act as a careful staff accountant. Prepare a month-end bank reconciliation from the data below.
1. Show a two-sided reconciliation: adjusted bank balance and adjusted book balance, with every reconciling item on the correct side.
2. Confirm whether the two adjusted balances agree; if not, show the unexplained difference — never force it.
3. Propose journal entries ONLY for items that must be recorded in the books (not for timing items that will clear the bank).
4. List anything that needs supporting evidence before posting.
Use only the figures given. Show your arithmetic.
Data:
[Paste bank statement ending balance, ledger (book) cash balance, and every unmatched item with amount and what you know about it]
Test result · Oct 19, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Company: Maple Example LLC (fictional). Period ending June 30, 2026. Bank statement ending balance: $18,420.50 General ledger cash balance: $19,737.30 Unmatched items: - Check #1047 to Office Sample Supply, $1,250.00, written June 29, not on the bank statement. - Deposit of $2,100.00 made after bank cut-off on June 30, recorded in the books June 30. - Bank service fee $35.00 on the statement, not in the books. - Customer check from Sample Retail Co. returned NSF, $480.00, deducted by the bank, not in the books. - Check #1039 to a supplier: recorded in the books as $1,284.00; cleared the bank as $1,248.00. The supplier invoice says $1,248.00. - Interest credited by the bank $12.20, not in the books.

Client letters

TestedOct 19, 2026Client letters

Missing-documents email to an individual tax client

You are preparing a 1040 and four documents are still missing. Turn your internal notes into a calm, plain-English request with a deadline and a secure upload path.

ClaudeTested with claude-opus-5-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
You are helping a US tax preparer write to an individual client.
Using ONLY the notes below, write a short email (max 220 words) asking the client for the missing documents.
Rules:
- Plain English, friendly, no jargon unless you explain it in a few words.
- Put the missing items in a numbered checklist, exactly as listed in the notes — do not add or drop items.
- State the internal deadline and why it matters (the filing date).
- Tell the client to upload through the secure portal and NOT to send tax documents by regular email.
- Do not give tax advice and do not mention any dollar amount, rate, penalty or date that is not in the notes.
Notes:
[Paste your internal notes: client first name, tax year, missing items, internal deadline, how they should upload]
Test result · Oct 19, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 4.7 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 2 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Client: Dana (fictional client "Dana Q. Example"), joint 1040 for tax year 2026 with spouse. Missing: - 1099-NEC from the two freelance platforms she used (she said "one of them might be a 1099-K, not sure") - Form 1098 mortgage interest statement for the new house - Childcare provider name, address and EIN plus total paid (for the dependent care credit) - Form 5498-SA for her HSA Internal deadline: March 20, 2027 so we can file by April 15, 2027. Last year she emailed scans as plain attachments — please steer her to the secure portal (portal.example-cpa.test). She is anxious about "doing it wrong", keep it reassuring.

Payroll

No tested prompts here yet. Prompts are listed only after a real test run.

For every profession

TestedOct 20, 2026Meeting minutes

Teams transcript to minutes: keep a disputed date open, owners per action

Turn a Teams meeting transcript excerpt into minutes that record what was actually decided, keep a disputed go-live date open, and give every action an owner or say it has none.

ClaudeTested with claude-opus-5-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
Turn the Microsoft Teams transcript excerpt below into meeting minutes.

Use exactly these sections: Decisions, Open questions, Action items (owner – task – due date).
- Record only what the transcript shows was agreed as a decision.
- If people disagree and nobody settles it, put it under Open questions with each position and who holds it.
- Every action item needs an owner and a due date as stated; if none was stated, write "owner not assigned" or "no date set".
- Maximum 250 words. Do not add dates, amounts, names or commitments that are not in the transcript.

[Paste the transcript excerpt (speaker: text). Replace names of clients and colleagues with placeholders if needed.]
Test result · Oct 20, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 3.3 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 0 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 4 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 0 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 3.3 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 0 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 4.3 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 1 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Teams meeting "New booking system — weekly check-in", 2026-10-21, fictional company Example Clinics Group. Priya (Project lead): Vendor says the build is on track. I'd like go-live on Monday November 16. Marco (Operations): November 16 is too tight for front-desk training. I want November 23. Priya: Let's not fix it today — I'll ask the vendor about a training sandbox first. Marco: Fine. Either way I'll book the large training room for front-desk staff. Priya: Good. I'll send the signed vendor contract to finance by October 28. Sam (Finance): And the extra licence budget — let's park that until finance replies on Friday. Marco: Someone also needs to update the patient FAQ page before go-live. Priya: Agreed, we need that. Let's figure out who next week. Sam: One more thing — we agreed to keep the old system read-only for 90 days after go-live, right? Priya: Yes, confirmed, 90 days read-only.

TestedOct 20, 2026Document summaries

Explain a PivotTable to your manager in 150 words, with exact numbers

Turn a pasted PivotTable (region by quarter) into a short, accurate summary for a manager, flagging the (blank) row instead of hiding it.

ClaudeTested with claude-sonnet-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
You are helping an analyst explain an Excel PivotTable to a manager who will not open the file.

Write a summary of at most 150 words based ONLY on the PivotTable output below:
- Give the grand total and each region's full-year total exactly as shown.
- Say which quarter had the highest and which the lowest total.
- If something in the table looks like a data problem, say what it is and what to check.
- Do not calculate percentages or growth rates, and do not guess reasons (seasonality, campaigns, staffing…) for any number.

[Paste the PivotTable output as text: row labels, column labels, values and the Grand Total. Remove client names.]
Test result · Oct 20, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 4.7 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 2 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 4.3 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 1 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

PivotTable "Sales by region" — Sum of Net Sales (USD), fiscal year 2026, fictional company Example Supplies Inc. Row Labels | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Grand Total North | 48,200 | 51,900 | 47,300 | 55,600 | 203,000 South | 39,750 | 42,100 | 44,800 | 46,350 | 173,000 West | 61,400 | 58,200 | 63,900 | 66,500 | 250,000 (blank) | 1,150 | 0 | 3,400 | 950 | 5,500 Grand Total | 150,500 | 152,200 | 159,400 | 169,400 | 631,500

TestedOct 20, 2026Excel formulas

Monthly SUMIFS on an expense log where some dates are really text

Total one month of expenses with SUMIFS and catch the imported dates Excel stores as text, which SUMIFS silently leaves out.

ClaudeTested with claude-opus-5-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
You are an Excel helper. Using ONLY the expense log below:

1. Write a SUMIFS formula that totals all expenses dated in September 2026, and a second SUMIFS formula that totals only the Travel expenses in September 2026.
2. Look at the dates carefully. Tell me which rows (if any) these formulas will NOT count, and why.
3. State what each formula returns on this data as it is now, and what the correct September totals are once any problem rows are fixed.
4. Explain one way to fix the problem rows without retyping the whole column.

Keep the answer under 250 words. Do not change, drop or invent any amount.

[Paste the expense log with cell addresses (date, category, amount) and describe any cells that look odd, e.g. left-aligned dates.]
Test result · Oct 20, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Sheet "Expenses", A1:C11 (header in row 1). Column A is formatted as Date. Imported from a card statement export. Row | A: Date | B: Category | C: Amount (USD) 2 | 2026-08-29 | Travel | 412.30 3 | 2026-09-02 | Software | 129.00 4 | 2026-09-05 | Travel | 86.40 5 | Sept 11 2026 | Meals | 57.80 6 | 2026-09-17 | Travel | 1,240.00 7 | 2026-09-23 | Office | 318.65 8 | 09/26/2026 | Travel | 94.20 9 | 2026-09-30 | Software | 49.99 10 | 2026-10-01 | Travel | 230.00 11 | 2026-10-03 | Meals | 41.10 What I see: A5 and A8 are left-aligned while the other dates are right-aligned. The formula bar for A8 shows "09/26/2026 " with a trailing space.

TestedOct 20, 2026Excel formulas

XLOOKUP client names into an invoice list, with a clean "Not found"

Pull client names from a second sheet into your invoice list, show a readable message instead of #N/A, and total one client's invoices.

ClaudeTested with claude-sonnet-5 · 5 of 5 criteria on average · 3 runs graded
You are an Excel helper for a small-business bookkeeper. Work ONLY from the two tables below.

1. Write ONE formula for cell D2 of the Invoices sheet that returns the client name for the client ID in B2 and can be filled down to D13. When the client ID is not in the Clients sheet, the cell must show the text "Not found" instead of an error.
2. List every invoice row (row number and invoice number) that will show "Not found".
3. Write a formula that returns the total amount of all invoices for client ID C-104, and state the result it returns on this data.
4. Explain in plain English, in at most 120 words, how the lookup formula works.
5. End with a short "Check before using" note for anything in the data a person should verify.

Do not invent client names, IDs or amounts that are not in the tables.

[Paste both tables with their sheet names and cell ranges (header row included). Replace real client names with placeholders.]
Test result · Oct 20, 2026
  • claude-opus-5-5: avg. 4.7 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 2 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • claude-sonnet-5: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gpt-6-astra: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: claude-opus-5-5
  • claude-fable-5-1: avg. 4.7 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 2 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra
  • gemini-4-argon-medium: avg. 5 of 5 rubric criteria passed · 3 runs graded · all criteria met in 3 of 3 · judge: gpt-6-astra

Graded by an LLM from the other model family against a rubric written before the runs; a sample of verdicts re-checked by a separate AI editor agent. The two judges differ in strictness, so compare Claude vs GPT with caution. Not a professional review. How we test

Sample input used in the test (fictional)

Sheet "Invoices" (A1:C13, header in row 1): Row | A: Invoice | B: Client ID | C: Amount (USD) 2 | INV-1001 | C-101 | 1,250.00 3 | INV-1002 | C-104 | 980.50 4 | INV-1003 | C-102 | 4,350.00 5 | INV-1004 | C-101 | 615.25 6 | INV-1005 | C-105 | 2,200.00 7 | INV-1006 | C-118 | 1,740.00 8 | INV-1007 | C-104 | 3,125.75 9 | INV-1008 | C-103 | 890.00 10 | INV-1009 | C-105 | 1,505.40 11 | INV-1010 | C-102 | 760.00 12 | INV-1011 | C-104 | 2,049.75 13 | INV-1012 | C-103 | 1,310.60 Sheet "Clients" (A1:B6, header in row 1): Row | A: Client ID | B: Client name 2 | C-101 | Northwind Example Bakery 3 | C-102 | Harbor Example Dental 4 | C-103 | Pine Example Studio 5 | C-104 | Summit Example Plumbing 6 | C-105 | Lakeside Example Vet Column D of "Invoices" is empty and should hold the client name.