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đź“ş Title: 15 AI Tools Smart Accountants Are Using Right Now
⏱️ Duration: 855
👤 Channel: Jason On Firms
🎯 Topic: Tools Smart Accountants
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If you’re an accountant, you might feel like AI hasn’t changed your day-to-day work—yet. But according to Jason, a former accounting firm leader of 40 people and current AI productivity coach for accountants, that’s about to change dramatically in 2025. In this comprehensive guide, we break down 15 AI-powered tools that are transforming accounting workflows, from accounts payable automation to launching your own profitable firm.
Jason warns: if you ignore these tools, “the accountant across the hall” who adopts them will quickly leave you behind. This isn’t hyperbole—it’s the new reality. Below, we’ve extracted every insight, example, tool recommendation, and workflow tip from his full transcript to give you the ultimate playbook for AI-powered accounting success.
Why AI Is Finally Hitting Accounting—And Why AP Leads the Charge
While many assume all accounting tasks are rule-based and ripe for automation, Jason clarifies a crucial point: most accounting work is subjective, not deterministic. That’s why AI adoption has been slower than expected—until now.
However, accounts payable (AP) is different. It’s one of the few truly deterministic areas in accounting: invoices must match purchase orders, amounts must reconcile, and payments must be scheduled correctly. There’s a clear right or wrong answer—making it ideal for AI disruption.
Jason predicts AP will be the first accounting function to see massive AI-driven efficiency gains, freeing up professionals for higher-value advisory work.
Top 2 AI-Powered Accounts Payable Tools
Ramp: From Spend Management to AI-Enhanced Bill Pay
Ramp began as a corporate card and spend management platform but has evolved into a powerful AP solution thanks to AI integration. Its standout feature? A free, AI-enhanced bill pay implementation that automates invoice processing and payment workflows.
While Ramp’s core strength was already reducing manual receipt chasing, its new AI layer significantly improves accuracy and speed in vendor payment cycles—especially for mid-sized businesses with straightforward AP needs.
MakersHub: AI for Complex, “Hairy” AP Scenarios
For firms dealing with inventory management, receiving logs, multi-step approvals, or complex vendor ecosystems, Jason strongly recommends MakersHub. This platform was built from day one using AI vision models and large language models (LLMs) to handle messy, real-world documentation.
Jason shares a powerful anecdote: “Back when I was running my accounting firm, I genuinely had clients with full-time in-house accountants where MakersHub could have automated a good 80% of that work.” If your AP involves non-standard invoices, handwritten notes, or multi-departmental coordination, MakersHub is purpose-built for you.
ChatGPT Deep Research: Your AI Co-Pilot for Data & Strategy
Yes, ChatGPT makes the list—but not in the way you might expect. Jason emphasizes ChatGPT’s “Deep Research” capability (available on paid plans), which he calls “30 apps built into one.”
Beyond web-based research, this feature can analyze your internal spreadsheets and generate actionable insights. Try prompts like:
- “Analyze this dataset and highlight unusual trends.”
- “Compare the beginning and end state of this financial data—how can I automate the transformation from A to B?”
Jason notes that ChatGPT often returns “novel insights” even on familiar data, acting as an adviser, automation expert, or data detective—all in one.
Security Concerns? Use the ChatGPT Team Plan
Many accountants worry about uploading sensitive financial data to AI. Jason addresses this head-on: “There are completely secure ways to use ChatGPT.”
The ChatGPT Team plan (now part of ChatGPT Business) offers:
- No training on your prompts—your data stays private
- SOC 2 Type 2 compliance—a security standard many accounting apps don’t even meet
For firms handling client data, this plan is the secure, professional-grade option Jason recommends without hesitation.
Guide: AI-Powered Process Documentation for Accounting Teams
If your firm still relies on “three-ring binders and janky screenshots in Word files,” Jason has a solution: Guide.
Guide is an AI tool that automatically generates process documentation as you work. Simply hit record, perform your workflow (e.g., month-end close in QuickBooks), and Guide captures every step, creating clean, searchable SOPs.
Guide Pricing & Features
| Plan | Price | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free (Browser Extension) | $0 | Chrome-only, basic recording |
| Business Plan | $35/month | 5 user seats, cross-app support (desktop + browser), enhanced security, team sharing |
Jason recommends the $35/month plan for accounting firms, as it supports documentation across any application—from Excel to Xero to internal portals.
ChatGPT Data Analysis: Turn Spreadsheets into Strategic Assets
Jason demonstrates a powerful use case: uploading a CSV of 1,000 transactions (with dates, amounts, company names) and using ChatGPT to restructure it with three precise commands:
- Combine all transactions by date—summing daily amounts.
- For each date, retain the company name with the highest transaction amount in a new field.
- Sort the final dataset by total daily amount (descending).
ChatGPT executed this flawlessly—even generating the underlying Python code. But Jason’s real point? “The hardest thing about this is that it’s not something we’ve ever been able to do before unless you were a Python nerd.” Now, with AI, any accountant can perform advanced data manipulation.
Verify AI Outputs with AI Itself
Don’t just trust the output. Jason advises: “Ask AI to prove the answer is correct.” You can prompt it to show sample validations, edge-case checks, or reconciliation logic—turning AI into both analyst and auditor.
The Problem with Siloed AI Assistants (And the Future Fix)
Many accounting tools now include built-in AI assistants—but they don’t communicate with each other. As Jason jokes, “I don’t want to talk to a bunch of disparate assistants all named after American Gladiators characters.”
The ideal solution? Cross-application AI agents that operate like a human user across all your software. Tools like ChatGPT Operator aim to do this but are currently “dumb as a doornail and slower than the new intern,” limited to basic browser actions.
Until agents mature, Jason’s hot take: “The biggest change AI enables for most accountants is unlocking new spreadsheet skills—specifically, writing code for your spreadsheets.”
Google Apps Script & Office Scripts: Your Gateway to Automation
Jason identifies two native automation platforms every accountant should leverage:
- Google Apps Script (for Google Sheets)
- Office Scripts (for Microsoft Excel on the web)
Both allow you to write code that automates tasks like data formatting, report generation, or email triggers—similar to legacy Excel macros but far more powerful.
How to Get Started (Even If You’re Not a Coder)
Jason’s advice: “Don’t try to brainstorm use cases alone.” Instead, describe your manual workflow to ChatGPT and ask:
“How could I improve this with a Google Apps Script or Office Script?”
Example automations you might discover:
- Auto-format imported bank feeds
- Trigger reconciliation checks when new data is added
- Create custom menu items for frequent tasks
- Build side panels that pull client data from multiple sources
This approach often becomes a “gateway drug to custom workflow builders,” as Jason calls it—leading to even more powerful automation.
Lindy & Gum Loop: AI-Enhanced Workflow Automation
Once you’ve mastered spreadsheet scripting, Jason recommends leveling up with AI-native workflow tools like Lindy and Gum Loop.
These platforms function like simplified versions of Zapier or Make—but with AI-driven decision-making built in. For example:
- If a transaction exceeds $1,000 → route for manager approval
- If a script output shows negative cash flow → trigger a client alert
Jason cites a podcast interview with CFO AI leader Nicholas Buché: “Where CFOs are having the biggest wins today is using AI to write code to automate what they once did manually.” These aren’t programmers—they’re finance professionals leveraging AI to eliminate repetitive work.
How AI Skills Can Make You “The Boss”
Jason reveals a key career insight: mastering these tools doesn’t just make you more efficient—it can position you to start your own firm.
Once you’re “off the charts productive” compared to peers, the logical next step is to serve multiple clients directly. And with AI handling 80% of routine tasks, launching a solo or small accounting practice becomes not just feasible—but highly profitable.
“It is easier than you think to start your own firm,” Jason insists. The last eight tools he covers are specifically chosen to support this entrepreneurial path.
Canopy: Your AI-Powered Practice Management System
The foundation of any accounting firm? A practice management system. Jason’s top recommendation: Canopy (a sponsor, but also a platform he genuinely endorses).
Canopy acts as your “firm-wide operating system,” handling:
- Project tracking
- Client portals (with mobile app)
- E-signatures and payments
- Built-in AI features for task prioritization
Without such a system, firms quickly descend into “a mess of emailing clients all day and not knowing what to work on next.” Canopy solves this by centralizing communication, deadlines, and deliverables—all while letting clients self-serve documents and payments.
AI-Powered General Ledger Platforms: The Future of Bookkeeping
While most firms still use QuickBooks Online or Xero, a new wave of AI-first accounting ledgers is emerging:
Digits
Billed as the “world’s first autonomous bookkeeping platform,” Digits offers an AI-native general ledger. Though still early-stage, it represents a shift toward proactive, intelligent bookkeeping.
Campfire & Puzzle
These platforms are also shipping “really cool stuff” with AI at their core—automating categorization, anomaly detection, and reconciliation. Jason notes: “Whether they unseat QuickBooks or Xero, the competition makes our tools better—and our firms more profitable.”
Expert: AI Alerts and Automated File Reviews
Expert (launched in the U.S. in 2024) helps firms maintain data integrity and spot issues early. Key features:
- Automated file reviews to ensure client data accuracy
- AI-driven alert system—create custom flags using natural language prompts (e.g., “Alert me if accounts receivable exceeds 60 days”)
- Workflow management for review cycles
Jason loves that alerts are created “almost like you’re prompting ChatGPT,” making advanced monitoring accessible to non-technical users.
Ader: Turn AI Insights into Billable Advisory Services
Ader connects to all your clients’ accounting files and delivers a unified dashboard that automatically flags advisory opportunities—like cash flow risks, tax savings, or operational inefficiencies.
Jason’s blunt take: “I reach out to my clients, take credit for the idea, and then I charge them for it. Hell of a grift.” While tongue-in-cheek, this highlights a real business model: AI surfaces insights, and you package them as premium advisory services.
Ader also supports “open-ended prompting”—similar to ChatGPT—but trained specifically on your clients’ financial data.
AI Tools for Tax Professionals
Jason acknowledges that core U.S. tax preparation software remains “legacy stuff that super sucks.” However, AI is transforming the peripheral tasks that consume most of your time.
Client Intake Automation
Two standout tools:
- Soraban
- Stanford Tax
Both analyze last year’s return and auto-generate a customized document request list for the current year—then “hound clients relentlessly” until submissions are complete, freeing you from follow-up emails.
Tax Research Platforms
For complex tax questions, Jason recommends:
- Tax GPT
- Blue J
These are “AI-first research platforms” that combine LLM interfaces with authoritative tax literature (e.g., IRS rulings, case law), delivering accurate, citable answers—not just generic web results.
Laurel: AI Time Tracking for Accountants Who Hate Timesheets
“You’re bad at tracking your time because, as a thing to do, it kind of sucks,” Jason admits. Enter Laurel—an AI tool that makes time logging nearly painless.
Laurel integrates with your calendar, email, and accounting software to auto-suggest time entries based on your actual work patterns. You simply review and approve—no more manual start/stop timers.
Why ChatGPT Remains the Central Hub for AI Accounting
Despite all these specialized tools, Jason’s final verdict is clear: “The app still at the center of it all is ChatGPT.”
Yet, he estimates that “95% of accountants still don’t know the right ways to use it”—missing out on data analysis, code generation, documentation, and strategic insight capabilities.
His advice? Start with secure, structured use via the Team plan, and treat ChatGPT as your infinite-patience tutor for learning automation, scripting, and AI workflows.
Action Plan: How to Implement These Tools in 2025
- Start with security: Subscribe to ChatGPT Team plan.
- Automate AP: Test Ramp (simple needs) or MakersHub (complex workflows).
- Document one process using Guide this week.
- Run your first data analysis in ChatGPT with a real client dataset.
- Ask ChatGPT: “How can I automate [your most repetitive task] using Google Apps Script or Office Scripts?”
- Evaluate practice management: If you’re solo or planning to launch, demo Canopy.
Final Takeaway: The Future Belongs to AI-Fluent Accountants
Jason’s message is urgent but empowering: AI won’t replace accountants—but accountants who use AI will replace those who don’t. The tools are here, they’re secure, and they’re designed for real accounting workflows—not just tech demos.
Whether you aim to impress your boss, become the boss, or launch your own firm, these 15 tools provide a clear roadmap. The time to act isn’t next year—it’s now, in 2025, before the gap between adopters and laggards becomes unbridgeable.
- AP Automation: Ramp, MakersHub
- Data & Analysis: ChatGPT (Deep Research, Data Analysis)
- Documentation: Guide
- Spreadsheet Automation: Google Apps Script, Office Scripts
- Workflow Builders: Lindy, Gum Loop
- Practice Management: Canopy
- AI Ledgers: Digits, Campfire, Puzzle
- Advisory & Alerts: Expert, Ader
- Tax Tools: Soraban, Stanford Tax, Tax GPT, Blue J
- Time Tracking: Laurel
Don’t wait for AI to come to you. As Jason says: “Open your mind a bit.” The most productive accountant on your team—and the next successful firm owner—might just be you.
