# Turn your messy money notes into a tidy question list for your bookkeeper or CPA

Paste your rough notes and the AI sorts them into short, grouped questions and a list of papers to bring, so your accountant's time goes to answers, not untangling.

- Category: Money admin
- Difficulty: Easy
- Setup: about 5 minutes
- Time saved: about 20 minutes a use (our estimate, not a measurement)
- Works with: Any AI chat, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot
- Test status: Run once on made-up data on 21 Oct 2026 with Claude. One run, not proof.
- Approval: Draft, not yet approved by the owner
- Version: 1
- Last checked: 2026-10-21
- Canonical URL: https://hoursaved.com/guides/questions-for-bookkeeper-cpa/

## What this does

It turns messy money notes into a grouped question list for your bookkeeper or CPA, plus a list of papers to bring. The AI only organizes; it does not answer tax questions. You fill in anything marked UNCLEAR.

This is not financial or tax advice. Your accountant gives the answers.

## Before you start

- Any AI chat. The free tier is fine.
- Your rough notes, typos and all.
- Setup: about 5 minutes (our estimate).
- Privacy: describe things in your own words, with no account or ID numbers.

## Steps

1. **Gather** your money notes into one: letters, big purchases, odd deposits, business changes.
2. **Add** a top line with the tax year and meeting date.
3. **Paste** the prompt below and your notes into a new AI chat.
4. **Fill** each UNCLEAR item from your records, or keep it as a question.
5. **Send** the checked list to your accountant yourself, a few days ahead.

## The prompt

```
I'm getting ready for a meeting with my [bookkeeper / CPA] on [date].
Below are my rough notes: worries, receipts I'm unsure about, letters I got, and changes in my business.

Turn them into a short, tidy question list for my accountant.
Rules:
- Use only what I give you. Don't add facts, numbers or tax rules I didn't mention.
- Don't answer the questions and don't give tax advice. Only organize them.
- Group the questions under: Deadlines and letters, Income, Expenses, Payroll and helpers, Big purchases and changes, Other.
- One question per item, written so the accountant can answer it quickly. Include the dollar amount and date if my notes give one.
- If an amount, date or name is unclear or missing, write UNCLEAR and say what I should look up.
- Mark the 3 most time-sensitive questions with [FIRST].
- At the end, list "Papers to bring," based only on what my notes mention.
- Don't send anything. This is a draft for me to check.

My notes:
[paste your notes]
```

## Try it with made-up data

Lantern Lane Pet Grooming (a made-up one-person business):

> Questions for CPA, 2029 taxes, meeting Feb 12 2030.
> - letter from state dept of revenue dated Jan 20 2030, something about sales tax filing late?
> - bought used grooming van Aug, $18,400, financed part of it
> - paid my niece to help Saturdays, cash, maybe $2,000 total?
> - new clippers and dryer $1,350 in May
> - moved part of my personal phone bill to the business card
> - Square deposits don't match my spreadsheet for November, off by around $600
> - thinking about hiring a part-time groomer in spring
> - I do bookings from the kitchen table, does that count

## What the AI gave us

> **Deadlines and letters**
> 1. [FIRST] I got a letter from the state Department of Revenue dated Jan 20, 2030 about sales tax, possibly a late filing. What do I need to do, and by when? (UNCLEAR: amount and due date. Read the letter and bring it.)
>
> **Income**
> 2. [FIRST] My Square deposits for November 2029 don't match my spreadsheet; they're off by about $600. How do we find and fix the difference? (UNCLEAR: which side is higher. Compare the Square payout report to the spreadsheet.)
>
> (The Expenses group, questions 3 to 5, trimmed here.)
>
> **Payroll and helpers**
> 6. [FIRST] I paid my niece in cash to help on Saturdays, about $2,000 in 2029. How should this have been handled, and do I need to file anything? (UNCLEAR: exact total and dates. Check your cash notes.)
> (Question 7 and the Big purchases group, question 8, trimmed here.)
>
> **Other**: none.
>
> **Papers to bring:** the Jan 20 state letter; November Square payout report and your spreadsheet; clippers and dryer receipt; phone bills and card statements for the months involved; notes on cash paid to your niece; van purchase and loan papers.

Good: it kept every item from the notes, added no tax rules, and flagged missing numbers instead of guessing. You still had to read the state letter for the amount and due date, and delete the empty "Other" heading.

## Check before you send

- [ ] Every amount and date matches your records.
- [ ] Each UNCLEAR item is filled in or kept as a real question.
- [ ] Nothing from your notes was dropped.
- [ ] The three [FIRST] items really are your most urgent.
- [ ] No account numbers, tax IDs or customer names made it in.

## Don't paste

- Account numbers, your tax ID or Social Security number, or logins.
- Full tax returns or government letters. Describe them instead.
- Family or staff details beyond a role ("my niece").

## When not to use this

- You want to know what's deductible or what you owe. Ask your accountant.
- A letter with a short deadline. Call your accountant first.
- Notes mostly about someone else's private information.

## Questions owners ask

**Can AI just do my taxes instead?**
Don't rely on it. A general AI chat can sound sure and still be wrong for your state or situation. Use it to get organized, and let a bookkeeper or CPA decide.

**How long should I keep receipts and records?**
It depends on the record. The IRS says to keep records as long as needed to support your return, and at least four years for employment tax records. Ask your accountant about your case.

**Will a tidy list really cut my accountant's bill?**
We can't promise that. A clear list means less time untangling notes in the meeting, which may help if you pay by the hour.

## Sources

- [IRS - Recordkeeping (small businesses and self-employed)](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/recordkeeping)
- [SBA - Manage your finances](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/manage-your-finances)
- [SBA - AI for small businesses (Manage your business)](https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/manage-your-business/ai-small-business)

---

From HourSaved (https://hoursaved.com/), a brand of Momentum Elevation LLC. Web page: https://hoursaved.com/guides/questions-for-bookkeeper-cpa/