Practical use in practice.
WHERE IT HELPS
Extracting data from invoices and receipts Categorising transactions Reconciliation support Drafting commentary on results Explaining concepts to clients Summarising legislation for your own understanding
WHERE IT MUST NOT BE USED
Performing calculations you rely on Determining tax positions Anything filed without qualified review
THE ARITHMETIC WARNING
Language models compute unreliably.
Use proper software. AI extracts and explains; it does not calculate.
FOR DATA EXTRACTION
Genuinely valuable. It removes typing from a large part of bookkeeping.
Verify every figure. A wrong figure in the accounts is a real problem.
FOR CATEGORISATION
Useful, and check. Miscategorised transactions distort reporting and may affect tax treatment.
FOR CLIENT COMMUNICATION
"Explain this in plain language for a client who is not an accountant."
A genuinely strong use.
FOR TAX
Never rely on generated statements about tax obligations. They may be wrong, outdated or from another jurisdiction.
WHAT REMAINS PROFESSIONAL WORK
Judgement, filing, and advice.
