# AI Receptionist for CPA Firms: 24/7 Answering Source: https://insertchat.com/industries/accounting > Book tax appointments and answer document questions while your accountants work on returns. An AI receptionist for accounting firms answers client calls when your staff are deep in returns, using your services, fees, document checklists, and the deadlines you publish. InsertChat’s assistant books tax prep and onboarding appointments, tells clients what to bring, takes bookkeeping and payroll inquiries, and passes every request for tax advice to an accountant. ## Turn a weekend chat into a prepared tax appointment Example workflow: Website chat. Illustrative scenario. Answers depend on your sources; actions depend on your connected tools and permissions. This is not a customer testimonial or measured result. Late on a Sunday, a returning client messages you through your website chat. > I started a side business this year. What do I need to bring for my tax appointment, and do you have anything next week? ## Answer from your checklist Share the checklist you wrote for clients with self-employment income and the fee you publish for that type of return. ## Book the appointment Offer two to five open times next week and book the tax appointment the client picks. ## Brief the preparer The chat summary notes the new side business, so your preparer knows what to ask before the meeting. ## Your team sets the boundaries Questions about deductions, estimated payments, or which business structure to choose are left for your accountant to answer. ## What it handles for accounting firms Handled by your assistant: - Tax prep, bookkeeping, and payroll appointments booked into open times - Which documents to bring, from the checklist you wrote for each service - The deadlines you publish, such as your last day to drop off documents - Published fees for individual returns, business returns, and monthly bookkeeping - New client onboarding, from first questions to an introductory call Sent straight to your team: - Notices or letters from a tax authority - A filing or payment deadline only days away - Payroll that didn’t run or paid the wrong amount - Any request for tax advice, such as whether an expense is deductible - Clients upset about a bill or a filed return ## What it asks and what it needs to know Details it collects: - Client or business name and contact details - Whether you prepared last year’s return - Individual or business, and the type of business - Services needed, such as tax prep, bookkeeping, or payroll - Tax years involved - Any notice received, and the date on it - Preferred appointment time, in person or virtual What to add to its knowledge: - Services you offer, from individual returns to monthly bookkeeping - Document checklists for each type of return - Fees and packages you publish - The deadlines you publish for documents, appointments, and extensions - Onboarding steps and how engagement letters work - Office hours, including any extended hours in busy season ## Can an AI receptionist handle tax season calls for an accounting firm? Yes, it handles the routine calls that pile up during busy season. It books tax prep appointments, reads out the document checklist you wrote for each type of return, and repeats the deadlines you publish. Calls that need judgment, such as a letter from a tax authority or a question about deductions, are marked for an accountant along with the caller’s details. ## Will the assistant answer tax questions? Only the ones about your own services, like fees, appointment times, and the deadlines you publish. Requests to interpret tax rules, estimate a refund, or judge a deduction go to an accountant, and the caller is told someone will follow up. You can also instruct it to ask clients not to read out Social Security or bank account numbers. ## How much does an AI receptionist for accounting firms cost? Pro is $98 per month for a single phone number, a set of monthly credits, three AI assistants, and three seats for your staff. Credits go down with each call, in whole minutes, so a busy filing week uses more of them. Extra numbers are $10 a month each, and texts or WhatsApp messages can carry their own charges. ## Can we keep the number on our letterhead and website? Yes, for firms in the US and Canada. Your published number stays the same, and calls forward to InsertChat. Firms in other countries can get a toll-free or local number from InsertChat where one is offered. Call the line yourself before your busiest weeks start, so you hear what clients will hear. ## Can it reply to client emails as well as calls? Yes. After you connect Gmail or Outlook, the assistant either writes drafts you approve or sends replies itself once a delay you set has passed, optionally only during business hours. Emails about a bill, a complaint, or anything it is unsure of are held back for your staff. Client calls and emails land in the same shared inbox. ## What happens when a client asks about the status of their return? The assistant can’t see your tax software, so it takes the request and marks it “needs you” in the shared inbox. It notes the client’s name, the tax year, and the best callback number, and a text or email confirms the callback request. Your staff check the status and call back. ## Can clients get reminders before their tax appointment? Yes. Booked clients can receive a reminder by text or email three days and again one day ahead. If a client needs another time, the assistant can move or cancel the appointments it set up and offer the next open times, so the freed slot can go to someone else. ## Related features - [AI email responder](https://insertchat.com/product/email) - [Scheduling](https://insertchat.com/product/scheduling) - [Knowledge & answers](https://insertchat.com/product/knowledge) ## Broader industry - [Professional services](https://insertchat.com/industries/professional-services): Give every new inquiry a clear next step.