Why it matters
The inquiry that arrives in March
A freelancer realizes on a Sunday night in late March that they have unfiled self-employment income. A friend recommended your firm, so they open your website and send the contact form: are you taking new clients, and what would it cost?
You're working through a stack of returns and don't see it until Wednesday. By then they've booked with the firm whose website answered both questions and showed a way to book.
Referrals bring people to your site. What happens in the first hour on it decides whether the referral becomes a client.
- 81%of tax practices in a national survey said their website is what they use most to build awareness.National Society of Accountants, 2020–21 (1,009 firms)
- 42 hourswas the average time US companies took to answer an online inquiry, among those that answered at all.Harvard Business Review, 2011 (2,241 companies)
- $323was the average fee for an itemized Form 1040 with a state return in the same survey: one lost inquiry, every year.National Society of Accountants, 2020–21
Example conversation
A new-client inquiry on a Sunday night
- Do you take new clients? I'm self-employed and haven't filed last year yet.
Checks your site: new-client availability and services
- Yes, we're taking new clients, and we prepare returns for self-employed people, including prior years. Are you a sole proprietor, or do you have an LLC or S corp?
Asks how the business is set up, because it changes the quote
- Sole proprietor. How much would it cost? And what do I owe in penalties?
- Our fees start at the amounts on our pricing page, and the final fee depends on your return. What you might owe is something our accountants need to look at with you, so I won't guess. Can I take your name and number so they can call you? Please don't type any Social Security or account numbers here.
Quotes only published fees, declines tax advice, keeps sensitive data out
- Sam Ortiz, 555-0142. Evenings are best.
- New lead · Sam Ortiz · 555-0142 · Sole proprietor, unfiled prior-year return · Prefers evenings
Arrives on your phone by text and email in seconds
What customers ask
The questions prospective clients ask first
- Are you taking new clients this season?
- How much do you charge for my kind of return?
- Do you work with sole proprietors, LLCs and S corps?
- Can you file an extension for me?
- Can you help with an IRS letter?
- Do you do bookkeeping and payroll?
- What documents will I need?
- Are you CPAs or enrolled agents?
It answers these from your own website, and hands over any it can't.
What it does
What it does for you
Answers from your pages
Services, fee ranges you publish, new-client availability, document checklists and office hours, all quoted from your website.
Qualifies the inquiry
Asks whether they're a sole proprietor, partnership or company, and what return or service they need, before it takes their details.
Treats deadlines as urgent
A filing deadline or an IRS notice gets their contact details taken at once and an alert sent to you.
Books a consultation
Sends them to the booking page you already use, or offers real free times from Google Calendar.
Rules it follows
Built around the rules your firm works under
No tax advice
Circular 230 sets standards for written tax advice, including advice sent electronically. The assistant never says what someone owes, can deduct or should do; it hands the question to your team.
Keeps tax information out of the chat
Tax return information is protected under IRC section 7216. It never asks for Social Security numbers, tax documents or account numbers, and asks people not to type them.
Published fees only
It quotes fees exactly as your site states them, including any note that extra costs apply, and hands negotiation to you.
You stay in charge of data
Under the FTC Safeguards Rule a chat vendor is a service provider. Our privacy policy sets out what is stored and who it reaches.
What reaches you
What reaches your phone
Each lead arrives by text and email with what you need to call back ready to quote.
- Name
- Sam Ortiz
- Phone
- 555-0142
- Business type
- Sole proprietor
- Needs
- Prior-year return, self-employment
- Best time
- Evenings
Your tools
Works alongside the software you already use
- Karbon
- Canopy
- TaxDome
- Financial Cents
- CCH Axcess
- Drake
- Calendly
Questions
Common questions
How are accounting firms using AI?
Mostly behind the scenes, for bookkeeping, document handling and research. This is the part in front of clients: answering prospective clients on your website, taking their details and booking the first conversation, from your own published information.
Will it answer clients' tax questions?
No. It gives general information your site already publishes, such as services, fees and deadlines, and hands anything about a person's own taxes to your team.
Is it safe to use with client financial information?
It's built not to collect it. It never asks for Social Security numbers, account numbers or tax documents, and tells people not to type them. It takes a name, contact details and what they need.
Can it handle tax-season inquiry volume?
Yes. It answers every visitor at once, day or night, and each lead reaches you as a short text and email you can work through between returns.
Can it book consultations with new clients?
Yes. Point it at your booking page, or connect Google Calendar and it offers real free times.
How does it compare with an answering service for accountants?
An answering service takes phone calls. This answers the people on your website, including at night, from your own pages. Many firms will want both.
More business types
Built for other businesses too
- HVAC, plumbing and electrical
- Dentists
- Salons and spas
- Real estate agents
- Law firms
- Gyms and fitness studios
- Driving schools
- Tutors and tutoring centers
- Veterinary clinics
- Auto repair shops
- Medical clinics
- Roofing contractors
- Pest control
- Solar installers
- Cleaning services
- Moving companies
- Home improvement fitters
- Physiotherapy and chiropractic
- Med spas and aesthetics
- Nurseries and childcare
- Insurance and mortgage brokers
- Online stores
- B2B SaaS companies
- Fintech companies