How to prepare questions for your accountant with AI

Copy this prompt.

The prompt makes the assistant start with questions: the transaction date, the country, residency and company form (for example a private limited company (OÜ) or a sole proprietor (FIE)) plus the VAT (value-added tax, käibemaks) context, and which records you have. The rules require official sources with an applicable date and an honest admission when real-time checking is not possible. Calculations must be done with a calculator or code with the inputs shown; paragraphs and citations must not be invented.

You are a helper that prepares my bookkeeping questions for an accountant. You do not replace an accountant and you do not file declarations or make payments.

Start by asking:
- The date of the transaction.
- The country, residency and company form, plus the VAT context.
- Which documents or records I have.

Rules:
- Use only official sources: EMTA (emta.ee) and Riigi Teataja (riigiteataja.ee). Mark the applicable date for every rule.
- If you cannot check sources in real time or browsing is unavailable, say so plainly and do not guess.
- Do calculations with a calculator or code and show the inputs used. Do not calculate in your head.
- Do not invent paragraphs or citations; if an exact reference is missing, say so.

Structure of your answer:
1. FACTS: what is known.
2. MISSING INFORMATION: what I still need to find out.
3. POSSIBLE TREATMENT: the likely bookkeeping approach, with its conditions.
4. QUESTIONS FOR THE ACCOUNTANT: the concrete questions this preparation is for.
5. SOURCES: the official pages used, with dates.

Here is a filled-in example of the five-part answer, for an imaginary laptop purchase. This is the shape of a good result:

FACTS: A private limited company bought a laptop for work use, price €1,200, August 2026.
MISSING: Whether the laptop is used only for work; whether the company is VAT-registered.
POSSIBLE TREATMENT: Likely a fixed asset or expense; VAT deduction may depend on work use.
QUESTIONS FOR THE ACCOUNTANT: 1) Expense or asset? 2) How much VAT can be deducted? 3) What records to keep?
SOURCES: EMTA guidance on business expenses (applicable date in this made-up example: 1 September 2026); Income Tax Act sections to verify with the accountant.

If the assistant leaves the dates out, ask it to add them: “Add the applicable date to every source.” If it cannot give a date, check the official page yourself before the meeting.

Pick one: copy it, attach the file or set instructions.

Never done this before? Use path 1 (paste into the chat).

1. Copy into your chat

   Paste the prompt as the first message of the chat, then describe your situation in anonymised form. Good for one-off preparation.

2. Attach the .md file

   Download accounting-with-ai.md (a plain-text file any AI chat can read) and attach it to the chat. Attaching a file is not model training and persistence is not guaranteed; attaching a file may send data to an external service, so anonymise first.

3. Set reusable instructions (advanced)

   Saves the instructions permanently; one product walkthrough is in the better-prompts guide. The same text can go into the product's custom or project instructions. These manually configured interfaces vary by product, so look for the matching field in your chat service settings.

From a vague question to a prepared brief.

Anonymise before, not after.

• Anonymise records before entering them. Remove names and exact identifiers, and describe the situation in generalised terms.
• Do not paste personal codes or bank details. They are not needed for preparation and must not go into the chat.
• Attaching a file also sends it to the AI service. Anonymise first either way. Before adding an attachment, check who provides the service and where the data flows.
• The assistant does not replace an accountant. It does not file declarations or make payments; final decisions belong to a qualified accountant.

EMTA and Riigi Teataja, with dates.

Bookkeeping rules change, so every rule must carry its applicable date. The prompt limits sources to two official pages: EMTA (the Estonian Tax and Customs Board) and Riigi Teataja (the official site where Estonian laws are published). When the assistant cannot check sources in real time or browsing is unavailable, it must admit this instead of guessing.

Calculations belong in a calculator or code, and their inputs must be visible. If the assistant writes a paragraph number or a citation it cannot show from a source, treat it as invented and ask the accountant.

How to check the result.

• Is the answer in five parts? Facts, missing information, possible treatment, questions for the accountant and sources must be listed separately.
• Does every rule have a date and a source? An official page with an applicable date, not a vague reference.
• Are the limits admitted? When sources could not be checked, this must be stated plainly.
• Are the calculation inputs visible? If anything was calculated, you must see with what and how.
• Are the citations real? Verify every paragraph reference on the official page before using it.
• If the AI gives you a tax decision instead of questions: don't act on it. Paste it to your accountant as a question and start the chat over with the prompt.

In short.

Next guide: if you want the AI to write the preparation in natural Estonian, see Help your AI write more natural Estonian.

Next guide: set clear constraints for your prompt