8 tools picked for accountants and bookkeepers

Best AI tools for accountants and bookkeepers in Australia

Australian practices spend a large share of every week on work that is repetitive but still needs a qualified eye: coding transactions, chasing missing documents, drafting client emails, preparing workpapers and explaining BAS or tax outcomes in plain English. AI tools are now good at the first draft of most of that work, which frees accountants for review, advice and judgement.

The tools below are chosen for how a typical Australian firm actually runs: on Xero or MYOB, inside Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, with client files that carry tax file numbers and bank details. Every pick is a drafting or data-handling aid, not a replacement for the practitioner who signs off. The Tax Practitioners Board has been explicit that registered agents stay accountable for AI-assisted work.

Last reviewed October 2026

The shortlist

JAX (Xero)
Paid
Finance
Xero's built-in AI assistant works on the ledger you already maintain, so bookkeepers can ask about outstanding invoices, reconciliation items or cash position without exporting data to another service. Keeping the work inside the accounting platform also simplifies the confidentiality question for client books.
JAX review →
Microsoft 365 Copilot
Paid
General Assistant
For firms running on Outlook, Word, Excel and Teams, Copilot drafts engagement letters, summarises long client email threads and helps build Excel formulas inside your existing Microsoft tenant, which keeps client data under the security and retention settings your IT provider already manages.
Microsoft 365 Copilot review →
Claude (Anthropic)
Free plan + paid
General Assistant
Useful for reading long documents such as trust deeds, private rulings, lease agreements or ATO guidance and producing a structured summary or a list of questions for the client. Use a business plan with training on your data switched off, and verify every technical tax conclusion yourself.
Claude review →
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Free plan + paid
General Assistant
A flexible drafting tool for newsletters, explanations of Division 7A or super contribution caps in client-friendly language, and checklists for EOFY. Business and Enterprise plans exclude your content from model training by default; never paste tax file numbers into a personal account.
ChatGPT review →
Vic.ai
Enterprise
Finance
Vic.ai reads supplier invoices, suggests GL coding and routes them for approval. It suits bookkeeping teams processing high invoice volumes for client businesses, where the bottleneck is data entry and coding consistency rather than advice.
Vic.ai review →
Datarails
Enterprise
Finance
Datarails sits on top of Excel and consolidates data for budgeting, forecasting and management reporting. It fits advisory and CFO-services practices that build monthly packs for several entities and want AI-assisted variance commentary without abandoning spreadsheets.
Datarails review →
Granola
Free plan + paid
Meetings
Granola takes notes from client meetings on your own device without a bot joining the call, then turns them into action lists and follow-up emails. Tell clients you are recording or transcribing, and keep the notes in your practice management system.
Granola review →
Fyxer AI
Paid
Email
Fyxer sorts a busy Gmail or Outlook inbox and drafts replies in your own tone. During lodgement season it helps partners and managers get through routine client queries faster, while leaving the final send and any tax position with a human.
Fyxer AI review →

Compliance and privacy

Registered tax and BAS agents must follow the Code of Professional Conduct, and the Tax Practitioners Board's Guidance Statement TPB(GS) 55/2026 (July 2026) explains how it applies to AI: you remain responsible for outputs, must exercise reasonable care and professional judgement, and should get client permission before client information is entered into AI tools that disclose it to a third party. APES 110 has included technology-related provisions since 1 January 2025, covering competence, due care and confidentiality when using AI. Tax file numbers carry extra restrictions under the TFN Rule, and the Privacy Act 1988 and Australian Privacy Principles apply to client data. From 10 December 2026, privacy policies must also describe automated decisions that significantly affect individuals.

Getting started

1
Read TPB(GS) 55/2026 and write a one-page AI policy covering which tools staff may use and what client data can go into them.
2
Update engagement letters to tell clients how AI may be used and obtain consent where client information will be shared with an AI provider.
3
Start with low-risk drafting: newsletters, internal checklists and email replies that contain no TFNs or bank details.
4
Switch on the AI features inside software you already use, such as Xero or Microsoft 365, before adding new vendors.
5
Keep a review step and a file note for any AI-assisted workpaper or advice, so the reasoning can be shown if the TPB or a client asks.

Looking beyond off-the-shelf tools? See AI automation for accountants and bookkeepers.

Frequently asked questions

Can I put client tax information into ChatGPT or Claude?

Only with care. The TPB's 2026 guidance says entering client information into an AI tool can amount to disclosure to a third party, which needs client permission. Use business plans that exclude your data from training, avoid tax file numbers entirely, and de-identify where you can.

Will AI replace bookkeepers in Australia?

AI is taking over a lot of transaction coding, invoice capture and first-draft reporting, but someone still has to check the ledger, deal with exceptions, talk to clients and sign off. The role is shifting towards review, advisory and client management rather than disappearing.

Does APES 110 say anything about artificial intelligence?

Yes. Technology-related revisions effective from 1 January 2025 clarify how the fundamental principles apply when members rely on technology, including AI. Members must keep professional competence, apply due care, protect confidentiality and remain responsible for professional judgement, even when a tool produced the draft.

Which AI tool should a small practice start with?

Start with the AI already in your core software: Xero JAX if you are a Xero practice, Copilot if you run on Microsoft 365. That avoids new data flows. Add a general assistant like Claude or ChatGPT on a business plan for drafting and research once your policy is in place.

Is AI output reliable enough for tax advice?

Not on its own. General AI tools can misstate thresholds, cite outdated rulings or invent references. Treat any output as a starting point, check it against ATO and legislative sources, and document your own reasoning. The registered agent remains accountable for the advice given.

AI tools for other industries

AI set up properly for accountants and bookkeepers

AI Lab Australia connects these tools to your practice software and documents, with the privacy and professional obligations covered before anything goes live.

Talk to AI Lab Australia Browse all AI tools