A website chatbot for CPA, bookkeeping and tax prep firms
Written by the Allinaa team · Updated
Between February and April, a small tax practice answers the same questions all day: "What do I need to bring?", "Can I drop off documents Saturday?", "Do you do multi-state returns?", "Are you taking new clients?" An Allinaa assistant answers those from your firm's approved information, so your staff can spend the season preparing returns instead of repeating checklists.
Tax season: the same questions hundreds of times
Look at the questions your front desk logged last season and you will find a short list repeated over and over:
- Which documents to bring for an individual return, a rental property or a small business
- How to get documents to you: drop-off box, mail, your client portal
- Whether you are still taking new clients, and until when
- How fees are set (by form, by complexity, flat for simple returns)
- Whether you file extensions, and what that means for the client
- Your hours during the season, including evenings and Saturdays
Write each answer once and the assistant repeats it consistently. For dates, use the deadlines you publish and update them each year; the assistant does not look up tax calendars on its own.
Document checklists and drop-off instructions from your pages
If you already have a "what to bring" checklist, it belongs in the knowledge word for word. Split it by client type so the assistant can ask a short clarifying question first ("Is this for a personal return, or for a business?") and then answer with the right list. The assistant knows which page the visitor is viewing, so on your business services page it starts with business documents.
Never in chat: Social Security numbers, tax IDs, bank details
This rule should be explicit, in the greeting and in the knowledge:
Please don't send Social Security numbers, tax ID numbers, bank account details or tax documents in this chat. Use our secure client portal or bring documents to the office.
The request form has a name (optional), an e-mail address or phone number and free-text boxes for the request, with the visitor's permission to be contacted. It has no field for identification numbers, but a visitor can type anything into a free-text box, so the greeting should ask people not to. Keep the widget off your client portal: it skips addresses with a path segment such as portal, account or login, but it reads the visible text of any other page it is loaded on, including a logged-in page at an address like /client-area/. Even on Premium, where visitors can upload files, tax documents should go through your own portal rather than the chat. See chatbot privacy basics.
No tax advice: what the assistant says instead
"Can I deduct my home office?" "Should I take the standard deduction?" "Do I owe tax on crypto?" These need a preparer who knows the client's situation. Configure the assistant to decline and offer a consultation: "That depends on your situation, and I can't give tax advice. Our preparers can answer it in a consultation. Would you like to request one?" AI answers can be wrong, so test this boundary with a handful of tax questions before you go live.
New-client inquiries for bookkeeping, payroll and business returns
Business clients are often the most valuable inquiries. The assistant asks up to three short clarifying questions, one at a time: entity type (sole proprietor, LLC, S-corp), approximate number of employees for payroll, whether the books are current, and the services they need. Then it captures the inquiry. You get an e-mail, the prospect gets a confirmation, and the request appears in your inquiry inbox with a status and private notes. Allinaa does not connect to accounting or practice management software.
After April: off-season questions
The website doesn't go quiet after the filing deadline. Typical off-season questions are about extensions and the October deadline, IRS or state letters ("I got a notice, can you help?"), quarterly estimated payments, bookkeeping clean-ups and year-end planning. Update the knowledge in May so the assistant stops talking about drop-off hours that no longer apply. On Standard, up to 2 hours a month of knowledge updates by the Allinaa team are included. See seasonal peaks.
Illustrative conversation
Visitor: I sold some stock and I have a rental now. What do I need to bring?
Assistant: For a personal return with investments and a rental, please bring your W-2s or 1099s, the 1099-B from your brokerage, and for the rental, the income received, expenses, and the closing statement if you bought it this year. The full checklist is on our "What to bring" page. Please don't share account numbers or SSNs here.
Visitor: Will I have to pay tax on the stock?
Assistant: That depends on your situation, and I can't give tax advice. One of our preparers can go over it with you. Would you like to request an appointment?
Illustrative example, not a real conversation.
See also regulated industries and insurance agencies.
Questions owners ask
Can clients send tax documents through the chatbot?
They shouldn't. Configure the assistant to send documents to your secure client portal or office. The chat should never collect SSNs, tax IDs or bank details.
Will the chatbot answer tax questions?
No. It declines tax-advice questions and offers a consultation request instead.
Does it know this year's filing deadlines?
Only the dates you publish in its knowledge. Update them each season.
Can it handle new business clients?
Yes. It asks a few clarifying questions, such as entity type and services needed, and captures an inquiry for your team.