The answer?

AI won’t replace bookkeepers and accountants, but the accounting industry is changing, and it’s changing fast.

AI is revolutionizing the way things are being done by automating repetitive tasks and eliminating critical steps in the workflows previously done by humans.

To stay competitive, professionals must embrace this technology. Those who don’t risk being left behind by accounting firms that harness AI’s potential to deliver faster, smarter services.

Is AI Good Enough to Replace Bookkeepers and Accountants Now?

The short answer is: no.

Artificial intelligence won’t replace bookkeepers and accountants entirely yet.

While AI has become incredibly proficient in automating routine tasks and boosting human efficiency, it still needs human input to work in this space.

AI is currently doing a great job of performing tasks in areas such as:

• Data entry
• Invoice matching
• Transaction categorization
• Financial reporting

Machine learning algorithms are capable of processing huge amounts of financial data fast and finding patterns and anomalies that would take humans hours to spot.

However, these accounting functions aren’t foolproof.

AI tools often struggle with nuance. You might find challenges using AI, for example, in areas such as:

• Interpreting complex tax codes
• Understanding ambiguous entries
• Making judgment calls on sensitive financial strategies

These areas require human expertise, contextual knowledge, and critical thinking that AI can’t replicate.

AI systems also rely on clean, accurate input data to function correctly. Mistakes or incomplete data can lead to errors that require human oversight to resolve.

Lastly, another huge limitation to keep in mind is AI’s inability to build trust with clients.

Financial professionals don’t just crunch numbers—they provide strategic advice, tailored solutions, and emotional reassurance, especially during tough economic times.

These human qualities are irreplaceable.

As of today, AI is merely a tool that complements, rather than replaces, bookkeepers and accountants. You can make it a powerful ally by cutting down time-consuming processes using bookkeeping workflow automation.

However, the industry will continue to rely heavily on human professionals to oversee, interpret, and create strategies around the insights it provides.

Will AI Replace Accountants and Bookkeepers In the Next 5 Years?

While artificial intelligence is changing the accounting world, there is no evidence to suggest that bookkeepers and accountants will be replaced in the next 5 years.

It’s true that the technology is moving fast, but major breakthroughs would be needed to overcome the current limitations of AI in this space.

As of now, AI excels in carrying out the repetitive and time consuming tasks like invoice processing, reconciling accounts, and generating basic financial reports. But these tasks are only a small part of what bookkeepers and accountants do.

Areas such as strategic financial planning and interpreting nuanced situations that can impact a firm financially are areas that AI is yet to perform well in. These accounting jobs won’t be severely impacted.

Also, the current state of AI technology requires vast amounts of clean structured data to work. Inaccurate or incomplete data can prove very costly, especially if it leads to the wrong decision being made.

Human judgment is still needed to identify these issues and make informed decisions that are specific to the client in concern.

It’s important to remember that the role of accountants is evolving and not disappearing. As AI becomes a greater part of the workflow, professionals will need to adapt by learning how to use these AI accounting software to increase their productivity.

For AI to completely replace bookkeepers and accountants, we would need significant advancements in the thinking models of AI to fully and confidently replicate human judgment.

This is a possibility in the distant future. However, it’s not likely to happen in the next five years.

What Can Be Automated by AI?

AI bookkeeping is changing accounting by automating the routine, mundane, time consuming tasks so bookkeepers and accountants can focus on the strategic, high value activities.

Bookkeeping workflow software tools like Keeper have taken automation to the next level with features that make the accounting process more efficient and accurate.

For example, bookkeeping transaction reconciliation is a tedious task AI is good at. Keeper automates the categorization and matching of financial transactions, reducing errors and hours of manual work.

By doing this, accountants can quickly ensure financials are accurate and up to date.

Another useful feature is receipt capture, which eliminates the hassle of paper receipts.

Users can upload receipts via the app and Keeper’s AI will extract and match the data to transactions, so you’re compliant with IRS documentation requirements.

One of Keeper’s newest features is Keeper Research, a tax research tool powered by AI. (This is free to the public: you don’t have to have a Keeper account to use it!)

Available in the app and online, this tool sits within Keeper’s accounting software and is trained on the Internal Revenue Code and IRS publications. You can ask tax questions—like if a business meal is deductible—and get comprehensive, source-cited answers.

By using Keeper Research in their daily workflow, accountants can save hours on tax research while still maintaining accuracy.

Whether it’s answering tough tax questions or confirming regulations, this is a must-have tool to stay ahead in the accounting game.

Automation through accounting software like Keeper is a testament to how AI can support bookkeepers and accountants to deliver faster, more efficient, and more accurate services to all clients.

What Can’t Be Automated by AI?

While AI is great for efficiency and accuracy for routine accounting tasks, there are areas where human expertise can’t be beat in the accounting profession.

These tasks require creativity, empathy, and the nuance that only experienced professionals and account teams can bring where AI outputs cannot compete.

These include:

Human Creativity

• AI can’t replicate the creative solutions accountants and bookkeepers come up with when dealing with unique financial issues.
• For example, when designing a custom tax saving strategy or creating an innovative plan to restructure a business’s finances, human ingenuity is key to getting tailored results.

Client Interactions

• Building trust and relationships is a no-brainer success element in accounting. Clients want reassurance, guidance, and a personal touch when managing their finances.
• While an AI system can help with responses, it can’t replicate the empathy and understanding that human accountants bring to client conversations, especially in difficult times.

Tough Calls

• Financial data needs to be further interpreted in grey areas. For example, deciding how to classify a one off expense or choosing the best long term tax strategy often involves weighing multiple factors.
• AI may give suggestions but lacks the professional judgment and experience to make strategic decisions with context.

High Risk Decisions

• When the stakes are high, like during mergers, acquisitions, or audits, human expertise is required.
• Accountants and bookkeepers are trained to assess risk, present options, and navigate the complexities of these situations with discretion and foresight – something AI can’t do.

Strategic Planning

• AI can crunch data and give insights but it takes human accounting professionals to turn those insights into strategies that align with a client’s objectives.
• Planning for business growth or financial stability requires a level of understanding and foresight that AI doesn’t have.

Will Accountants and Bookkeepers Have to Use AI in the Future?

Yes.

As AI adoption grows across various industries, those in the accounting profession who use it will get ahead.

Using AI automation tools will increase productivity, streamline processes, reduce errors, and improve outcomes for clients. Ignoring AI means falling behind competitors who use it to deliver faster, more accurate, and affordable services.

AI is already changing bookkeeping and accounting with automated transaction categorization, real time data analysis, and intelligent tax research tools.

These let accounting and tax professionals focus on high value tasks like planning, client relationships, and decision making.

Using AI tools like the ones Keeper provides shows that your firm recognizes what is possible in the accounting space and is adapting to it.

By using technological advancements to eliminate the repetitive and mundane elements of work, professionals can then focus on delivering client services and strategic insights while retaining the human touch in the areas that AI can’t help with.

Use Keeper Automation to Improve Your Bookkeeping Workflows

The old adage “time is money” stands true today.

In accounting today, being ahead of the game means using bookkeeping practice management software that saves time and is accurate.

Keeper does just that with automation features that streamline tedious workflows and free up time for higher level tasks.

Here’s a quick recap on how Keeper can make a difference to the accounting profession:

• Use automated transaction reconciliation to make sure your clients’ financial records are accurate and up to date
• Leverage receipt capture to make document management a breeze
• Tap into Keeper Research to take your tax research to the next level

Are you ready to optimize your advisory services and accounting practice today?

Get started with Keeper now!

The post Will AI Replace Bookkeepers and Accountants in 2025? appeared first on Keeper.

But with bookkeeping accounting workflow automation, you can drastically increase your productivity to close the books quicker, while optimizing the client experience. 

What Should You Automate? (And What Should You Not?)

Research has found that most accountants waste much of their time on manual tasks. For perspective, one study that surveyed 250 bookkeepers and accountants found that “56% spend too much time on manual tasks.”

Further, “The survey revealed that, on average, 26-50% of tasks are currently automated. However, when looking to the future, respondents feel this will grow, with 51-75% of tasks predicted to be automated in 10 years.”

These numbers show that bookkeeping workflow automation is fairly well utilized today and can help streamline the accounting process. However, there’s plenty of room for improvement, and widespread implementation should gradually happen over time. 

Getting on board with accounting workflow management automation now should give you an edge over many competitors and make you an in-demand accountant that many business owners seek. 

The question is, what accounting workflow tasks should you automate, and which should you not?

This will vary depending on who you ask, but we feel that most bookkeepers can benefit from automating the following accounting tasks:

• 1099 management
• Notifying clients when they need to complete an action
• Accounting team task management
• Data entry
• Accounting journal entry
• Payroll processing
• Invoice processing
• Expense tracking
• Cash flow tracking
• Bank reconciliation
• Financial reporting

As for tasks that shouldn’t be automated, here are some that immediately come to mind:

• Complex transactions
• Detailed financial analysis
• Giving a client regulatory advice
• In-depth client interactions (on intricate topics that demand one-on-one communication)

The key to designing a successful accounting workflow is identifying where automation should be used and what should be left as a manual process. With that said, here are six automated workflows you can leverage to handle tasks without compromising the client experience. 

1. W-9 Requests and Tracking

If we’re being completely honest, it’s fair to say that requesting W-9s and tracking 1099-eligible vendors is one of the most unpleasant parts of accounting. 

You have to identify who meets the threshold to receive a 1099. Then you have to send a w-9 form and wait for it to be filled out. 

If the client is busy, doesn’t want to contact their past vendors, or overlooks it entirely, this could take a while.

And if there are any issues and you need to request revisions, this can lead to additional back-and-forthing before the process is finalized. Then, you have to update the client info in QuickBooks Online, Xero, or whatever accounting software you use. 

It’s a major pain and a part of accounting that can be a serious time drainer. 

Fortunately, 1099 w-9 requesting and tracking can be largely automated with bookkeeping practice management software like Keeper. With Keeper, you can easily identify who meets the threshold without doing it manually. 

You can conveniently make requests through the Client Portal and keep track of reminders until you get the client information you need.

And when the client information is updated, Keeper will automatically sync it with QuickBooks Online or Xero, with no additional lifting on your end. 

If you’ve ever felt the frustration of gathering W-9s, this is one of the main automated processes you’ll be interested in. 

2. Client Reminders and Notifications

Needless to say, close client communication is a critical part of effective accounting. As a bookkeeper, you must keep clients in the loop and get important information when running your accounting practice.

But at the same time, constantly sending manual client reminders and notifications can eat away at your productivity, making it harder to close the books on time.

That’s why basic client interactions should definitely be part of your automated accounting workflow.

For example, with bookkeeping workflow software, you can conveniently organize and store all of your clients in a single dashboard.

When you need to send a reminder or follow-up, you can create scheduled requests or automated messages, letting a client know about outstanding questions that demand their response.

On the client’s end, they have a single accounting platform to answer questions and view documents. This means they don’t have to bounce around from platform to platform or wonder where to reply to your messages, making their life easier.

That way, you don’t have to spend an exorbitant amount of time on client communication, which helps you to focus on the nuts and bolts of accounting operations. At the same time, this creates a more streamlined experience for the client as well, for a win-win.

3. Bookkeeping Transaction Categorization

Before you can perform financial analysis, identify spending patterns, or make data-driven decisions, you first need to know where funds are coming from and being spent on. The problem is that manual transaction categorization can be incredibly time-consuming, with a high probability of errors. 

But this is yet another area that can be dramatically streamlined with a workflow accounting process. 

Take, for instance, expense inconsistencies. Keeper’s accounting automation management software will automatically highlight transitions that may have been miscoded by comparing expenses against historical client data. 

That way, you can quickly pinpoint potential issues and resolve them without manually having to sift through mountains of data. Once a correction is made, it’s automatically synced to your accounting software, saving even more time. 

And when it comes to uncategorized transactions, you can easily view them in a single location. 

Instead of combing through piles of information, you can quickly fix uncategorized transactions, with all client responses and documentation being automatically saved for quick reference later on. 

If someone in your accounting team needs to see what happened during an audit trail, they can quickly find it. Or if a client wants to see the details, they can easily locate it as well. 

4. Client Financial Reports

Whether it’s budgeting, investing, or strategic planning, helping a client get ahead requires data-driven decision-making. Gaining those necessary insights requires comprehensive, accurate financial reports with detailed accounting data. 

Historically, generating financial reports has been a labor-intensive process. But that’s no longer the case with the right workflow management software. 

A core feature of Keeper, for example, is custom management reporting that provides a comprehensive overview of everything you need to help a client operate at their peak potential. 

From cash on hand to sales to total expenses to spend by category and beyond, Keeper can provide a clear picture of a client’s financial state. 

But it goes much deeper than that. 

Keeper even lets you track custom KPIs that are the most integral to an individual client and create variables using formulas from directly within the platform. 

Whenever client data on QuickBooks Online or Xero is updated, these metrics are simultaneously updated as well. 

In turn, you can generate critical insights without a ton of heavy lifting, and share your findings with clients through user-friendly graphs and charts that are easy to digest. This means a client doesn’t have to be a data scientist to unpack your findings. 

At a glance, they can understand what’s happening and tangibly apply the data to improve their finances moving forward. 

You can even publish a financial report right from the client portal for added efficiency. 

5. Employee Task Management

Equally as important as client communication is team communication. Whatever project you’re working on and the specific task, you need to keep everyone in the loop and prevent critical information from being siloed. 

And if you can do that efficiently without falling down the back-and-forthing trap, that’s even better. 

Keeper — a bookkeeping software for accountants — allows you to do just that. With it, you can create workflow templates, manually assign clients and deadlines, and then watch the work get done. 

Once a task has been assigned, you can track the progress from start to finish, while having a bird’s-eye view of what’s happening with your clients at all times. 

Because workflow templates and one-off tasks are automatically re-applied each month, you can save yourself an extra step so that you can work on more pressing tasks and close the books quicker. 

Besides that, you can automatically send emails out each week to let your team of accounting professionals know about high-priority tasks that are either overdue or will be due soon. 

So if an important task for a particular client needs their urgent attention, they could instantly prioritize it and wrap it up before issues arise. 

6. AI Receipt Management 

Anyone who’s been working in accounting knows how overwhelming receipt management can be. Without a streamlined workflow receipt management system, things can quickly spin out of control. 

In the past, this has mainly been done manually, which can put a damper on productivity. Luckily, cutting-edge AI technology now exists that makes receipt management a breeze, while automating much of the process. 

Here’s how it works. 

First, a client uploads receipts through a client portal, mobile app, text, or email — whatever is most convenient for them. 

Next, the receipt management software pulls the data from uploaded receipts. Using specified rules and AI, it then makes coding suggestions. 

Finally, once the receipt has been edited, it can be posted to a client’s ledger, where a new transaction is automatically created. You can also open the transaction in QuickBooks Online or Xero.

At scale, this workflow automation can be a breakthrough for accounting firms and significantly speed up the monthly close. Not to mention, it simplifies the lives of your clients as well. 

Automate Your Bookkeeping Workflows with Keeper

As we’ve learned, using the right automation workflow processes can have an immense impact on the efficiency of accounting firms. In fact, studies estimate that automating repetitive tasks can increase efficiency by up to 44%.

But is it possible for a bookkeeper to automate all of these tasks through a single workflow management software.

Yes, most definitely. 

Keeper offers robust features that cover every single area mentioned above. From 1099 gathering and client reminders to financial reporting and managing employee tasks, you can tackle everything to help your firm run like a well-oiled machine. 

Note that Keeper is also the first workflow management software that integrates with both QuickBooks Online and Xero. And with countless integrations, you can do everything in one app so that you don’t have to jump around to multiple programs. 

Accounting firms that use Keeper are often able to close the books in half the time. You also pay per client, not per seat, and have a month-to-month contract with no long-term commitment. There’s even a risk-free trial with no credit card required, so you can take it for a spin. 

To learn more about Keeper, book a demo today.

The post 6 Must-Have Bookkeeping and Accounting Workflow Automation Processes appeared first on Keeper.

Client reception and engagement

After REI Bookkeepers introduced Keeper to their clients, the feedback and reception was overwhelmingly positive. “We had 90% of our clients using Keeper’s Client Portal within the first week,” said Greg. Compared to previous portal interfaces which required yet another set of login credentials, Keeper’s use of one-click Google Magic Links proved attractive to their less tech-savvy accounting clients. With enthusiastic support from those clients as well as the bookkeepers who were using the app, Dave was ready to take the leap. “I started to love Keeper, and we decided to go all in.”

Steering clients away from email and onto Keeper has been REI Bookkeepers’ number one priority.  Greg found Keeper’s Client Portal easy and straightforward to use – and his clients agreed. The bookkeeping team also loves the option to set up automated reminders for clients, which get sent twice a week until the client responds to the questions in their portal. Today, all of REI Bookkeepers’ clients are up and running on the new communication system.

“We’ve seen higher response rates across the board, and no one misses the old system of using Google Sheets and sorting through email inboxes.”

Leveraging Keeper as a whole

Keeper has quickly become the single source of truth for Greg and the team. Beyond the overall benefit that the Client Portal provides from a communication standpoint, Greg’s team also relies on the many review tools that Keeper offers.

One of the favorites amongst the team is the uncategorized transaction report. Greg and his bookkeepers no longer have to go through the effort of downloading uncategorized transactions into Excel, tidying up the file, and sending the questions one-by-one via email. Keeper’s two-way integration with QuickBooks gives Greg’s team the ability to mark and edit transactions in the app, and add any questions or comments straight to the Client Portal for his clients to review and respond to.

“Keeper makes it easy for me to do my work where I review my work,” said Greg.

“I would not be able to manage this workload as well as I do without it. Paying to have Keeper on our team is a no-brainer.”

What the future holds for REI Bookkeepers

After buying REI Bookkeepers and assuming the role of CEO, Greg admits that his team has only scratched the surface with Keeper. Their next undertaking is to explore the management reporting packages that Keeper offers. “We still send manual reports out of QuickBooks to do reviews. I am well aware that using Keeper will make our reporting that much more valuable to our clients.”

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