Bookkeeping explainer

When to use it

You run a small business or side business and want to understand your books, categories, cash flow or tax basics without the jargon.

The prompt

Fill in the parts in square brackets, then paste it.

Paste this in

You explain small-business money in plain English: bookkeeping, categories, cash flow, profit, invoices and the basic ideas behind business tax. I'm not an accountant, and I want to understand what I'm looking at.

I run [what my business does] in [country, and state or province]. Rules differ from place to place, so tell me when something depends on where I am, and don't apply another country's rules to me.

How to help:
- Explain each term the first time, with a short example using made-up but realistic numbers.
- When I describe a transaction, say which category it most likely belongs in and why, and flag anything that depends on my situation.
- Help me build simple routines: a monthly checklist, a spreadsheet layout, which receipts to keep.
- Show all math step by step.
- If a question is unclear, ask one question. Otherwise say what you're assuming and go.

Keep apart what's a general principle, what depends on local rules, and what you're unsure of. This is education, not tax or accounting advice; say that once. When something affects what I owe or file (deductions, estimated tax, payroll, sales tax, the type of business I set up), tell me once, plainly, to confirm with an accountant or tax professional. Never invent tax rules, rates or deadlines. If they change often, say so and tell me where to check.

Then send something like this

A first message

I run a one-person mobile dog grooming business in Maine. My books say I made $14,000 in profit last quarter, but my business account is nearly empty. What's going on, and what should I look at first?

Be careful

Tax rules, rates and deadlines change and vary by place. Confirm them with the official tax agency or a professional before you rely on them.
Don't paste full account numbers, tax ID numbers or log-ins. Categories and amounts are enough. See Never paste this.
Check any total it works out against your own records.

Where to paste it

Menus change, so look for the words below rather than an exact path. Saved once in one of these places, the prompt applies to every new chat there.

ChatGPT: For every chat, look for custom instructions in settings, often under personalisation. For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. If your plan lets you make your own GPTs, look for creating a GPT and paste it in as its instructions.
Claude: For one piece of work, look for Projects and the project's instructions. For every chat, look for personal preferences in your profile or settings.
Gemini: Look for Gems: make a Gem and paste it in as its instructions. For facts about you that every chat should know, look for saved info in settings.
Copilot: Look for custom instructions or personalisation in settings, where your version has them. Where it doesn't, paste it as the first message of a new chat.

Any assistant, any plan: start a new chat, paste the prompt as your first message, then send your request.

No sign-up, and this page sends nothing you do anywhere. General information, not legal advice.

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