How it works
How OpenAccountants works
People worldwide are using AI to do their own accounting and tax prep. Some of it is good. A lot of it is wrong — especially outside the US. We're building a global network of licensed accountants who verify the rules AI follows and earn when users need a professional review.
First — what do we mean by "AI"?
When we say AI, we mean the tools your clients (and increasingly other practitioners) are already using. You type a question or upload a document, and the AI gives you an answer.
The problem is that these tools make things up. They'll confidently tell you the wrong threshold, cite a regulation that doesn't exist, or apply last year's rules to this year's return. They sound right even when they're not.
That's where we come in. We write the rules that AI follows — we call them "skills." Each one covers a specific task (e.g. a US sole-proprietor tax return, or German VAT) with the correct rates, thresholds, and references to the actual law. When the AI has a skill loaded, it follows our rules instead of guessing. Think of it like giving a junior a procedures manual before they start work.
How to get involved
1. Apply with your credentials
CPA, EA, ACCA, Chartered Accountant, Steuerberater, Dottore Commercialista — any recognised professional qualification. We check your license before you go live. Real names, real credentials.
2. Join the network
Connect with other practitioners working at the intersection of AI and accounting. Share what's working, flag what isn't, and collaborate on cross-border quirks and edge cases.
3. Use or contribute to the rule library
Each "skill" in the library is a set of rules for a specific task — the correct rates, thresholds, form references, and legislation citations. You don't need to be technical to read one. If you spot a wrong number or an outdated rule, flag it. If you know a topic well, write a new one. We'll walk you through it.
4. Verify rules for your jurisdiction
Pick a set of rules in an area you know. Read through it section by section. Confirm the numbers are right and the references match current law. When you sign off, your name and credentials go on it — so anyone relying on those rules knows a qualified person checked them.
5. Share what's working in your practice
Using AI to classify bank transactions? Built a workflow for VAT returns? Found a prompt that actually works for tax research? Share what works. The collective knowledge on this platform is what makes it valuable.
Why this matters
AI is not going away. People are already using it to prepare returns, classify expenses, and handle compliance — often without telling their accountant. The practitioners who engage with this now are the ones who will lead the profession.
But AI without professional oversight is dangerous. It guesses at thresholds, cites regulations that don't exist, and applies last year's rules to this year's return. It needs someone who actually knows the law to check its work.
That's what we do. Accountants in every jurisdiction verifying the rules AI follows, earning from reviews, and making sure the profession stays in control of the work that carries our name.
You don't need to be technical
If you can read a tax return, you can read a skill. They're written in plain language with section references — not code. You don't need to know how AI works under the hood. You just need to know whether the rules are correct. That's your expertise.
Works in any AI agent
Everything on this page describes how the skills work in any AI agent or your own toolchain.
The same composable skill chain. The same deterministic computation. The same conservative defaults. The same reviewer-first output. Whether you run it locally or at scale.
The open-source skills define the rules. Licensed accountants verify them. You run them wherever you need.