The hard part of an accounting firm's procedures is not the software. It is the sentence that starts "for this client we always..." and ends somewhere only a senior bookkeeper knows.
Which client workflows do accounting firms document first?
Start with work that repeats every month or every season and changes from client to client. Each item below lists the decision points a useful SOP has to cover.
- Client onboarding. Setting up the client file, access to their accounting system and bank feeds, and the engagement checklist. Decision points: which services are in scope, who at the client approves what, and which accounts the firm can see.
- Bank feeds and reconciliation. Categorizing transactions and reconciling accounts. Decision points: the client's standing rules for recurring transactions, what to do with a transaction nobody recognizes, and when a reconciliation difference is escalated instead of adjusted.
- Month-end close. The close checklist for each client. Decision points: which accruals and reclasses this client needs, which reports go out and to whom, and what counts as done.
- Payroll runs. Entering hours, reviewing the register, and submitting. Decision points: how late timesheets are handled, who approves off-cycle checks, and what gets checked before submission.
- Sales tax filings in state portals. Pulling the numbers and filing in each state's portal. Decision points: which states and filing frequencies apply to this client, and what to do when the portal balance does not match the books.
- AP and bill pay. Entering bills and scheduling payments. Decision points: approval thresholds by client, which vendors need a second check before payment, and how disputed bills are held.
- Tax season intake. Collecting documents and setting up the return. Decision points: what is missing, which organizer goes to which client, and when a return waits for one more form.
Why do firm procedures break down?
Every client is an exception. A firm might follow one close checklist in principle, but each client has a few rules that override it. Those rules live in the head of whoever has had the client longest.
Seasonal hires arrive at the worst time. Busy season staff start when the people who could train them have the least time. They learn by interrupting, and every interruption costs the senior person their place in a return.
Clients live in different systems. One client is on QuickBooks Online, another on Xero, a third sends a spreadsheet. The same task looks different in each, so a generic firm manual does not tell anyone what to click.
The best time to write it down is the worst time. Procedures get written in the slow months if at all, and by busy season they are out of date. For a practical plan for new staff, see how to onboard a new back-office hire faster.
What does a client-specific rule look like in an SOP?
This is an illustrative example from a bank feed review. The rule in it belongs to one hypothetical client. It is not accounting advice, and your firm's rules come from your own engagement.
A click log says:
Click the transaction. Select "Owner Draw" from Category. Click Add.
SopWow says:
Categorize transfers to the owner's personal account as owner draws, following this client's standing instruction, even when the memo says "pay". If a transfer goes to an account that is not on the client's setup sheet, leave it uncategorized and add it to this month's client questions instead of guessing. (In this recording: a known account, categorized as an owner draw.)
The first tells a seasonal hire which dropdown you used. The second tells them the rule, and what to do when the rule does not fit.
The rule comes from the person who recorded the task. After the recording, SopWow asks what it could not see, such as why that category was right and what happens on the other branch. Anything the AI added that it did not observe stays flagged until a person keeps or removes it.
How does SopWow help with seasonal staff?
It gets the procedure written before busy season, by the person who already knows it, during work they were doing anyway. The seasonal hire gets a visual guide with screenshots, a Word document, or a PDF for the desk.
On Team and Business plans, the Refine pass adds a glossary for new hires, decision tables, common problems, and a completion checklist, which is close to what a close checklist should have been all along. If you would rather start by hand, the free SOP template with decision points uses the same structure.
Pricing is per finished SOP, not per seat. Adding seasonal staff does not add seat fees, and you pay only for SOPs you approve.
How does SopWow handle client financial data?
The recorder captures which field was used, not the values typed into it. Data with a recognizable shape, such as Social Security numbers, card numbers, emails, phone numbers, and street addresses, is redacted in the browser before text is sent to any AI model, export, or sync.
Screenshots never go to an AI model; they build the visual guide and stay in your workspace. They can still show client names, balances, and account details on screen, and redaction is pattern based, so it can miss unusual ID formats. Every SOP gets a human review, including a redaction check, before approval.
What won't SopWow do for an accounting firm?
It does not give accounting or tax advice. The procedures are your firm's own. SopWow writes down how your team does the work; it does not judge whether the treatment is right.
It only records the browser. Desktop tax software, desktop accounting applications, hosted remote desktop sessions, and paper steps are not captured. Steps outside the browser can be added by hand in review.
It does not integrate with your systems. SopWow records work done in browser-based systems such as QuickBooks Online, Xero, payroll platforms, and state tax portals. It does not connect to them or read their data.
It is not a compliance tool. SopWow does not certify that a procedure meets any law, regulation, or professional standard.
Firms whose clients include advisory practices, lenders, or credit unions can see how financial services back offices document their procedures.
Product names are trademarks of their owners. SopWow is not affiliated with them.
Frequently asked questions
Does SopWow give accounting or tax advice?
No. SopWow documents the procedures your firm already follows. Whether a treatment, filing position, or approval rule is correct is your firm's decision.
Can one SOP cover every client?
One recording is one path. SopWow documents the decision points it asks about, so shared steps stay in one SOP. When a client's rules or systems are different enough, record a separate SOP for that client.
Can SopWow record desktop tax software?
No. The recorder works in Chrome and Edge only. Desktop applications and remote desktop sessions are not captured, though you can add those steps by hand in review.
Does SopWow connect to QuickBooks Online or Xero?
No. It records work done in them in the browser. It does not integrate with them, read their data, or post entries.
Ready to get your close checklist written before busy season?
Record the next reconciliation or sales tax filing you do, and hand the SOP to whoever is starting in January. Your first 3 SOPs are free, with no card required.