Short answer
An AI employee for a tax preparer books appointments, chases missing W-2s, 1099s and receipts, answers "where is my return?" with the status you provide, and sends deadline reminders. Tax advice, return review and signing decisions stay with you. It is built to protect your hours in February and March.
Busy season is a phone and paperwork problem
Tax preparers do not run out of skill in March, they run out of hours. The phone rings every few minutes with the same four questions: Can I come in? What do I bring? Did you get my 1099? Is my refund filed yet? Meanwhile, each return is waiting on one missing form.
Answering those questions is not tax work, but it consumes the time you need for tax work. An AI employee takes the front-line load and leaves you with the returns.
Appointments and the "what do I bring" problem
Oraculo answers your office line and texts, books appointments against your calendar, and sends the right checklist for the client type. A W-2 employee with a mortgage needs a different list than a gig worker with three 1099-NECs and a home office.
- Returning clients. It looks up last year's notes: dependents, rental property, prior-year carryover, preferred contact method.
- New clients. It asks a short set of intake questions, collects prior-year returns, and books a first meeting.
- Reschedules and no-shows. It handles the reshuffle and offers the next open slot.
- Bilingual clients. If your clientele speaks Spanish, see AI bilingual receptionist.
Chasing missing forms
A return stalls when a 1099-B or a 1098 does not show up. Oraculo tracks what each client owes you and reminds them in the way they respond to. Some clients answer text messages; others only email. It remembers.
| Missing item | Typical delay | What Oraculo does |
|---|---|---|
| W-2 from a former employer | Client forgets to ask | Explains where to request it and sets a follow-up date |
| 1099-B from a brokerage | Arrives late in the season | Checks in weekly, tells you when it lands in your inbox |
| Childcare provider details | Never gathered | Sends a short form asking for name, address and tax ID |
| Photo of receipts | Blurry or incomplete | Reads the image, asks for a clearer one if totals are cut off |
| Signed engagement letter | Sits unread | Sends a reminder and the signing link |
It can read PDFs, scans and photos, then drop a summary in the client's file. It does not decide how an item is treated on the return. That is your professional judgment.
Status updates without the phone tag
"Did you file my return?" accounts for a large share of inbound messages once e-file season opens. If you keep a status column in your tax software or a simple spreadsheet, Oraculo can answer from it: received documents, in preparation, awaiting your signature, e-filed, accepted. When the IRS or state acknowledgment arrives, it can let the client know.
It will not predict refund dates or promise outcomes. A message like "Your return was e-filed on the 14th and accepted; the IRS controls refund timing" is accurate and cuts the calls. Tools such as Drake, UltraTax, Lacerte or ProSeries are common in the trade; if your software has an API or a login, Oraculo can usually work with it through its own secure computer. Talk through your setup in the demo.
A sample delegation
A preparer sends this on a Sunday night in February:
"Make a list of every client whose return is waiting on a document. Group by what's missing. Text the ones who prefer text, email the rest, and move anyone who hasn't replied after a week to my 'call personally' list. Also book the three new clients from the web form into Thursday afternoon."
Oraculo builds the list from your tracker, sends tailored reminders, logs responses, creates the call list and puts the new clients on the calendar with the intake checklist. By Monday you have a short report: 18 documents received, 7 still outstanding, 3 clients to call.
What stays with you
- Tax advice and positions. Whether a deduction applies, how to treat a sale, entity choices: yours.
- Return preparation and review. The AI employee does not prepare or sign returns.
- Signing and e-file authorization. Keep signatures and consent steps with you.
- IRS notices and disputes. A notice letter deserves a human reading it first.
- Sensitive identifiers. Decide up front which items, like full Social Security numbers, should never be requested by text or email, and tell Oraculo to direct clients to your secure portal instead.
Review the AI employee security checklist before connecting client folders. You can also require approval before it sends anything beyond routine reminders.
Beyond busy season
In the quiet months, it can email past clients about quarterly estimates, remind self-employed clients of payment dates, and ask for reviews. For bookkeeping-adjacent work, see AI bookkeeping assistant and AI employee for accounting firms.
How Oraculo handles it and what it costs
Delegate through WhatsApp, iMessage, Slack, email, phone or the app; it remembers every client and prior-year note. Setup is $499 one-time with four one-hour Zoom sessions where an engineer connects your calendar, email and files. Starter is $12 per hour of work, six-hour weekly minimum, about $312 a month. Calls are $0.19 a minute and there is a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can test it in a live season.
Book a 20-minute demo and we will walk through your intake and reminder flow.
Key takeaway
For tax preparers, an AI employee reclaims the hours lost to scheduling, checklists and "did you get my form?" messages. Keep advice, return review and signatures with you.
Frequently asked questions
Can an AI employee prepare tax returns?
No, and it should not. It handles scheduling, document collection, reminders and status updates. Preparation, review, tax positions and signing remain with you or your credentialed staff.
Can it tell clients where their refund is?
It can pass along the status you track, such as e-filed or accepted. It should not predict refund dates. Clients who want a precise amount or date are directed to the IRS or state tools or to you.
How does it handle sensitive client information?
Data is encrypted in transit and at rest with role-based, logged access, and never sold or used for ads. You choose what it can reach and can direct clients to your secure portal for sensitive identifiers.
Does it work with Drake or UltraTax?
If the software has an API or a login, Oraculo can usually work with it. Without an API, it operates the screens on its own secure computer. Your setup is confirmed during onboarding.
Is it worth it for a small seasonal practice?
Many preparers use it most in January through April and for deadline reminders the rest of the year. Billing follows a published task-time chart, and the 30-day guarantee lets you test it.