Tools for Accounting

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Which Accounting Tools Work With Claude and ChatGPT via MCP?

By the AI Tools for Accounting team · · Updated

The short answer

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT connect to other software, so they can read live data and take actions there [1]. In October 2026 alone, Digits added write access to its MCP [2], BILL launched an external MCP [5], Financial Cents launched an MCP server for firms [3], on October 22 Dext, Tipalti and Thomson Reuters CoCounsel all announced MCP support [11][12][13], and on October 28 TaxDome released a public API and MCP server for its 15,000+ firms [16]. For accountants, CPA firms, tax professionals and bookkeepers, the practical questions are what the assistant can change, who approves those changes, and which plan or setup you need.

What MCP is, in plain terms

The MCP project describes the protocol as "like a USB-C port for AI applications": one standard way to connect an assistant to data sources, tools and workflows [1]. It says Claude, ChatGPT, Visual Studio Code and Cursor all support MCP [1]. A vendor builds an MCP server for its product, and you connect that server to the AI assistant you already use. Financial Cents puts it this way: an assistant connected over MCP can work with live data "instead of relying on whatever you paste into the chat" [3].

What changed in October 2026

  • October 13: Digits announced Write MCP with Locked Periods. Agents can now recategorize and edit transactions, write journal entries, create and correct bills, draft invoices and update the chart of accounts [2].
  • October 19: BILL said its customers, and the 9 million+ network members with a BILL login, can connect their accounts to AI assistants through BILL's external MCP to ask questions about their BILL financial operations [5].
  • October 20: Financial Cents launched an MCP server on its Scale plan that connects a firm's account to Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI clients [3][4].
  • October 22: Dext rolled out a read-only AI Connector for Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot [11], Tipalti announced MCP capabilities alongside a new AP Agent [12], and Thomson Reuters said the next version of CoCounsel for tax, audit and accounting supports MCP natively [13].
  • October 28: TaxDome released a public API and an MCP server that firms can connect to Claude, ChatGPT and other assistants, rolling out to all TaxDome firms over the coming weeks after a beta with more than 200 firms [16].

What each tool's MCP does

  • Digits says its MCP is free and connects to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor and any MCP-compatible tool [2]. Write tools cover transactions, bills, invoices and the chart of accounts, and an agent only sees the write tools its Digits role allows [2]. Digits says it first launched its MCP in April, and that firms have used it with Claude for close flowcharts, 13-week cash flow forecasts and budget-versus-actual reporting [2].
  • BILL says users can ask questions about their BILL financial operations and get answers in one AI chat window, with setup instructions on developer.bill.com [5]. The announcement describes questions and answers; it does not list write actions [5]. BILL also announced a hub to monitor the actions BILL AI has taken and switch AI tools on or off [5].
  • Financial Cents says that, within the user's own permissions, its MCP can view and update clients, projects, tasks and time; view invoices, payments, proposals and files; upload files; read and send client chat; and create or update service items [3]. It lists Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor, VS Code and other remote MCP clients [3].
  • HubSync says its MCP server lets Microsoft Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT connect to a firm's engagement data, documents and workflows, protected by the same logins and permissions staff already use in HubSync [6].
  • TaxDome says its MCP server lets a firm ask which jobs are overdue, get briefed on a client before a call or set up a new client from an email, and its public API gives read and write access to keep TaxDome in sync with other tools [16]. Firm owners decide who can use them and, for each area of TaxDome, whether a connection can read only or also make changes [16].
  • Uku, practice management software for accounting firms, says its MCP server gives Claude, ChatGPT (in developer mode) and Claude Code 88 tools across 17 areas of Uku, such as tasks, time, clients, invoicing and BI reports [19]. Uku says 40 of the tools only read data, 48 change something, 43 of those show a preview and wait for confirmation, and the 32 that touch money need a separate consent; access uses an OAuth sign-in and the person's own Uku permissions [19].
  • ModernPM, practice management for CPA firms with 50 or more employees, says its MCP server runs on its public API with OAuth 2.1 sign-in and scoped permissions [20].
  • Firm360, all-in-one practice management for accounting firms, has a Claude connector in limited beta for firms with an active Firm360 subscription and a Claude.ai Pro or Team plan [23]. It is read-only and answers questions about WIP, realization, write-ups and write-downs, overdue invoices and client profitability, with Firm360 role permissions carried over [23][24].
  • MyPract, AI-native practice management for accounting, audit and tax firms, runs a remote MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT with an OAuth sign-in to one workspace [25]. A connection can be read-only (14 tools) or read and write (12 more tools) [25].
  • Grove, an AI tax workflow platform, has an MCP server in beta for Claude, Codex or Cursor. Its Checklist MCP is live and lets an assistant upload Lacerte and Drake backups and pull per-return document checklists, with Workpapers, Questionnaire and Delivery MCPs to follow; access is by invite [17].
  • CountingWorks PRO works in the other direction. Its fall 2026 release added external MCP connections so its own AI, MAX, can work with other software a firm uses, with Gmail and Zoom given as examples [7]. It says more connections will be added over time and does not publish a full list [7].
  • Dext says its AI Connector gives Claude, ChatGPT and Copilot read-only, permission-aware access to Dext data, for Dext Advanced partners in the US, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand [11].
  • Tipalti says its MCP connects Tipalti AP and payments data to enterprise AI tools such as Claude Enterprise [12].
  • CoCounsel is the AI assistant itself rather than a data source. Thomson Reuters says the new version supports MCP natively and integrates with UltraTax, Engagement Manager and Guided Assurance [13].
  • Numbers Game is an MCP server built for firms, connecting the firm's own Claude or ChatGPT to client QuickBooks Online and Xero companies. It can read and write invoices, bills, journal entries and more, run reports and reconciliations, and holds every write for a person to approve [14].
  • Xero publishes an open source Xero MCP Server on GitHub under its XeroAPI account, covering contacts, the chart of accounts and invoices [8]. It needs a Xero developer account with API credentials and Node.js, and the README shows setup for Claude Desktop through a custom connection [8].
  • QuickBooks Online has a QuickBooks Online MCP Server on Intuit's GitHub account [9]. It says it offers full create, read, update and delete operations for 29 entity types and 11 financial reports, runs locally on the developer's or partner's machine, and requires an app registered on the Intuit Developer Portal [9].

Who approves what the AI changes

  • Locked periods: in Digits, once a period is locked, every edit by a user or agent goes to a proposal and review queue, and admins or managers approve it [2].
  • Confirmation and no deletes: Financial Cents says the AI client asks you to confirm before any change, and deletes are not available over its MCP [3].
  • Existing permissions: Digits, Financial Cents, HubSync, TaxDome and Uku each say a connection can only see or do what the user's own role or permissions allow [2][3][6][16][19].
  • Read-only or read and write, per area: TaxDome lets firm owners choose, for each area of TaxDome, whether a connection can only read or also make changes [16].
  • Preview, then confirm: Uku says its tools that change data show a preview and wait for confirmation, and tools that touch money need a separate consent [19].
  • Read-only by design: Dext describes its AI Connector as read-only [11], and so does Firm360 for its Claude connector [24].
  • Hard limits for agents: MyPract logs every change with the agent's name and sends deletes to Trash, and agents cannot permanently delete, approve time, change period locks, rate rules, roles, settings or billing, or send email [25].
  • Proposals, not direct writes: Numbers Game says every write is proposed for human approval, and it cannot delete QuickBooks Online records, initiate payments or touch payroll filings [14].
  • Switches for write tools: the QuickBooks Online MCP Server has settings that turn off its create, update or delete tools [9].
  • Treat output as unverified: Financial Cents advises treating anything an assistant summarizes as unverified until you check it in Financial Cents, and reviewing actions before approving them, especially anything financial [3].

What it costs

  • Digits: the MCP is free [2]. See our Digits listing for plan pricing.
  • Financial Cents: the MCP is on the Scale plan [3], which is $69 per user/month billed annually, or $89 per user/month billed monthly on an annual agreement [10].
  • Dext: the AI Connector is included for Dext Advanced partners at no additional cost [11].
  • TaxDome: MCP and API access are in the AI add-on, $200 a month for the whole team with no per-seat pricing, per its pricing page on November 2, 2026 [18].
  • Uku: the MCP server and API are on the Elite plan, $48 per member/month billed annually or $62 billed monthly, with a 14-day Elite trial and no credit card [21].
  • ModernPM: pricing is $450 to $650 per user a year depending on firm size, with a 50-employee minimum; its pricing page does not give a separate price for MCP [22].
  • Firm360: the Claude connector is available on the Premium plan [28], $99/month based on annual billing with a 3 user minimum [26]. The Claude connector beta also needs a Claude.ai Pro or Team plan [24].
  • MyPract: US plans are $189/year for up to 5 users, then $49 or $39 per user/year, with a 3-month free trial and no card; the pages we checked do not give a separate price for MCP [27].
  • Numbers Game: plans start at $149/month for 3 connection credits, with unlimited team seats and a 14-day free trial [15].
  • BILL, HubSync, CountingWorks PRO, Tipalti and CoCounsel: the announcements and pages we checked do not give a separate price for MCP access [5][6][7][12][13].
  • Xero and QuickBooks Online: both MCP servers are free to download from GitHub, but they need a Xero or QuickBooks Online company and developer app credentials [8][9].

How to evaluate an MCP connection

  • Read or write? Ask whether the assistant can only answer questions or can also change records, and test write actions on a sandbox or demo company first.
  • Where does approval happen? Look for review queues, locked periods or confirm-before-change prompts like the ones Digits and Financial Cents describe [2][3].
  • Whose permissions apply? Connect with a user role scoped to what the assistant needs, since the vendors above tie access to the connecting user's permissions [2][3][6].
  • Who sees the data? An MCP connection sends records to the AI assistant you connect, so check that assistant's data retention and training terms against your firm's client confidentiality policy.
  • Hosted or self-run? Financial Cents uses one server URL and an OAuth sign-in [3], while the Xero and QuickBooks Online servers are run by your own team or developer [8][9].

For more tools by job, see the Practice Management and Client Workflow and AI Bookkeeping and Categorization categories, our best practice management software for CPA firms guide, and QuickBooks Online vs Xero.

FAQ

What is MCP in accounting software? MCP is an open standard that connects AI assistants such as Claude and ChatGPT to other software [1]. An accounting tool with an MCP server lets an assistant read your data in that tool and, where allowed, make changes.

Can ChatGPT or Claude post journal entries? Through Digits' Write MCP, an agent can write journal entries, and edits in a locked period wait for an admin or manager to approve them [2]. The QuickBooks Online MCP Server also lists create and update operations [9].

Can an AI assistant work across many client QuickBooks Online files at once? Numbers Game connects one firm's Claude or ChatGPT to multiple client QuickBooks Online and Xero companies, scoped per company, with writes held for approval [14][15].

Which practice management tools have an MCP? TaxDome, Financial Cents, HubSync, Uku, ModernPM and MyPract offer MCP servers, and Firm360 has a read-only Claude connector. TaxDome's is rolling out to all firms from October 28, 2026 in its $200-a-month AI add-on [16][18], Financial Cents' is on the Scale plan [3], HubSync's connects Copilot, Claude and ChatGPT [6], Uku's is on the Elite plan [19][21], ModernPM's is for firms of 50+ employees [20][22], MyPract's can be read-only or read and write [25], Firm360's connector is in limited beta on its Premium plan [24][28], and CountingWorks PRO added external MCP connections for its MAX AI [7].

Is there an MCP for tax preparation software? Yes, in beta. Grove's Checklist MCP lets Claude, Codex or Cursor upload Lacerte and Drake backups and pull per-return document checklists, by invite [17], and CoCounsel's new version supports MCP natively alongside UltraTax [13].

Sources

  1. Model Context Protocol, "What is the Model Context Protocol (MCP)?": https://modelcontextprotocol.io/docs/getting-started/intro
  2. Digits, "Agentic Accounting With Confidence: Introducing Write MCP and Locked Period Controls" (October 13, 2026): https://digits.com/blog/write-mcp/
  3. Financial Cents MCP: https://financial-cents.com/mcp/
  4. CPA Practice Advisor, "Financial Cents Rolls Out MCP Server for Accounting Firms" (October 20, 2026): https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/20/financial-cents-rolls-out-mcp-server-for-accounting-firms/192046/
  5. BILL, "BILL Launches New Suite of AI Capabilities to Put Finance Teams in Control of AI and Protect Every Dollar" (October 19, 2026): https://www.bill.com/press-release/bill-launches-new-suite-of-ai-capabilities
  6. HubSync Halo: https://hubsync.com/solutions/halo
  7. CountingWorks PRO, "MAX is becoming the AI operating layer for your firm": https://www.countingworkspro.com/blog/max-is-becoming-the-ai-operating-layer-for-your-firm
  8. Xero MCP Server (GitHub): https://github.com/XeroAPI/xero-mcp-server
  9. QuickBooks Online MCP Server (GitHub): https://github.com/intuit/quickbooks-online-mcp-server
  10. Financial Cents pricing: https://financial-cents.com/pricing/
  11. CPA Practice Advisor, "Dext Rolls Out AI Connector" (October 22, 2026): https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/22/dext-rolls-out-ai-connector/192256/
  12. CPA Practice Advisor, "Tipalti Unveils New AP Agent, MCP Capabilities" (October 22, 2026): https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/22/tipalti-unveils-new-ap-agent-mcp-capabilities/192262/
  13. CPA Practice Advisor, "Thomson Reuters Releases Next Version of CoCounsel for Tax, Audit and Accounting Pros" (October 22, 2026): https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/22/thomson-reuters-releases-next-version-of-cocounsel-for-tax-audit-and-accounting-pros/192280/
  14. Numbers Game, QuickBooks and Xero MCP: https://www.numbersgame.xyz/quickbooks-xero-mcp.html
  15. Numbers Game pricing: https://www.numbersgame.xyz/#pricing
  16. CPA Practice Advisor, "TaxDome Releases Public API and MCP Server for AI Agents and Developers" (October 28, 2026): https://www.cpapracticeadvisor.com/2026/10/28/taxdome-releases-public-api-and-mcp-server-for-ai-agents-and-developers/
  17. Grove, MCP for Tax: https://grove.tax/mcp/
  18. TaxDome pricing: https://taxdome.com/pricing
  19. Uku MCP: https://getuku.com/mcp/
  20. ModernPM MCP: https://www.modernpm.com/mcp
  21. Uku pricing: https://getuku.com/pricing/
  22. ModernPM pricing: https://www.modernpm.com/pricing
  23. PR Newswire, "Firm360 Launches Claude Connector for Accounting Practice Management" (June 2, 2026): https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/firm360-launches-claude-connector-for-accounting-practice-management-302787873.html
  24. Firm360, Claude connector: https://www.myfirm360.com/blog/firm360-claude-connector/
  25. MyPract, "Connect Claude or ChatGPT to MyPract" (MCP): https://www.mypract.com/blog/connect-claude-chatgpt-to-mypract-mcp
  26. Firm360 pricing: https://www.myfirm360.com/pricing/
  27. MyPract US pricing: https://www.mypract.com/us/pricing
  28. Firm360, "What's New in Firm360: Summer 2026 Feature Update": https://www.myfirm360.com/blog/whats-new-firm360-summer-2026/

Last checked: 2026-11-04

Tools in this article

  • Digits

    AI-native accounting platform with automated bookkeeping and real-time financial dashboards.

    AI Bookkeeping & Categorization · Essentials $65/mo, Core $100/mo, Pro $250/mo (Pro marked Coming soon on the pricing page); no per-seat fees; 30-day free trial. Firms are priced per client account, with free firm books.

  • BILL

    Accounts payable, receivable and spend management platform for SMBs and accounting firms.

    AP & Invoice Automation · Accounts Payable & Receivable: Essentials $49, Team $65 and Corporate $89 per user/month; Enterprise custom pricing; Spend & Expense $0 per user/month; per-transaction fees apply, such as $0.59 per ACH payment and $1.99 per mailed check (per BILL's pricing page)

  • Financial Cents

    Workflow and practice management software for small accounting firms.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Solo $19/month (single-user firms); Team $49 and Scale $69 per user/month billed annually, or $69 and $89 per user/month billed monthly on an annual agreement (minimum 5 users); Enterprise custom, contact sales; 14-day free trial; Month-End Close add-on $5 per client/month billed annually, on any plan (per Financial Cents' pricing page)

  • HubSync

    Client engagement and tax workflow platform for CPA firms, with Halo AI agents from engagement letter to e-file.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Pricing not published, contact vendor

  • CountingWorks PRO

    Client-facing growth platform for tax and accounting firms: website, marketing, client portal and MAX AI skills.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Starter $150/month, Grow $200/month, Premier $300/month and Premier Plus $500/month, or 10% off billed annually ($1,620, $2,160, $3,240 and $5,400 per year). Every plan includes MAX Skills and Automations with 10,000 to 250,000 MAX credits per month; extra credit packs start at $49 (per CountingWorks PRO's pricing page)

  • Xero

    Cloud accounting for small businesses and their accountants, with the JAX AI agent built in.

    Core Accounting & ERP · US plans: Early $27/mo, Growing $59/mo, Established $97/mo (per Xero's US pricing page). Global USD plans (Starter, Standard, Premium) increase from November 1, 2026.

  • QuickBooks Online

    Intuit's cloud accounting for small businesses, with Intuit Assist AI built in.

    Core Accounting & ERP · Simple Start $38/mo, Essentials $85/mo, Plus $140/mo, Advanced $340/mo (per Intuit's pricing page); Essentials, Plus and Advanced prices changed for renewals on or after August 1, 2026.

  • Dext

    Receipt and invoice capture plus bank-feed tools for bookkeepers.

    Document Capture & AI Assistants · 14-day free trial

  • Tipalti

    Global payables automation covering supplier onboarding, invoice processing and mass payments.

    AP & Invoice Automation · Pricing not published, contact vendor

  • CoCounsel (Thomson Reuters)

    Thomson Reuters' generative AI assistant for tax, audit and legal professionals.

    Income Tax · CoCounsel Tax Essentials: $1,300.00/year for 1 user (per Thomson Reuters' plans page, checked Oct 18, 2026). Online pricing is available for tax and accounting firms with up to 10 users; larger firms contact sales. The Tax Research add-on is priced per user.

  • Numbers Game

    MCP server that connects Claude and ChatGPT to an accounting firm's client books in QuickBooks Online and Xero, with every write proposed for human approval.

    AI Bookkeeping & Categorization · Starter $149/month (3 connection credits), Growth $299/month (7), Scale $799/month (30), Enterprise by quote; unlimited team seats; 14-day free trial

  • TaxDome

    All-in-one practice management, client portal and billing for tax and accounting firms.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · From $1,500 a year for 150 active clients; priced per active client in volume bands and billed annually upfront, with 20 seats included (for example $4,125 a year for 400 active clients); AI add-on (AI tax return delivery, AI document organization, MCP and API) $200 a month; existing customers move to this pricing at their first renewal on or after January 1

  • Grove

    AI tax workflow platform for tax preparers that runs client intake, document checklists, workpapers, AI return prep and 8879 delivery, with returns landing in ProConnect, Lacerte or Drake.

    Income Tax · Pricing not published as a price list: the platform is billed per return with no commitment, or as one flat price for unlimited clients and returns billed annually or monthly, quoted on a pricing call; the AI Prep add-on is priced per prepared return (pre-purchase and save 10%)

  • Uku

    Practice management for accounting firms with recurring workflows, time tracking, CRM, client portal, billing and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Solo $19/month billed annually or $25 monthly (1 member, 20 active clients); Team $38, Elite $48 and Enterprise $88 per member/month billed annually, or $49, $62 and $99 billed monthly. The MCP server and API v3 are on Elite. 14-day trial of the full Elite plan with no credit card. Optional onboarding packages: $700 for up to 4 members, $2,000 for up to 15, with the first 90 minutes free (per Uku's pricing page)

  • ModernPM

    Practice management for CPA firms with 50+ employees: projects, time, WIP, billing, payments, AI assistance and an MCP server.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · $450 to $650 per user/year depending on firm size; $650 for 50 to 100 employees, $600 for 101 to 250, $550 for 251 to 500, $500 for 501 to 1,000 and $450 for 1,000+. Minimum 50 employees; year 1 SaaS paid upfront; auto-renewing six-month agreements with 90 days' notice to cancel; upfront fees depend on integrations and training; about 12 weeks of onboarding (per ModernPM's pricing page)

  • Firm360

    All-in-one practice management for accounting firms with projects, a client portal, e-signature, time and billing, Stripe payments, QuickBooks Online sync and a read-only Claude connector.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Basic $49/month (no user minimum), Standard $79/month (3 user minimum), Premium $99/month (3 user minimum), based on annual billing; custom pricing over 20 users. Premium adds the AI Connector, AutoPrep Tax Automation, unlimited e-signature licenses, Zapier and a dedicated customer success manager; Standard includes 1 e-signature license and e-signature is an extra fee on Basic (per Firm360's pricing page)

  • MyPract

    AI-native practice management for accounting, audit and tax firms with engagements, time approvals, invoicing, a client portal, a built-in AI assistant and an MCP server for Claude and ChatGPT.

    Practice Management & Client Workflow · Startup $189/year flat for up to 5 users; Growing $49 per user/year up to 30 users; Enterprise $39 per user/year above 30; billed annually by card in USD with no automatic renewal. One-time $99 setup fee for teams up to 14 users (waived if you upgrade during the trial). 3-month free trial with no card that never converts automatically (per MyPract's US pricing page)