Get Assistant

For accounting and bookkeeping firms

Every March, the phone rings louder than the office

Get Assistant answers your line while your preparers are heads-down in returns, asks whether a caller is a sole proprietor, an S corp or a partnership, and logs the reason for calling so your team opens the day already knowing who needs a callback first.

  • Answers calls 24/7
  • Logs entity type
  • No return figures discussed
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For iPhone · Set up your business line in minutes

Why it matters

What the phone costs accounting and bookkeeping firms

The busiest weeks are also the loudest phone weeks

Extension deadlines and W-2 season stack new-client calls on top of existing clients wanting a status update, and a preparer answering the phone is a preparer not finishing a return.

An IRS notice call needs calm handling, not a voicemail beep

A client who just opened a certified letter is rattled. A message box that clicks and hangs up does nothing for them and nothing for your reputation.

New-client calls arrive with no context

A caller says 'I need help with my taxes' and hangs up confused when asked what kind of entity they run. The intake questions get asked the same way every time here.

Common calls

The calls it handles

Each is answered from the business knowledge you configure and lands as a call record, with a message or an appointment request alongside it.

New-client inquiry
Entity type — sole proprietor, S corp, partnership, or personal only — along with the service needed is captured before a callback is scheduled.
IRS or state notice received
The caller is asked what type of notice they received and by when a response is due, without discussing figures from the notice itself.
Existing client status check
"Is my return done yet?" is logged as a message with the client's name and the return type, routed to whoever is handling that file.
Document and portal questions
Trouble uploading a 1099 or logging into the client portal is captured as a support request rather than left unanswered.
Extension and deadline questions
Callers asking whether an extension was filed or when a deadline falls are noted for a preparer to confirm directly.
Bookkeeping cleanup requests
Businesses behind on reconciliations describe how far behind and which software they use, logged as a scoping request.

A realistic call

How a call actually goes

Tuesday, 1:15pm during extension season. A caller just opened an IRS letter.

  1. ReceptionistThanks for calling, this is the firm's receptionist. How can I help?
  2. CallerI just got a letter from the IRS and I'm honestly kind of panicking.
  3. ReceptionistI understand — let's get this to the right person quickly. What type of notice is it, if it says on the letter?
  4. CallerIt's a CP2000, something about unreported income.
  5. ReceptionistGot it. Is there a response deadline printed on the letter?
  6. CallerYes, it says 30 days from the date on the notice, which was last week.
  7. ReceptionistThank you — I won't ask about the figures on the notice itself, a preparer will go through that with you directly.
  8. CallerThat's fine, I just don't want to miss the deadline.
  9. ReceptionistI've logged that for the team to review, marked as time-sensitive. Is there anything else I should add?
  10. CallerNo, that covers it.
  11. ReceptionistSomeone will call you back today given the deadline. Thanks for your patience.

What gets captured

What ends up in your dashboard

  • Caller name and callback number
  • Whether the caller is an existing client or a new inquiry
  • Entity type for new inquiries — sole proprietor, S corp, partnership, individual
  • Type of IRS or state notice and any stated response deadline
  • Which service is being asked about — tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll, or advisory
  • Software in use for bookkeeping cleanup requests
  • Preferred callback time and any deadline pressure mentioned

How it works

Evenings, weekends and overflow

Tax season calls do not wait for office hours, and neither do the clients calling at 8pm after finding a notice in the mail. Forward your line after hours or during peak weeks and Get Assistant keeps answering, logging entity type, notice details and deadlines so your team opens each morning with a sorted list instead of a blinking voicemail count.

Two ways to forward

Forward every call, or use conditional forwarding from your carrier so only unanswered and after-hours calls reach your Get Assistant number.

Setup and forwarding FAQs

Limitations

What it will not do

These limits are deliberate, and they are the same on every call.

  • It never gives tax advice or interprets what a notice means for the caller's situation — that stays with a licensed preparer.
  • It never discusses figures, balances, or numbers from a return or notice over the phone.
  • It never takes a Social Security number or EIN over the phone; those are collected through your secure intake process.
  • On every plan, if you've set up call transfer, your receptionist can ask the caller and then attempt a warm transfer to the preparer handling that client's file during the hours you choose. If nobody picks up, it takes a message and a callback number instead.
  • It does not file anything with the IRS or a state agency, and it does not confirm filing deadlines have been met.
  • If a caller describes an emergency unrelated to accounting, it directs them to call 911 rather than treating it as a firm matter.

Call records may reference sensitive financial topics like notices and entity structure, so limit dashboard access to staff who need it. Calls are recorded and transcribed by default. Privacy Policy and Terms.

FAQs

Accounting and bookkeeping firms questions

Setup, billing and security are covered in the general FAQs.

Will it discuss numbers from my tax return with a caller?
No. It never discusses figures, balances, or specific line items from a return or notice. It captures the type of notice and the deadline, then hands the conversation to a preparer.
Can it tell new callers what our fees are?
Only if you configure pricing language yourself as part of your business knowledge. Otherwise it logs the inquiry and lets someone on your team quote directly.
Does it collect Social Security numbers or EINs?
No, it never takes an SSN or EIN over the phone. Those details are collected through the secure intake channel you already use.
How does it handle the flood of calls during extension deadlines?
It answers every incoming call in parallel rather than putting callers on hold, logging entity type, notice details and urgency so your preparers triage in minutes instead of returning voicemails one at a time.

Get through extension season without losing new-client calls

Set up your intake questions and notification rules in about fifteen minutes, then let tax-season calls get answered while you finish returns.

Download on theApp Store

For iPhone · Set up your business line in minutes