Issue 1: Plain-English AI help and renewing your 2027 PTIN

Hello

Welcome to the very first SI Books, and thank you for signing up. Each week brings one quick thing to try, a step-by-step how-to and the US dates worth knowing. This week: plain-English answers from Google, clearer client emails and your 2027 PTIN.

Clara Hayes, Editor of SI Books

Five-minute win

Google Search: get a plain-English explanation, with links

Go to google.com/ai to open AI Mode. In the "Ask anything" bar, type a question such as: "Explain the difference between cash and accrual accounting in plain English, with one simple example." Then open the links under the answer.

What to check: Google says AI Mode "doesn't always get it right," so confirm anything that matters on an official or professional body's website. Leave client names and figures out.

You'll need: a web browser. Google lists AI Mode as available in the US.

Source: Google Search Help, checked October 22, 2026.

This week's how-to: let AI draft your document requests

Copilot in Outlook ("Draft with Copilot") and Gemini in Gmail ("Help me write") can both draft an email from a short instruction.

With year-end paperwork to chase, a clear first draft helps every client request read the same way.

In Outlook, start a new email, select the Copilot icon in the toolbar, then Draft (or "Draft with Copilot"). In Gmail, click Compose, then "Help me write."

Type a prompt with no client details, such as: "Write a short, friendly email asking a client to send their bank statements and receipts for [period] by [date], as a bulleted list."

Select Generate (Outlook) or Create (Gmail). Ask for a different tone or length if needed.

Keep the draft, then add names, dates and amounts.

What to check: read every line before sending. Google says "Help me write" can draw on your other emails and Drive files, so click Sources and check nothing from another client has slipped in. Follow your firm's client data policy.

Availability: Outlook needs Copilot in your Microsoft 365 plan. In the US, Gmail's "Help me write" also works on free personal Gmail accounts.

In short: AI writes the first draft; you add the facts and press Send.

Quick tips

Summarize a long document in Word: open Copilot in Word and ask for a summary of a long guidance note or engagement letter. Microsoft says it doesn't always cite later parts of a document, so read the sections on fees, scope and deadlines yourself.

Prompt of the week: in a tool your firm has approved, try: "Explain [term] to a small business owner in three short sentences, without jargon. Then list two questions they might ask me." Use no client names or figures.

Tool spotlight: JAX in Xero

What it does: Xero's AI companion. Open JAX from the navigation bar and ask, for example, "Show my gross profit trend for the past year." Answers can include charts and tables.

Status: available to all Xero subscribers and users, currently at no additional charge, says Xero (checked October 22, 2026).

Worth trying if: you or your clients use Xero.

Check first: JAX only shows what each user's Xero permissions allow, and Xero says your data isn't used to train its AI models. Check answers against the reports.

Editorial pick: not paid for.

Your US rules this week: renew your PTIN, and add AI to your WISP

📅 Coming up: Tuesday, November 10: Form 941 for the third quarter, if you deposited the tax on time and in full (the standard due date was November 2) (IRS Publication 509).

The IRS is now processing 2027 PTIN renewals. Anyone who prepares, or helps prepare, federal returns for compensation needs a valid 2027 PTIN before preparing returns; the fee is $18.75. The IRS also reminds firms that federal law requires a Written Information Security Plan, and that the FTC requires choosing service providers that can maintain appropriate safeguards. If your team uses Copilot, Gemini or your accounting software's AI with client data, list those tools in your WISP and say what may go into them. IRS Publication 5708 has a template.

From the regulators

AICPA, October 13, 2026: issued a practice aid, "Artificial Intelligence (AI) Considerations for Financial Statement Auditors." It covers clients' use of AI in financial reporting and auditors' own AI tools, and stresses that the auditor remains responsible for the opinion.

IRS, October 16, 2026 (IR-2026-124): announced Tax Professional Awareness Week, with videos on Form 8867 and common Schedule C errors.

Sources

Google, "Get AI-powered responses with AI Mode in Google Search" (Google Search Help): https://support.google.com/websearch/answer/16011537

Microsoft, "Draft an email message with Copilot in Outlook": https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook/copilot-pages/draft-an-email-message-with-copilot-in-outlook

Google, "Draft emails with Gemini in Gmail" (Gmail Help): https://support.google.com/mail/answer/13955415?hl=en

Google, "Learn about Gemini features in Gmail" (availability by country): https://support.google.com/mail/answer/16831098

Microsoft, "Create a summary of your document with Copilot in Word": https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/word/copilot/create-a-summary-of-your-document-with-copilot-in-word

Xero US, "JAX: your AI business companion" (including FAQs): https://www.xero.com/us/ai-in-accounting/jax/

IRS, Publication 509 (2026), Tax Calendars, Employer's Tax Calendar, fourth quarter: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p509.pdf

IRS, "PTIN requirements for tax return preparers," last reviewed October 15, 2026: https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/ptin-requirements-for-tax-return-preparers

IRS, IR-2026-92, "IRS, Security Summit remind tax pros they need a Written Information Security Plan to protect client data," August 18, 2026: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-security-summit-remind-tax-pros-they-need-a-written-information-security-plan-to-protect-client-data

IRS, Publication 5708, Creating a Written Information Security Plan for Your Tax & Accounting Practice: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p5708.pdf

AICPA & CIMA, "AICPA Releases Guidance to Help Auditors Address the Use of AI in Financial Reporting and Auditing," October 13, 2026: https://www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article/aicpa-releases-guidance-to-help-auditors-address-the-use-of-ai-in-financial-reporting-and-auditing

IRS, IR-2026-124, "IRS announces 2026 Tax Professional Awareness Week," October 16, 2026: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-2026-tax-professional-awareness-week-highlighting-resources-to-help-tax-professionals-prepare-for-the-2027-filing-season

All links checked on October 22, 2026. Re-check them in the week of sending.

Thanks for reading. Reply any time with questions, however basic.

Best wishes,

Clara Hayes, Editor of SI Books

sibooks.co/us

Information only, not professional advice. Check current IRS guidance, or a qualified advisor, before acting.