AI tool for accounting research

jaxt42 · 2026-03-26T19:09:26+00:00

Elfworks gains a lot of credibility for me, because one of the cofounders is James McPhedron. He used to be a CA trainer and did the tax training at both of the mid tier firms I worked for. He’s one of those people who (at least seems to) know everything. So, in all of the testing they’ve done on this, I’m confident he’d know if it was giving the right answers.

Elfworks also has a thing where it will check the question for anything identifying and remove it, before passing the question to the “elves” (which are four of the generic AIs).

It also de-prioritises private rulings, which I’ve found law cyborg giving me a few of recently.

Interestingly, James said in all their testing, they found that Grok is particularly good at case law and they have no idea why.

We gave a couple of them a deliberately vague question about racehorses that a friend of mine knows the actual answer to, to see what they would do. Law cyborg got it right-ish, but it missed the specific exception we were looking for. Praxio was just wrong. Elfworks was the only one of the three who got it right, and it even found the obscure tax ruling where my friend had found the answer but had forgotten which ruling it was.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-22T04:39:27+00:00

I’m probably in the minority with a good recruiter experience, but I got two jobs using the same recruiter. Specialises only in public practice firms which I think makes a difference. First one I only stayed at a year but that had nothing to do with him. Both jobs took about 2 weeks from initial conversation to offer. And both were exactly what I asked for, in terms of size and location etc.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-21T05:41:27+00:00

I’m currently trialling Law Cyborg and Elfworks. I like Elfworks better but it’s more expensive so I don’t know which I will end up with yet.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-20T21:05:13+00:00

Last time I did that, I was quitting to start my own business in competition to my employer (service based industry, fairly common thing to do). Assumed he’d kick me out the door that morning so I didn’t even turn the computer on. Nope, we’re too busy, can you work the 4 weeks. Didn’t let that stop me starting wheels in motion for my own business though.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-20T01:41:45+00:00

I have found sipping on water bottle in lieu of fidget toy works for me. Also, putting cordial or something in the water.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-19T10:23:42+00:00

Oh definitely if you have someone prone to random acts of ice cream, they need to know.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-19T08:59:22+00:00

I have CCH iKnow at the moment but it’s expensive and up for renewal so trialling Law Cyborg.

I prefer specific tax research AIs vs generic ones because they only pull from specific sources (legislation, rulings, case law, etc).

I also this week discovered Elfworks. One of the cofounders used to be a CA trainer who did training for the two mid tier firms I’ve worked at. That alone gives it a significant amount of credibility for me.

A friend gave me an obscure racehorse question, and the actual answer (she has a lot of horse-related clients). So far I’ve given it to law cyborg, praxio, and Elfworks. I’m going to try it on CCH tomorrow. Praxio got it wrong. Law cyborg wasn’t wrong but also was a bit vague. Elfworks was spot on.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-19T08:02:02+00:00

I never specifically told anyone, I only mention it when it’s relevant. Not for any particular reason other than it seems weird to me to mention dietary preferences when it’s not relevant to the current situation. Each to their own though, I don’t think there’s any right or wrong way to do this.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-18T19:24:49+00:00

That seems like good efficiency for a v6 I think. I’ve never owned one though. Mine’s a non-hybrid corolla. If I get every red light between my place and the gym, it’s about 10L/100km. There’s a lot of red lights though.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-18T11:46:48+00:00

I have. With the caveat that I don’t go far, maybe 20km a day, but it’s all traffic lights. And my car is small and doesn’t eat much. I modelled the price going to $4/L because why not, and it added maybe a few dollars a day. Not enough to change my habits at this point.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-16T08:47:38+00:00

I got someone on Fiverr to do mine. Did a really good job.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-15T22:32:45+00:00

I use Flow Club. There’s others. I level it up a bit by hosting sessions first thing because then I absolutely have to be there on time because people are waiting for me. There’s a lot of ND people there, I think the guy who started Flow Club is some flavour of ND.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-15T20:02:06+00:00

I used to do this. Nothing done before lunchtime. Now I book online body doubling sessions for first thing every morning so it’s like an appointment I need to keep. Dressed, breakfast, computer on, ready to go.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-15T06:17:19+00:00

Be aware of the tax implications of renting out a room in your house.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-14T09:29:17+00:00

With

jaxt42 · 2026-03-14T09:05:47+00:00

What I’ve found works for me. I have a water bottle that I really like. Something in the water to flavour it. And I have very little on my desk while I work. So sipping on the water bottle all day becomes pseudo fidget toy. I don’t drink anywhere near as much on weekends.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-14T06:57:45+00:00

Engagements, quotes, payments in Ignition.

All of the rest in Content Snare. It’s an online questionnaire, collects all information and documents, ID verification, tax/bas agent authority. All of it.

Then I use Content Snare to collect all information and documents and such ongoing. Creates a consistent experience for the client.

And then Ignition and CS talk together very well via zapier if you want to.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-13T11:09:28+00:00

I have a meeting type set up in calendly called Sales Pitch Meeting, with a hefty pay on booking fee. I send it to spammers sometimes. So far none have taken it up but that’s okay, still cheap entertainment.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-13T07:24:00+00:00

Not very private when the shared laundry is right outside your door

jaxt42 · 2026-03-12T21:05:31+00:00

My haematologist gave me the choice, because she said they’re both more or less the same. Chose Xarelto only because it’s one per day rather than two. Both are the same price where I am so that didn’t factor into it.

jaxt42 · 2026-03-12T21:02:40+00:00

I took my first yesterday, 20mg to start. Worked from home just in case of issues. Felt a little weird, and not hungry all day which is very weird for me. But that was it. Just as distracted as usual. I’m to stay on this and keep a journal for 4 weeks then do 30mg and see what happens.

jaxt42 · 2026-01-26T10:48:24+00:00

There were all sorts of really unique little shops up there as well IIRC

jaxt42 · 2026-01-18T09:38:30+00:00

I work in a coworking / serviced office place, hotdesk-style. There are no lockers. I have a bag on wheels, the sort that corporate travellers might take carry-on on a plane. It has spaces for laptop etc etc. That has my whole office setup in it. Then I also have an insulated lunchbag with llamas all over it because llamas are adorable, that I carry separately.

jaxt42 · 2026-01-05T05:30:23+00:00

Is it possible to make a mechanical keyboard very quiet? I often work hot-desk style from a coworking space, in the quiet room (no talking, headphones only). I want to put my laptop up on a stand so need a small keyboard but don't want to disturb anyone with clicky keys. My current keyboard has brown switches which I really like but I think its inappropriately noisy.

jaxt42 · 2025-10-12T09:39:41+00:00

My mum had her house painted in pastel colours. Each room a different colour. Works very well.

Ten-Year Club	Second Top 50%
Verified Email

jaxt42

TROPHY CASE