DS Accounting Solutions

Client Overview

DS Accounting Solutions is a modern accounting firm providing bookkeeping, VAT, tax compliance, and advisory services to SMEs across the UK. Their clients operate on platforms including:

• QuickBooks Online
• Xero
• Microsoft Excel (for management reporting, forecasting, and reconciliations)

As the firm scaled, managing growing client data across multiple systems became increasingly time-intensive.

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The Challenge

DS Accounting Solutions faced three operational bottlenecks:

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Platform Switching & Data Fragmentation

Accountants regularly moved between QuickBooks, Xero, Excel workbooks, VAT portals, and email - creating inefficiencies and increasing the risk of oversight.

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Repetitive Tax Queries

Clients frequently asked similar VAT and tax questions:

• “What is our VAT liability for Q1?”
• “GST position this quarter?”
• “How much tax do we owe from January to March?”
• “VAT breakdown by rate”
• “What’s our tax summary for this financial year?”
• “Estimate our corporation tax”
• “What is our tax position?”
• “Net VAT payable or reclaimable?”
• “What tax rates do we have configured?”
• “What VAT scheme are we on?”
• “Are we on cash or accrual basis?”
• “When is our next VAT deadline?”

Each query required logging into accounting systems, pulling reports, validating figures, and often exporting to Excel.

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Capacity Ceiling

As client numbers grew, workload per accountant increased. Hiring more staff would raise overhead - but manual processes limited scalability.

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The Solution - Ask Gloria AI Agent

DS Accounting Solutions implemented Ask Gloria, an AI accounting assistant layered across QuickBooks, Xero, and Excel data sources.

Ask Gloria provides:

✅ Unified access to financial data across platforms
✅ Intelligent routing of tax-related questions to the correct VAT/tax logic tools
✅ Real-time tax calculations and summaries
✅ Instant reporting without manual report extraction
✅ Automated identification of VAT schemes, tax configurations, and accounting basis

Instead of logging into multiple systems, accountants simply ask Gloria.

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How It Works in Practice

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Example: VAT Query

Before Ask Gloria:

1. Log into QuickBooks/Xero
2. Run VAT report
3. Check VAT scheme
4. Export breakdown
5. Confirm quarter
6. Cross-reference Excel if needed

Time: 10–20 minutes

With Ask Gloria:
Accountant asks:

“What is our VAT liability for Q1?”

Gloria:

• Pulls live VAT data
• Identifies scheme (cash/accrual/flat rate)
• Calculates net payable/reclaimable
• Returns breakdown by rate
• Confirms next deadline

Time: ~30 seconds

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Measurable Impact

1. Increased Workload Capacity

With tax queries and financial summaries automated:

• Routine data retrieval time reduced by 70–80%
• Repetitive VAT queries reduced from 15 minutes to under 1 minute
• Each accountant saves an estimated 8–12 hours per week

That equates to:

• Capacity to manage 20–30% more clients
• Or reallocate time to advisory and client growth

Instead of hiring immediately, DS Accounting Solutions increased output per team member.

2. Faster Client Response Times

Client emails asking:

“What’s our tax position?”
“How much VAT do we owe?”

Are answered same-day - often within minutes.

This improves:

• Client satisfaction
• Perceived proactiveness
• Trust in the firm

3. Reduced Risk of Errors

Ask Gloria:

• Checks configured VAT rates
• Confirms accounting basis (cash vs accrual)
• Identifies VAT scheme automatically
• Flags inconsistencies in tax setup

This reduces human error when preparing submissions or advising clients.

4. Better Use of Excel Data

For clients using Excel for forecasting or management accounts, Gloria can:

• Pull forecast vs actual comparisons
• Answer cash flow projection questions
• Provide summary financial insights

Instead of manually searching spreadsheets.

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Example Questions Ask Gloria Handles

Here’s how DS Accounting Solutions’ accountants interact daily:

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Question

What Gloria Does

“What is our VAT liability for Q1?”

Calculates net VAT payable/reclaimable

“VAT breakdown by rate”

Splits 20%, 5%, 0% rates

“Estimate our corporation tax”

Uses YTD profit and tax rules

“Are we on cash or accrual basis?”

Confirms accounting basis

“What VAT scheme are we on?”

Identifies scheme configuration

“When is our next VAT deadline?”

Calculates filing due date

“What is our tax summary this year?”

Provides consolidated tax overview

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Business Results

Since implementing Ask Gloria:

• ✔ Accountants manage significantly higher workloads
• ✔ Reduced time spent switching between systems
• ✔ Increased advisory capacity
• ✔ Improved response times
• ✔ Greater confidence in VAT and tax accuracy

DS Accounting Solutions transformed from reactive data retrieval to proactive financial advisory.

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Strategic Outcome

By integrating AI across QuickBooks, Xero, and Excel workflows, DS Accounting Solutions has:

• Increased operational efficiency
• Scaled without proportional headcount growth
• Delivered faster, more accurate tax insights
• Positioned itself as a tech-enabled modern accounting firm

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