“I used to spend most of my review time on the routine checks. Now I spend it on the complex bits that actually require my expertise as an accountant.”
The traditional review cycle
Most accounting firms review VAT returns and year-end accounts the same way they always have – a junior does the prep, the senior reviews, the junior corrects the mistakes, the senior reviews it again, and so on. It works, but there's a lot of back and forth that eats into everyone's time.
Blu Sky Chartered Accountants wanted to see what happens when AI gets a pass at the work first before the senior even looks at it.
How Coco fits into the workflow
They use Coco, an AI coworker built by Combinely, to review every VAT return before it reaches the accountant. Coco checks rates across transactions and ensures the right treatment has been applied, flagging anything worth a closer look.
We worked alongside team members such as Bryony Da Silva and Chrissie Krappe to tailor the VAT return review automation to their workflows.
Beyond VAT: year-end accounts
They've taken the same approach with year-end accounts. Bryony sends Coco the full pack: accounts, tax comp, supporting workings. She then asks it to work through the lot.
Does it comply with the accounting standards? Is the tax computation right? Do the workings actually agree to the accounts? What should we be raising with the client at the year-end meeting?
By the time Bryony opens it up herself, she already knows where to focus.
“I used to spend most of my review time on the routine checks. Now I spend it on the complex bits that actually require my expertise as an accountant.”
The result
The work still gets a full human review. It just arrives in better shape, with a clearer picture of what needs attention.
The work hasn't changed, but the process around it has, and the team gets that time back.
