accounting▌
whawkinsiv/claude-code-skills · updated Apr 8, 2026
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Messy books cost you money in taxes, missed deductions, and accountant fees. This skill helps you set up clean financial tracking from day one — 30 minutes a week keeps you legal, informed, and out of trouble.
Accounting & Bookkeeping
Messy books cost you money in taxes, missed deductions, and accountant fees. This skill helps you set up clean financial tracking from day one — 30 minutes a week keeps you legal, informed, and out of trouble.
Core Principles
- Bookkeeping is not optional. Messy books cost you money in taxes, missed deductions, and accountant fees.
- Separate business and personal finances completely. Day one. No exceptions.
- SaaS revenue recognition has rules. Stripe payments are not the same as "revenue" for accounting purposes.
- You don't need a full-time accountant until $50k+ ARR. But you do need a system from day one.
- 30 minutes a week keeps your books clean. 30 hours in April fixes what you ignored all year.
Getting Started: Financial Foundation
Day 1 Checklist
Before your first dollar of revenue:
- [ ] Open a separate business bank account (checking)
- [ ] Get a business credit card (or dedicated personal card for business only)
- [ ] Set up accounting software (see recommendations below)
- [ ] Create a simple chart of accounts
- [ ] Set up Stripe (or payment processor) to deposit to business account
- [ ] Save a folder for receipts (digital — Google Drive, Dropbox, or in your accounting tool)
- [ ] Note your fiscal year start date (usually Jan 1 for calendar year)
Separate Your Finances
Why it matters:
- Legal protection (LLC/corp separation requires it)
- Tax deductions are easy to prove with clean records
- Makes tax prep 10x faster and cheaper
- Investors and lenders need clean books
How:
- Business bank account (Mercury, Relay, or any bank with no/low fees)
- Business credit card (Ramp, Brex, or a separate personal card dedicated to business)
- Never pay personal expenses from business accounts
- Never pay business expenses from personal accounts
- If you must (emergency), document it as an owner draw/contribution
Accounting Software
Recommendations by Stage
| Stage | Tool | Cost | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-revenue | Spreadsheet | Free | Don't over-invest before revenue |
| $0-5k MRR | Wave | Free | Full accounting, free, good for solo |
| $0-10k MRR | QuickBooks Self-Employed | $15/mo | Simple, widely supported by accountants |
| $5k-50k MRR | QuickBooks Online | $30+/mo | Standard. Every accountant knows it |
| $5k-50k MRR | Xero | $15+/mo | Clean UI, good for SaaS |
| Any stage | Bench | $299+/mo | Done-for-you bookkeeping service |
The short answer: Start with Wave (free) or QuickBooks Online. Switch to QBO when you hire an accountant — it's what they all use.
Stripe + Accounting Integration
Connect Stripe to your accounting software to auto-import transactions:
- QuickBooks: Use the Stripe integration or Synder
- Xero: Use the Stripe integration
- Wave: Manual import via CSV (or use a connector like Zapier)
Chart of Accounts (Simplified for SaaS)
Your chart of accounts is the list of categories for your money. Keep it simple:
REVENUE
Subscription Revenue (MRR from customers)
One-Time Revenue (setup fees, lifetime deals)
COST OF GOODS SOLD (COGS)
Hosting & Infrastructure (Vercel, Supabase, AWS, etc.)
Payment Processing Fees (Stripe fees, ~2.9% + $0.30)
Third-Party APIs (SendGrid, Twilio, OpenAI, etc.)
OPERATING EXPENSES
Software & Tools (GitHub, Figma, analytics, etc.)
Marketing & Advertising (Google Ads, sponsorships, etc.)
Contractors & Freelancers (developers, designers, writers)
Legal & Professional (lawyer, accountant, registered agent)
Domain & DNS (domain registrar, Cloudflare)
Office & Equipment (computer, monitor, desk — if home office)
Education & Training (courses, books, conferences)
Insurance (if applicable)
Miscellaneous (catch-all — keep this small)
OTHER
Owner Draw / Distribution (money you take out for yourself)
Owner Contribution (money you put in from personal funds)
Weekly Bookkeeping Routine
Spend 30 minutes every week. It prevents the year-end panic.
Weekly (pick a day, be consistent):
- [ ] Categorize new transactions in accounting software
- [ ] Upload receipts for any expense over $75
- [ ] Reconcile bank account (does your software match your bank?)
- [ ] Note any unusual transactions to ask your accountant about
Monthly (first week of each month):
- [ ] Review Profit & Loss statement
- [ ] Check: Is revenue matching what Stripe shows?
- [ ] Check: Are expenses categorized correctly?
- [ ] Review cash balance — how many months of runway do you have?
- [ ] Set aside estimated tax payment (see Tax section)
SaaS Revenue Recognition
The Basic Rule
Revenue is recognized when you deliver the service, not when you receive payment.
Example:
- Customer pays $1,200 for annual plan on March 1
- You DON'T book $1,200 as March revenue
- You book $100/month for 12 months (March through February)
Why: You owe them 12 months of service. Until delivered, it's "deferred revenue" (a liability).
When It Matters
- Pre-$50k ARR: Most bootstrapped founders use cash-basis accounting (revenue = when you get paid). This is simpler and fine for tax purposes.
- Post-$50k ARR or seeking investment: Switch to accrual-basis accounting with proper revenue recognition. Your accountant handles this.
- Lifetime deals: Recognize over the expected customer lifetime (usually 3-5 years).
Taxes
Estimated Tax Payments (US)
If you expect to owe $1,000+ in taxes, the IRS wants quarterly estimated payments:
Due dates:
- Q1: April 15
- Q2: June 15
- Q3: September 15
- Q4: January 15 (of the following year)
How much to set aside:
- Rule of thumb: 25-30% of net profit (revenue - expenses)
- Transfer this to a separate savings account each month
- Pay quarterly estimates from that account
Common Tax Deductions for SaaS Founders
Likely deductible (confirm with your accountant):
- [ ] Hosting and infrastructure costs
- [ ] Software subscriptions used for business
- [ ] Payment processing fees (Stripe)
- [ ] Contractor payments
- [ ] Home office (dedicated space, % of rent/mortgage)
- [ ] Internet (business % of your bill)
- [ ] Computer and equipment
- [ ] Domain registration and renewal
- [ ] Professional services (legal, accounting)
- [ ] Business insurance
- [ ] Education directly related to your business
- [ ] Marketing and advertising expenses
- [ ] Travel for business purposes (conferences, customer meetings)
When to Hire an Accountant
Do it yourself: Pre-revenue to ~$2k MRR (use software, keep clean books)
Annual tax prep: $2k-10k MRR (hire a CPA for year-end, do bookkeeping yourself)
Monthly accountant: $10k+ MRR (hire a bookkeeper or service like Bench)
Finding a good accountant:
- Look for CPAs who specialize in small businesses or startups
- Ask other founders for referrals
- Expect to pay $500-2,000 for annual tax prep (depending on complexity)
- A good accountant saves you more than they cost in missed deductions and avoided mistakes
Financial Reports You Should Read
Profit & Loss (P&L)
Shows revenue minus expenses = profit (or loss) for a period.
Review monthly. Ask:
- Is revenue growing month over month?
- Are expenses growing faster than revenue?
- What are my top 3 expense categories?
- What's my profit margin? (profit / revenue × 100)
Cash Flow
Shows money in and money out, regardless of when revenue is "earned."
Review monthly. Ask:
- How much cash do I have today?
- How many months of expenses can I cover? (runway)
- Am I cash-flow positive? (more coming in than going out)
Balance Sheet
Shows what you own (assets), what you owe (liabilities), and your equity.
Review quarterly. Less important at early stage, but needed for:
- Applying for business loans or credit
- Talking to potential investors
- Understanding deferred revenue
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Mixing personal and business finances | Separate bank accounts from day one |
| Not tracking expenses | Categorize weekly. 30 minutes prevents 30 hours of cleanup |
| Ignoring estimated tax payments | Set aside 25-30% of profit monthly in a separate account |
| No receipts for expenses | Save digital copies of everything over $75 |
| Doing books once a year | Weekly categorization, monthly review |
| DIY taxes past $10k MRR | Hire a CPA. They pay for themselves in avoided mistakes |
| Confusing Stripe revenue with accounting revenue | Stripe payouts include refunds, fees, and timing differences |
| No emergency fund for the business | Keep 2-3 months of expenses in the business account |
Success Looks Like
- Clean books that take 30 minutes/week to maintain
- Tax payments estimated and saved quarterly (no April surprises)
- Clear understanding of monthly profit/loss and cash runway
- Receipts saved and categorized for every business expense
- An accountant relationship in place before you desperately need one
- Business and personal finances completely separated
Related Skills
- finances — Financial modeling, unit economics, and cash flow planning
- payments — Set up Stripe and connect to your accounting software
- legal — Business entity formation and legal compliance
- pricing — Set pricing that supports healthy unit economics
How to use accounting on Cursor
AI-first code editor with Composer
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
- ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
- ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with
node --version) - ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add accounting
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
The skills CLI fetches accounting from GitHub repository whawkinsiv/claude-code-skills and configures it for Cursor.
Select Cursor when prompted
The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
Reload or restart Cursor to activate accounting. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /accounting) or your agent's skill management interface.
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
List & Monetize Your Skill
Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning
Use Cases▌
User Story & Requirements Generation
Create detailed user stories, acceptance criteria, and feature specs
Example
Generate user stories for 'password reset feature' with acceptance criteria, edge cases, and test scenarios
Reduce spec writing time by 50%, ensure comprehensive coverage
Competitive Analysis
Research competitors, compare features, identify gaps
Example
Analyze 5 competitor products, create feature comparison matrix, suggest differentiation opportunities
Complete competitive research in 2 hours instead of 2 days
Roadmap Prioritization
Evaluate features using frameworks (RICE, ICE, Kano) and create prioritized backlogs
Example
Score 20 feature ideas using RICE framework, generate prioritized roadmap with rationale
Make data-driven prioritization decisions faster
Stakeholder Communication
Draft PRDs, status updates, and stakeholder presentations
Example
Create executive summary of Q3 roadmap, monthly progress report, feature launch announcement
Save 3-5 hours/week on communication overhead
Implementation Guide▌
Prerequisites
- ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client
- ›Access to product documentation and roadmap tools (Jira, Notion, etc.)
- ›Understanding of product management frameworks (RICE, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.)
- ›Stakeholder contact information and communication channels
Time Estimate
30-60 minutes to see productivity improvements
Installation Steps
- 1.Install product management skill
- 2.Start with user story generation for known feature
- 3.Progress to competitive analysis: research 2-3 competitors
- 4.Use for roadmap prioritization: apply RICE/ICE scoring
- 5.Draft stakeholder communications and refine based on feedback
- 6.Build template library for recurring PM tasks
- 7.Share effective prompts with product team
Common Pitfalls
- ⚠Not validating competitive research—verify facts before sharing
- ⚠Accepting user stories without involving engineering team
- ⚠Over-relying on frameworks without qualitative judgment
- ⚠Not customizing outputs to company culture and communication style
- ⚠Skipping stakeholder validation of generated requirements
Best Practices▌
✓ Do
- +Validate research and competitive analysis with real data
- +Collaborate with engineering when generating technical requirements
- +Customize frameworks and templates to your company context
- +Use skill for first drafts, refine with stakeholder input
- +Document successful prompt patterns for PM tasks
- +Combine AI efficiency with human judgment and intuition
✗ Don't
- −Don't publish competitive analysis without fact-checking
- −Don't finalize user stories without engineering review
- −Don't make prioritization decisions solely on AI scoring
- −Don't skip customer validation of generated requirements
- −Don't ignore company-specific context and culture
💡 Pro Tips
- ★Provide context: company goals, constraints, customer feedback
- ★Ask for alternatives: 'Show 3 ways to prioritize this roadmap'
- ★Request stakeholder-specific formatting: 'Executive summary vs. engineering spec'
- ★Use skill for 70% generation + 30% customization to company needs
When to Use This▌
✓ Use When
Use for user story writing, competitive research, roadmap prioritization, stakeholder communication, and PRD drafting. Best for reducing repetitive documentation and research work.
✗ Avoid When
Avoid for strategic product vision (requires deep customer empathy), pricing decisions (needs market and financial expertise), or when face-to-face customer discovery is more valuable than speed.
Learning Path▌
- 1Basic: user stories, feature specs, status updates
- 2Intermediate: competitive analysis, prioritization frameworks, PRDs
- 3Advanced: product strategy, go-to-market planning, OKR setting
- 4Expert: product vision, market positioning, business model innovation
Discussion
Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)- No comments yet — start the thread.
Ratings
4.5★★★★★70 reviews- ★★★★★Carlos Mehta· Dec 28, 2024
accounting fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Sophia Anderson· Dec 24, 2024
Useful defaults in accounting — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Ava Martinez· Dec 16, 2024
We added accounting from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.
- ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Dec 4, 2024
Useful defaults in accounting — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.
- ★★★★★Aanya Ndlovu· Dec 4, 2024
accounting has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Sakshi Patil· Nov 23, 2024
accounting is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★Ava Robinson· Nov 23, 2024
accounting fits our agent workflows well — practical, well scoped, and easy to wire into existing repos.
- ★★★★★Mei Choi· Nov 19, 2024
accounting has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.
- ★★★★★Hiroshi Ndlovu· Nov 15, 2024
accounting is among the better-maintained entries we tried; worth keeping pinned for repeat workflows.
- ★★★★★William Martinez· Nov 7, 2024
Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: accounting is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.
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