Licensing accounting firm records to AI labs
Labs want to see how accountants close the books, review work and answer clients, step by step. We check what IRC 7216 and your engagement letters let you license, then take the firm's own workflow to the buyers that accept accounting firms.
Last verified Oct 16, 2026
Deal summary · Confidential- Industry
- Accounting and bookkeeping
- Headcount
- 25–49
- Years of records
- 10–19 years
- What sells
- Month-end close checklists and review notes
- Tools
- Karbon, Excel, SharePoint, QuickBooks Online, Xero
- Published AI lab range
- $150K–$500K per license
- Next step
- 20-minute confidential call
Example with placeholder values. Range from AI labs' published price tiers; not an offer.
The whole process, in less than 2 minutes.
What AI labs pay for and how personal details come out.
The records buyers ask accounting and bookkeeping firms for
Month-end close checklists and review notes
The sequence of a close and the questions a reviewer raised along the way.
- Karbon
- Excel
- SharePoint
Bookkeeping and reconciliation history
Categorization, adjustments and the fixes made when accounts did not tie out. Client identities come out before any sample.
- QuickBooks Online
- Xero
Workpapers and review points
How a senior marks up a junior's work and how it gets cleared. Tax workpapers stay out unless clients consented in writing.
- CCH Axcess
- Caseware
Client correspondence
Requests for documents, explanations of adjustments and follow-up on missing items.
- Outlook
- Teams
Practice workflow
Job templates, deadlines and handoffs between staff across a busy season.
- Karbon
- SharePoint
Who buys from this industry
Public terms| Buyer | Published terms | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Indicative $100K–$5M, about 3 months to payment, no broker fee. Its strongest fit is 20+ full-time US office staff, and it lists accounting firms from 10. | Who Sells Data, buying programs · Observed Oct 14, 2026 |
| Centific | Lists finance and accounting operational data. Publishes no amounts and pays on acceptance. | Who Sells Data, buying programs · Observed Oct 14, 2026 |
| Turing, Project Lazarus | Lists finance and accounting among the six kinds of work it buys. One payment of up to $1M, valued after sampling, usually within a week. | Turing, Project Lazarus · Read Oct 16, 2026 |
| micro1 | Tiers start at $100K+, $500K+ and $1M+. Wants 30+ employees and prioritizes the US. | Who Sells Data, buying programs · Observed Oct 14, 2026 |
Marin Data is not an agent of any buyer listed. See every buyer program or the price index.
Tax return information needs written consent first
Under IRC 7216, a tax preparer who knowingly or recklessly discloses return information, or uses it for anything other than preparing the return, commits a misdemeanor. Treasury regulation 301.7216-3 requires the client's written consent before any disclosure or use, and the consent has to name the purpose and cannot be backdated or made a condition of service. Without it for every client, we scope tax files out and license the close, review and workflow records.
26 U.S.C. 7216 · 26 CFR 301.7216-3 · The Tax Adviser, Tax ethics and risk management, Part 1, Aug 31, 2026
We never license, in this industry
- Tax returns and anything furnished to prepare them, unless each client consented in writing
- Client names, SSNs, EINs and bank account details
- Payroll you run for clients, and your own staff's HR and payroll files
- Anything an engagement letter keeps confidential
A worked example
An illustrative case: a 25-person bookkeeping and advisory firm with 11 years of closes in QuickBooks Online, Karbon, Outlook and SharePoint. AI labs' published price tiers put a firm like this at an Estimated License Value of $150K–$500K per license. The AI lab pays that to the firm directly; Marin Data costs it nothing.
Illustrative. Range from AI labs' published price tiers; not an offer.
Questions accounting and bookkeeping firms ask us
We are a 12-person firm. Is that too small?
Not for every buyer. Mode lists accounting firms from 10 staff, while micro1 wants 30 and Scale prefers 40 (Who Sells Data, observed Oct 14, 2026). Years of history and the number of tools count as much as headcount.
Can we include tax returns?
Only with written 7216 consent from each client that names the purpose. Without it, we scope tax files out and license the close, review and workflow records, and the buyer removes client identities before anyone reviews a sample.
What does it cost us?
Nothing up front, and nothing at all if no deal closes. Marin Data is paid by the AI lab, never out of your payment.
Find out what your records could be worth to AI companies.
Find out what your records could be worth to AI companies.
It costs you nothing.