AI Prompts for Finance

You are an FP&A analyst. Analyze the following budget variance data and provide explanations and recommendations.

Department: {DEPARTMENT}
Period: {PERIOD}
Currency: {CURRENCY}

Budget vs Actual:
{PASTE_VARIANCE_DATA}

Provide:
1. Executive summary (3 sentences)
2. Top 5 favorable variances with likely explanations
3. Top 5 unfavorable variances with likely explanations
4. One-time vs recurring classification for each major variance
5. Impact on full-year forecast
6. Recommended actions for unfavorable variances

Distinguish between timing variances (will self-correct) and run-rate variances (require action).

You are a treasury analyst. Build a 13-week cash flow forecast framework based on the following inputs.

Current cash position: {CASH_BALANCE}
Recurring revenue: {REVENUE_PATTERN}
Major receivables: {AR_DETAILS}
Fixed expenses: {FIXED_COSTS}
Variable expenses: {VARIABLE_COST_DRIVERS}
Upcoming large payments: {LARGE_PAYMENTS}
Credit facility: {CREDIT_DETAILS}

Provide:
- Weekly cash flow template with categories
- Assumptions for each line item
- Sensitivity analysis: best case, base case, worst case
- Minimum cash threshold recommendation
- Early warning triggers

Output format: Table with weekly columns and category rows.

You are a finance controller. Draft an expense reimbursement policy for {COMPANY_NAME}.

Company size: {COMPANY_SIZE}
Industry: {INDUSTRY}
Current pain points: {CURRENT_ISSUES}
Approval workflow: {APPROVAL_PROCESS}
Expense tool: {EXPENSE_TOOL}
Budget philosophy: {PHILOSOPHY} (e.g., trust-based with audit, pre-approval required)

Include sections for:
1. Eligible expenses (with per-category limits)
2. Travel: flights, hotels, meals, ground transportation (with specific limits)
3. Entertainment and client meals (with documentation requirements)
4. Technology and equipment
5. Professional development
6. Non-reimbursable expenses (explicit list)
7. Submission deadlines and receipt requirements
8. Approval workflow
9. Exception process
10. Policy violations

Be specific. "Reasonable" is not a policy. "Up to $250/night for hotels in Tier 1 cities" is a policy.

You are a CFO writing a monthly financial summary for the executive team.

Period: {MONTH} {YEAR}

Financial data:
{PASTE_FINANCIAL_DATA}

Key events this month: {KEY_EVENTS}
Outlook changes: {OUTLOOK_CHANGES}

Write a 400 to 600 word summary covering:
1. Revenue performance vs plan (with drivers)
2. Expense performance vs plan (with top variances)
3. Cash position and burn rate
4. Key metrics (gross margin, CAC, LTV, runway, or other relevant KPIs)
5. Risks and opportunities for remainder of quarter
6. Recommended actions (2 to 3 specific items)

Audience: Non-finance executives. Use plain language. Lead with what changed and what it means, not raw numbers.

You are a procurement analyst. Create a cost comparison for {PRODUCT_OR_SERVICE_CATEGORY} vendors.

Vendors to compare: {VENDOR_1}, {VENDOR_2}, {VENDOR_3}
Evaluation criteria: {CRITERIA}
Contract terms: {TERMS}

Pricing data:
{PASTE_PRICING_DATA}

Provide:
1. Total cost of ownership comparison (3-year view)
2. Price per unit/user/transaction comparison
3. Hidden costs identified (implementation, training, support tiers)
4. Contract flexibility comparison (term, cancellation, scaling)
5. Risk assessment per vendor
6. Recommendation with justification

Include a table with side-by-side comparison. Flag any pricing that requires negotiation.

You are a CFO preparing for a board meeting. Draft the financial section of the board deck narrative.

Period: {QUARTER} {YEAR}
Financial highlights:
{PASTE_HIGHLIGHTS}

KPI dashboard:
{PASTE_KPI_DATA}

Full-year forecast update: {FORECAST_CHANGES}
Capital allocation decisions needed: {DECISIONS}
Risks to flag: {RISKS}

Write a 500 to 700 word narrative that:
- Opens with the single most important financial story this quarter
- Covers revenue, margins, cash, and key metrics
- Frames variances in business context (not just accounting terms)
- Identifies the 2 to 3 decisions the board needs to make
- Ends with forward-looking guidance

Tone: Confident, transparent, concise. Board members read 200 pages before this meeting.

You are a technical accounting specialist. Draft a revenue recognition memo for the following arrangement.

Customer: {CUSTOMER_NAME}
Arrangement: {ARRANGEMENT_DESCRIPTION}
Total contract value: {TCV}
Contract term: {TERM}
Deliverables: {DELIVERABLES}
Payment terms: {PAYMENT_TERMS}
Performance obligations identified: {PERFORMANCE_OBLIGATIONS}
Accounting standard: {STANDARD} (ASC 606 / IFRS 15)

Address:
1. Identification of performance obligations
2. Transaction price determination
3. Allocation methodology
4. Revenue recognition pattern (point in time vs over time)
5. Key judgments and estimates
6. Disclosure requirements

Note: This is a draft for discussion. Final determination requires review by the accounting team and auditors.

You are an internal audit manager preparing for {AUDIT_TYPE} (e.g., external financial audit, SOC 2, tax audit).

Audit firm: {AUDIT_FIRM}
Audit period: {AUDIT_PERIOD}
Prior year findings: {PRIOR_FINDINGS}
Areas of concern: {CONCERN_AREAS}
Key systems: {SYSTEMS}

Create a preparation checklist with:
1. Documents to gather (organized by audit area)
2. Reconciliations to complete before fieldwork
3. Walkthrough processes to document
4. Personnel to brief and their roles during audit
5. Known issues to address proactively
6. Timeline with milestones (pre-fieldwork, fieldwork, review, final)
7. Prior year finding remediation status

For each item: owner, deadline, and status column.

You are a financial analyst. Perform a break-even analysis for {PROJECT_OR_PRODUCT}.

Fixed costs: {FIXED_COSTS}
Variable cost per unit: {VARIABLE_COST}
Selling price per unit: {SELLING_PRICE}
Expected volume: {VOLUME_RANGE}
Time horizon: {TIME_HORIZON}

Provide:
1. Break-even point (units and revenue)
2. Contribution margin analysis
3. Sensitivity analysis: what happens if price changes by +/- {PRICE_CHANGE}%
4. Sensitivity analysis: what happens if volume changes by +/- {VOLUME_CHANGE}%
5. Time to break-even under base, optimistic, and pessimistic scenarios
6. Recommendations for improving break-even economics

Output format: Include calculation tables and narrative interpretation.

You are an accounts receivable manager. Draft a response to a customer invoice dispute.

Customer: {CUSTOMER_NAME}
Invoice number: {INVOICE_NUMBER}
Invoice amount: {AMOUNT}
Dispute reason: {DISPUTE_REASON}
Contract reference: {CONTRACT_DETAILS}
Our position: {OUR_POSITION}
Supporting documentation: {DOCUMENTATION_AVAILABLE}

Write a 200 to 300 word response that:
- Acknowledges the dispute professionally
- References specific contract terms that support our position
- Proposes a resolution path
- Sets a timeline for resolution
- Maintains the relationship

Tone: Professional, firm but fair. The goal is resolution, not confrontation.