Using an AI assistant with your books, safely

Start with the handoffs, not the tools

A year ago, asking an AI about your business finances meant pasting numbers into a chat. Assistants like Claude and ChatGPT can now connect to the tools where your records live. The standard most of them use is MCP, the Model Context Protocol. That is useful. It is also your financial data.

Build each step to stand on its own

The assistant can only do what the tools allow. If no tool can move money, the assistant cannot move money. Whatever a tool returns is sent to the AI client you are using. Start with read-only access: answering questions does not require permission to edit a transaction or create an invoice.

Let AI handle the routine, keep people on exceptions

Prefer sign-in over a pasted API key. You approve access, the client never sees a long-lived secret, and you can revoke it from Mintas. If a client only supports keys, create one just for that client, name it, and revoke it when you stop using the client.

Measure the flow, not just the output

Mintas has an MCP server at api.mintas.co/mcp with 103 tools. Most clients connect with a sign-in and no API key. The assistant drafts and cites. It does not move money.