MCP Directory

How to add OpenAccountants to Claude Desktop

On-demand open-source tax & accounting skills for AI agents across 130+ jurisdictions, via MCP. Paste the config into ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json and restart Claude Desktop.

Last updated June 14, 2026 · 198★ · stdio · no auth

Claude Desktop config for OpenAccountants

git clone https://github.com/openaccountants/openaccountants.git && cd openaccountants && pip install ./mcp
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "openaccountants": {
      "command": "openaccountants-mcp",
      "args": []
    }
  }
}

Setup steps

  1. 1Open Claude Desktop → Settings → Developer → Edit Config (this opens ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json).
  2. 2Paste the OpenAccountants config below under the top-level "mcpServers" key.
  3. 3Fill in any placeholder secrets (API keys, paths) in the snippet.
  4. 4Save the file, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.
  5. 5Open a chat and confirm OpenAccountants's tools appear under the 🔌 tools menu.

Before you start

  • Python 3.10+
  • A local clone of the openaccountants/openaccountants repo (the server reads its packages/ directory)
  • pip or uv to install the ./mcp package
  • Canadian provincial packages are generated — run `python3 scripts/build-packages.py` once after cloning to materialise ca-XX/ skills

What OpenAccountants can do in Claude Desktop

start

Front door — call first when a user asks for tax/accounting help. Takes optional `intent` (free text, e.g. "taxes", "VAT return") and `jurisdiction` (e.g. "MT", "GB", "US-CA") and returns either a clarification question or a ready-to-execute plan (skills_to_load, expectations, next_action, guardrails).

list_skills

List published skills with their quality tier and verifier. Optional `jurisdiction` (ISO code, e.g. MT, GB, US-CA) and `category` filters.

get_skill

Given a skill `slug`, returns the full skill markdown plus a provenance/attribution footer.

get_skill_sections

Given a `slug`, returns the skill parsed into sections (heading, content, level) for step-by-step application.

search_skills

Keyword search across skill markdown (`query`, optional `jurisdiction`). Returns the matched section heading and a snippet.

submit_feedback

Builds a pre-filled GitHub New Issue URL the user opens to submit feedback (skill problem, missing jurisdiction, bug, etc.). Takes `summary` plus optional `title`, `skill_slug`, `jurisdiction`, `rating`; returns github_url, title, body, labels. No server-side auth — the user submits under their own account.

Security

Skill access is read-only and path-sandboxed to the packages/ directory. submit_feedback does not call GitHub itself — it only constructs a pre-filled New Issue URL the user opens under their own account, so there is no server-side auth. Outputs are general reference material only, not professional advice; LLMs can hallucinate rates, so a qualified accountant should review before filing or payment.

OpenAccountants + Claude Desktop FAQ

Where is the Claude Desktop config file?

Claude Desktop reads MCP servers from ~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json. Paste the OpenAccountants config there under the "mcpServers" key and restart the client.

Is OpenAccountants safe to use with Claude Desktop?

Skill access is read-only and path-sandboxed to the packages/ directory. submit_feedback does not call GitHub itself — it only constructs a pre-filled New Issue URL the user opens under their own account, so there is no server-side auth. Outputs are general reference material only, not professional advice; LLMs can hallucinate rates, so a qualified accountant should review before filing or payment.

Is this MCP server tax advice?

No. It serves general tax and accounting reference material for AI-assisted workflows. It is not a law firm, accounting firm, tax preparer, or filing service, and outputs are not tax, legal, accounting, or financial advice. Skills may be incomplete or out of date, and LLMs can hallucinate, so a qualified professional should review outputs before filing or payment.

What is the difference between this self-hosted server and the hosted one?

This self-hosted server (command: openaccountants-mcp, stdio) reads the open-source markdown in your local checkout and exposes 6 read-only tools. The hosted server at https://www.openaccountants.com/api/mcp is a superset that reads the production database, includes the accountant-verified tier, and adds tools like get_rates, list_verifiers, compare_jurisdictions, plan_cross_border, and the request_accountant_review human handoff.

How do I connect it to Claude Desktop or Cursor?

After cloning the repo and running `pip install ./mcp`, add an mcpServers entry with "command": "openaccountants-mcp" to claude_desktop_config.json (Claude Desktop) or .cursor/mcp.json (Cursor). If installed in a virtualenv or with uv, use command "uv" with args ["run", "--directory", "/path/to/openaccountants/mcp", "openaccountants-mcp"].

View repo Full OpenAccountants page