Microsoft has taught Copilot in Excel and in Cowork eight skills for accounting. Since November 13, 2026, Microsoft has been enabling the feature worldwide, and it is expected to have arrived everywhere by the end of November.
Cowork is the area in Microsoft 365 Copilot where you hand off multi-step tasks. A license for Microsoft 365 Copilot is required. You no longer need the Frontier program, which was necessary during the preview, as of general availability.
What can the accounting skills do?
Microsoft's support page lists eight skills. The "reconciliation" skill matches the general ledger, subledgers, bank statements, and supplier data. It also suggests corrections. "Variance-analysis" compares actual values with plan, forecast, or prior period, explains the deviations, and draws waterfall charts. "Close-management" guides monthly, quarterly, and annual closings with checklists, owners, and deadlines. The remaining five cover closings with reports, budget planning, audits, tax preparation, and compliance.
The post in the message center mentions further tasks: For journal entries, Copilot drafts accruals, reclassifications, allocations, and reversal entries. Copilot also checks whether required information is missing and whether debits and credits match. Microsoft quantifies the response to the preview in the Copilot blog: In seven days, more than 8,000 people used the accounting skills in more than 18,000 chats. In addition, there are plugins from partners, for example for QuickBooks, Xero, and Zoho Books.
When and for whom does the feature apply?
The schedule has four stages: On October 29, 2026, Microsoft introduced the skills in the Copilot blog, and at the end of October the public preview began in the Frontier program. On November 13, general availability started, which according to the message center is expected to be completed by the end of November.
Accounting skills: the schedule
According to Microsoft, as of November 15, 2026
- October 29, 2026Microsoft introduces the skills in the Copilot blog
- End of October 2026Public preview in the Frontier program
- November 13, 2026Worldwide launch, Frontier no longer required
- Expected end of NovemberRollout completed for all accounts
The audit trail for Cowork is planned, Microsoft does not name a date.
Sources: Microsoft Copilot Blog, Microsoft Message Center
Two details are missing in the sources: a price for the license and a list of supported languages. The support page and blog post are only available in English. The support page still lists the Frontier program as the way to access the feature, but the message in the message center is decisive for the launch. Connections to ERP systems run via optional connectors; for third-party connectors, a separate license or enablement by the admin may be required.
Where are the limits?
On the support page, Microsoft itself writes: Copilot does not provide accounting, tax, or financial advice and replaces neither professionals nor internal controls. You must check calculations, account assignments, and tax treatment before using them.
Nothing ends up in an ERP system or another system of record without your approval. The optional audit trail records in the chat history what Copilot changed and why. It already exists in Excel, and it is planned for Cowork. Copilot only accesses content that you yourself have access to. Copilot also respects sensitivity labels.
What this means for you
With a Copilot account, it's best to open Copilot in Excel in the coming weeks and look for the "Accounting" folder in the "Manage plugins & skills" dialog. If the folder isn't there yet, your account is waiting for the rollout, which runs until the end of November.
It's best to test the skills first on a copy of a completed monthly reconciliation, with the audit trail switched on. Compare the result with your own solution and note where the account assignment differs before you let Copilot work on live figures.
For tax questions, your tax advisor remains responsible. The "tax-preparation" skill prepares analyses, calculations, and working papers. It also helps with deadlines and tax assessments, but according to Microsoft it does not replace advice. Ask beforehand whether working papers from Copilot are accepted.
How Word, Excel, and PowerPoint are moving into the Copilot chat is described by TutKit in the news item on Office in Copilot.
Microsoft introduced the accounting skills in the Copilot blog on October 29, 2026, and the message in the message center followed on November 3, 2026.
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