A computer method is disclosed for the capture, tracking, and management of accounting data using natural language speech recognition with landline or wireless telephones. Information is stored in a central or peer-to-peer database, which in addition to the speech recognition interface, may be accessed using touchtone telephone menus; Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs); WAP, RIM and other. wireless protocol phones and devices; the Web; fax; email and other messaging protocols; synchronizable off-line applications; corporate financial systems; and distributed networks. In one form, the user initiates a telephone call and the invention confirms the user's identification, prompts the user for accounting information, records the information provided by the user into the appropriate database and language if the user's native tongue is different than that used by the accounting system, and provides to the user information in response to inquiries using natural language speech recognition.