Customer ReviewsforBench Accounting

First, I have been with Bench for 6 years. They used to do the books, then contract taxes out to Taxfyle. That worked just great. They flipped me to their new in-house service this year, which is trash. It has been 3 weeks since I received a response from Bench. It is August, but my taxes are not done. I scheduled a call today, but nobody called me. They sent me a draft that my financial advisor told me is off by $5,000-$6,000 or more. I corrected them and sent all documents in July.....crickets. They don't respond to their own message board/workstation/platform. I get automated emails weekly telling me it is my fault that taxes aren't done, but my responses go unanswered. This is causing me major problems while trying to work with a bank right now. The worst service I have ever received. I'm dropping them and their bookkeeping service after 6 years.

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and frustration youve experienced. We take your concerns very seriously and want to address each of them thoroughly.Regarding Your Bookkeeping Services:We have completed your bookkeeping promptly, and our team has always been responsive on the bookkeeping side.On the Tax Side:We acknowledge the issues youve encountered. Once we became aware of the situation, we immediately involved the Senior Manager of Bench Tax. Your Bench Tax advisor has reached out to you to address the issues with your tax draft.There were some discrepancies due to missing documents and incorrect entries, which caused the initial draft to be off. The revised draft is now available for your review. We understand the draft was not accurate at first due to the need for additional W2 income, which was necessary for qualifying for certain tax credits.We have requested that a Bench Tax representative call you to discuss the revised draft and ensure that everything is accurate. Additionally, we are working to turn off the automated emails until we resolve the issue to prevent further frustration.Next Steps:Our Bench Tax advisor will be in touch with you to review the corrected draft and finalize your tax return.We will ensure that the communication issues are addressed promptly and that you receive the assistance you need.As a gesture of goodwill, I would be happy to offer you a discount for the inconvenience. I will reach out to you directly via email to discuss and find an agreement.We are committed to resolving this matter to your satisfaction and appreciate your patience.

Everything is done through their system, that's ok, but to get an actual human to answer takes long. They're prices compared to others are 3 times more expensive and for the quality of customer service, it does not add up. I got charged $7500 to do my 2023 tax return and my revenue was barely $15k.. I started my business a year and a half ago, I did not have experience with business accounting, so I took the first and quickest option, it resulted in me having to overpay for bad service.

Client Complaint:Complaint ********* Date Filed: July 17th To whom it may concern,Thank you for reaching out to us regarding the complaint made by *********************** of BT ************************ We take such complaints seriously and are committed to addressing this matter promptly. We are actively resolving this issue and are in direct communication with the client upon acknowledging our own fault.Overview of Clients Billing It should be in the format below, for example.Breakdown of cost of services provided to the client since they onboarded in January 2024:Historical Bookkeeping:2022: Free 2023: $3,500 Ongoing bookkeeping + Tax filing and Advisory: $499/mo * 1 year contract 2023 Tax filing: Free 2022 Tax filing: $1,000 Compensation Summary (If applicable, else leave this out)Bench Essentials + Tax Filing and Advisory | January 2024 to February 2024 at $299/mo | Total: $598 Timeline of Events Start by providing the initial context of the escalation and steps taken up to date.Jan 22, 2024 * Client agreed to terms of service of Bench products, including committing to a year long contract for our ongoing bookkeeping and tax services product. In addition to agreeing that historical work is non refundable. February 28th, 2024* Client completed onboarding for Bench. February 29th, 2024 * Clients historical bookkeeper reached out to the client to introduce themself, and notifying their bookkeeping scope for February 2022* December 2023 should be completed, roughly, around Mar 14, 2024 Client responded asking them to reach out via email.March 5th, 2024 * Historical bookkeeper notified that we have completed all transactions, but discovered some documents/clarifications that well require by March 12th in order to complete your Catch Up work in a timely fashion.March 7th, 2024* Message sent from historical bookkeeper reminding the client of their appointment to review their books scheduled for the following day. The bookkeeper, kindly requested if the client is unable to make it, to notify them. March 8th, 2024* The historical bookkeeper followed up in the message feed as the client no*showed appointment. The bookkeeper proceeded to ask confirmation on items by Mar 12, 2024 in order to complete the bookkeeping scope by the estimated date of Mar 14, 2024.March 13th, 2024* The historical bookkeeper notified that the year*end*financial for February 2022* December 2023 has been completed. The bookkeeper requested confirmation of the equity split between partners. Additionally, the bookkeeper provided the next steps to the client of reviewing and approving the year*end*financial statement. To reach out to their on*going bookkeeping team if they have any questions, and to book a time with their tax coordinator with any tax related questions. Once approved, the tax team will reach out. March 18th: Client went delinquent for March payment.March 27, 2024 * Client booked appointment with tax advisor for April 19th March 28th, 2024 * Client emailed tax advisor the following: Hi ** I have paid the first month ahead of time, after that it will take 2 months more, they are still charging me monthly yet I still dont have anything. As you can see our revenue is low, due to that we have been waiting for our licenses and certifications. So we are on until the 19th of April? Rgds,Tax advisor responded: Hi ** Sorry * I am not following. Did you need to meet with me sooner? May 10, 2024* On going bookkeeper introduced herself as the new main point of contact for the client. June 28, 2024 * Tax Coordinator email the client requesting to complete the tax checklist Client responded saying the link is not working correctly July 2, 2024* Senior Tax Coordinator, responded thanking the client for completing checklist, that his tax coordinator is away and there is a new coordinator assigned to his filing. Jul 3, 2024* New Tax Coordinator emailed client stating we have everything and their tax filing turnaround is 10 days; however, we may require more information from him. * Client responded saying he is available. July 17th* Client responded to a delinquent payment emai stating he wants to cancel Bench Tax and receive a refund. I informed him due to agreeing the contract Bench Plan of paying $499/ month for a year, he is unable to cancel and receive a refund. Client responded and requested to cancel and receive a full refund for historical work,Reminded client that he agreed to a year*long payment contract with Bench, which outlines how historical work is non refundable, and that if he wishes to cancel, he may do so 60 days in advance of contract renewal. Client still insisted on cancelling. I responded apologizing for the miscommunication, and offered to jump on a call to further discuss and come up with a resolution. BBB complaint received. July 22, 2024* The client responded in message feed to bookkeeper after being unresponsive, apologizing that he has not been checking these messages. Client* responded to my last message, requesting for half of what he has paid. July 23, 2024* The bookkeeper requested the client for assistance to help categorize transactions. We are continuing to communicate with the customer to come to a mutual resolution and provide compensation.