Bench review: Done-for-you online bookkeeping and tax filing for small U.S. businesses
Done-for-you online bookkeeping and tax filing for small U.S. businesses
Starts at $199/mo, free plan: no, prices checked on October 29, 2026.
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What Bench does
Assigns a dedicated bookkeeper who keeps your books current monthly, and offers tax filing and catch-up bookkeeping.
Bench is a bookkeeping service for small businesses. Instead of handing you software and leaving you to it, it assigns a dedicated bookkeeper who keeps your books current each month and prepares year-end financials. You can reach that person by phone, message or video call, and the plans also add software for viewing your financials.
The service can also catch up on past months by reconciling accounts transaction by transaction, and catch-up is free if you sign up for an annual plan. For tax, licensed professionals handle filing and year-round advisory, with up to four advisory calls a year on the tax plans. Bench also offers a fractional bookkeeper who works inside your existing QuickBooks Online account.
Pricing is flat and public. Bookkeeping Light costs $199 per month billed monthly and is meant for businesses with revenue of $250K a year or less. Bookkeeping is $399 per month billed monthly, and Bookkeeping + Tax is $649 per month billed monthly. Paying for a 12-month plan up front saves 20%, shown as yearly totals of $1,910, $3,830 and $6,230 respectively. Standalone Full-service tax is $300 per month with a 12-month commitment. The fractional bookkeeper is $55 per hour plus a $1,200 one-time onboarding fee. No free plan or free trial is listed on the pages.
- Dedicated bookkeeper by phone, message and video
- Monthly books and year-end tax-ready financials
- Catch-up bookkeeping for past months
- Business tax filing by licensed professionals
- Year-round tax advisory calls
- Hourly bookkeeper inside your QuickBooks Online account
- Bank-level encryption and read-only connections
Good for / Not for
Good for
- Small business owners who want bookkeeping done for them rather than doing it themselves
- Businesses that want bookkeeping and tax filing from one provider
- Teams already on QuickBooks that need an hourly expert working in their account
Not for
- Anyone looking for a free plan or free trial, as none is listed
- Businesses above $250K a year in revenue that want the cheapest Bookkeeping Light plan
How to start
Limits and gotchas
- Bookkeeping Light is only for businesses with revenue of $250K a year or less. source
- Monthly tax pricing requires a 12-month commitment. source
- The fractional bookkeeper adds a $1,200 one-time onboarding fee to the $55 per hour rate. source
- Returning Customer tax filing ($1,200/yr) is billed annually with no monthly option. source
From the official site and docs of Bench, checked on October 29, 2026.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A dedicated bookkeeper is reachable by phone, message and video call
- Bookkeeping and tax filing can be bought together from one provider
- Prices are published for every service, with 20% off 12-month plans
- Catch-up bookkeeping is free when you sign up for an annual plan
- A fractional option works inside your own QuickBooks Online account
Cons
- No free plan or free trial is listed on the pages
- Cheapest plan is $199 per month billed monthly, a notable fixed cost for a micro business
- Bookkeeping Light is limited to businesses with $250K a year or less in revenue
- Monthly tax pricing requires a 12-month commitment
- Fractional bookkeeper adds a $1,200 one-time onboarding fee on top of $55 per hour
Our take
Bench suits owners who want someone else to do the books and would rather pay a flat fee than learn accounting software. Bundling bookkeeping with tax filing under one provider is the main draw, and the pricing is published openly. The trade-offs are cost and structure: the cheapest plan is $199 per month billed monthly, there is no free plan or trial listed, and the lowest tier is restricted to businesses with revenue of $250K a year or less. Tax plans come with a 12-month commitment for monthly pricing. If you only want self-serve software or need a very low price, this is probably not the right fit. If you already use QuickBooks, the hourly fractional option is worth a look.
Comparisons and lists with Bench
Coming soon
Coming soon — we are writing comparisons that include Bench.
Bench pricing
| Plan | Monthly billing | Annual billing (per month) | Limits / what’s included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bookkeeping per month | $399 | — | Billed yearly the plan is $3,830/yr (20% off a 12-month plan); yearly total only, no per-month figure stated. |
| Bookkeeping + Tax per month | $649 | — | Billed yearly the plan is $6,230/yr (20% off a 12-month plan); yearly total only. |
| Bookkeeping Light per month | $199 | — | For businesses doing $250K a year or less in revenue. Billed yearly: $1,910/yr (yearly total only). |
| Full-service tax per month | $300 | — | Rate based on a 12-month commitment; or $2,880/yr. |
| Fractional bookkeeper per hour ($55/hr) | — | — | Plus $1,200 one-time onboarding. |
Free trial: none listed. Free plan: no.
Prices checked on on the official Bench pricing page. “—” = not published.
All Bench plans, limits and annual prices →
Frequently asked questions
How much does Bench cost?
Bookkeeping Light is $199 per month billed monthly, Bookkeeping is $399 per month and Bookkeeping + Tax is $649 per month. Paying for a 12-month plan saves 20%.
Does Bench handle taxes too?
Yes. Licensed tax professionals handle filing, and the tax plans include up to four advisory calls a year.
What if my books are behind?
Bench offers catch-up bookkeeping for past months, and it is free when you sign up for an annual plan. If you are behind more than a year, you can request a custom quote.
Do I have to switch software?
No. According to the Bench homepage, its bookkeepers can also work inside your existing QuickBooks account, which is what the fractional bookkeeper plan is for.
Is there a free plan?
No free plan or free trial is listed on the official pages.
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