About
Bench (rebranding to Mainstreet) is America's largest online bookkeeping service built specifically for small business owners. It uniquely combines powerful automation software with real, professional human bookkeepers to deliver a stress-free financial management experience. Bench automates tedious data entry by connecting directly to your financial accounts, accurately categorizes transactions, and provides real-time financial reporting including income statements and balance sheets. Beyond day-to-day bookkeeping, Bench offers catch-up bookkeeping for businesses that have fallen behind, all-in-one income tax preparation and filing, year-round tax advisory, and expert IRS tax resolution services for issues such as back taxes, tax penalties, tax liens, and tax levies. The platform also includes Banking by Mainstreet, offering dedicated business accounts, debit cards, and automated financial management tools that integrate seamlessly with bookkeeping operations. The platform features an intuitive communication hub for unlimited messaging with your dedicated Bench team, document organization and upload tools, a notification center for task reminders, and always-on financial reporting. Whether you're a freelancer, startup, or established small business, Bench is designed to give owners more time to focus on growth by taking the complexity out of accounting and tax compliance.
Key Features
- Monthly & Catch-Up Bookkeeping: Ongoing bookkeeping service that keeps your books up to date, plus catch-up bookkeeping for businesses that have fallen behind—no matter how far.
- Income Tax Filing & Advisory: All-in-one small business tax preparation, filing, and year-round income tax advisory to keep you compliant and optimized.
- Automated Financial Accounts Sync: Connect all your financial accounts to automate data entry, reduce errors, and speed up your books with smart transaction categorization.
- Real-Time Financial Reporting: Access or download up-to-date income statements and balance sheets at any time for informed business decision-making.
- IRS Tax Resolution: Expert support to help small businesses resolve IRS issues and reduce back tax liabilities including penalties, liens, and levies.
Use Cases
- A small business owner outsourcing their monthly bookkeeping to free up time for running their business.
- A startup catching up on months of unrecorded transactions with Bench's catch-up bookkeeping service.
- A freelancer using Bench to handle annual tax filing and receive year-round tax advisory.
- A small business owner resolving an IRS audit or tax penalty with Bench's tax resolution experts.
- An entrepreneur integrating Bench's banking and bookkeeping tools to get a unified view of their business finances.
Pros
- Human + Software Combination: Unlike pure software tools, Bench pairs automation with real professional bookkeepers, giving you expert oversight and support alongside technology.
- Comprehensive Service Offering: Covers the full financial lifecycle—bookkeeping, tax filing, tax advisory, IRS resolution, and banking—all in one platform.
- Trusted at Scale: Used by over 35,000 small business owners, making it a proven and reliable choice for managing business finances.
Cons
- Paid-Only Service: Bench does not offer a free tier; it's a subscription-based paid service, which may be a barrier for very early-stage businesses or solopreneurs on tight budgets.
- U.S.-Focused: The service is tailored for American small businesses, with limited support for businesses operating internationally or under non-U.S. tax regulations.
- Brand Transition Uncertainty: The ongoing rebranding from Bench to Mainstreet may cause confusion for existing and new customers during the transition period.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Bench and how does it work?
Bench is an online bookkeeping service that combines automated software with real human bookkeepers. You connect your financial accounts, and Bench automates data entry and transaction categorization while a dedicated team reviews and manages your books.
Does Bench offer tax filing services?
Yes, Bench offers all-in-one income tax preparation and filing for small businesses, along with year-round tax advisory and IRS tax resolution support.
Can Bench help if my books are behind?
Yes, Bench offers catch-up bookkeeping services to bring your books up to date, regardless of how far behind you are.
Is Bench suitable for freelancers and sole proprietors?
Bench is designed for small business owners broadly, including freelancers, sole proprietors, startups, and established small businesses across various industries.
What is the rebranding to Mainstreet about?
Bench is in the process of rebranding to Mainstreet. The services, platform, and team remain the same during this transition—users will start seeing the new name and look across the site gradually.
