After Bench: 8 Questions to Ask Any Online Bookkeeper

What happened when Bench shut down?

Bench, a VC-backed online accounting company, closed suddenly in late December 2024. TechCrunch archived Bench’s shutdown notice dated December 27, 2024. On December 30, 2024, TechCrunch reported that Employer.com would acquire Bench. The report said thousands of customers had been locked out of their accounts.

Here are the facts from the TechCrunch report, which we read on October 29, 2026:

• Bench shut down abruptly on a Friday, December 27, 2024.
• Customers found themselves locked out of their accounts as tax season was about to begin.
• On December 30, 2024, TechCrunch reported that Employer.com would acquire Bench for an undisclosed price.

We do not comment on Bench’s reasons or its people. The lesson applies to any provider, including us: you should be able to get your books out, even if the firm cannot continue.

What are the 8 questions to ask any online bookkeeper?

Ask these eight before you sign. They test ownership, access and continuity. A good firm answers them plainly and in writing. If an answer is vague, press for detail or look elsewhere.

Why do ownership and access matter most?

Ownership decides whether you can act in a crisis. If the books sit in an account you own, you keep access when a provider disappears. If they sit only inside the provider’s system, you depend on the provider. Questions 1 and 2 settle this.

Check three things on day one:

1. You are listed as an admin or owner on the accounting software.
2. Bank and card feeds are connected through accounts you control.
3. You can log in without your bookkeeper’s help.

Keep a regular backup. Download your profit and loss statement, balance sheet and a full data export each quarter, and store them where you can reach them. See how to give access safely for the access habits that apply to any outside helper.

What should a shutdown plan include?

A shutdown plan answers one question: how do I keep going if you stop? Ask for it in writing. It should name the notice you receive, how data is returned and who to call. A firm without any plan has no answer.

Look for these points:

• A written notice period before service ends.
• A handover of reports, a data export and supporting documents.
• A named contact for the transition.
• Clear terms on fees during the handover.

No firm, including Peachtree VA, can promise it will never close. What you can ask is that your records stay yours. Peachtree bookkeepers use your systems and mainly work in QuickBooks Online. Ask in the free 30-minute consultation how access and ownership are set up for you.

How do you pick a bookkeeper who can work with your CPA?

Pick one who can talk to your CPA directly. Your CPA files taxes and gives advice. Your bookkeeper keeps the records clean. When they share access, handover is simpler if either of them changes.

Peachtree bookkeeping works alongside your CPA, and our team coordinates with them to make tax preparation smoother. Also ask about pace. We aim to close the prior month’s books and provide financial statements by the fifth business day of the new month. See why that date matters.

If you are switching from a provider that ended service, you may be behind. Read catch-up bookkeeping: what it costs and our outsourced bookkeeping definition. A tidy chart of accounts makes any switch faster.

What if you are leaving a provider right now?

Act in this order. First, export everything you can today. Second, confirm you can log in to your bank feeds and accounting file. Third, write down open items and dates. Fourth, hand the package to your new bookkeeper or CPA.

1. Download reports for every period you can reach.
2. Save receipts, invoices and statements in your own folder.
3. Record logins and admin owners, and change any shared passwords.
4. List unfinished work, such as unreconciled accounts or unpaid bills.
5. Book a consultation with a new provider and share the package.

What should you do if you already use an online bookkeeper?

Check your setup this week. It takes about an hour and works for any provider. You do not need to switch. You only need to know that you could leave or recover your books if you had to.

• Log in to your accounting software and confirm you are an owner or admin.
• Download your latest profit and loss statement, balance sheet and a full backup.
• Confirm your bank feeds are connected to accounts you control.
• Ask your bookkeeper for the notice and handover terms in writing.
• Share the backup location with your CPA.

Repeat the backup each quarter. A short habit now means a calm response later, whatever happens to any single company.

Next step

See how our bookkeeping services work, or book a free strategy call and bring these eight questions.