In November 2023, Bench announced that it is transforming the Bench Tax service in an effort to significantly enhance the tax filing experience for customers. Customers who subscribe to the Premium plan will now work directly with us at Bench to make tax filing smoother, faster and more seamless. Below is some more in-depth information to explain these changes.
Why is Bench making this change?
Over the years our customers have told us that the experience of working between Bench and our previous income tax filing partner was challenging. We’re committed to providing a great customer experience, so we took this feedback from our customers seriously. To improve this experience, we decided to take our service entirely in-house for tax season 2024 and beyond. This is a major step to improve our customer experience for income tax filings.
Who will be completing my tax filing?
Your Tax Team consists of three highly specialized and experienced tax professionals who work closely together and are dedicated to providing you with an accurate, timely and seamless tax filing experience. They are supported in their work by a Tax Coordinator.
Upon providing you your draft tax return, you have the option to schedule time with your licensed Bench Tax Advisor to review your draft tax return with you before we file it. Reviewing your tax return with your Tax Advisor is one of the best ways to get income tax advice and can act as a foundation for creating a plan ahead for the years to come. We will not file your tax return until you’re happy with our work and give us the go ahead!
Who is on my tax team and who will I be working with throughout the process?
Your Tax Team consists of 3 highly specialized and experienced tax professionals, plus a coordinator, who work closely together and are dedicated to providing you with an accurate, timely and seamless tax filing experience. They are supported in their work by a Tax Coordinator.
- Tax Coordinator - Your Tax Coordinator supports you through the entire income tax filing process—so you’re not in it alone. When it’s time to start on your tax return, your Tax Coordinator will reach out to you by email to ensure they have everything they need to prepare your tax return.
- Tax Preparer - The Tax Preparer uses all of the information and documentation collected by your Tax Coordinator, and the bookkeeping prepared by your Bench Bookkeeper, to create a draft tax return. You may hear from them during this process if they need to ask you some clarifying questions or if we need further documentation to finish your return.
- Tax Reviewer - When the draft return is complete, we have a highly specialized Tax Reviewer complete a review of your tax return to ensure all details are recorded and correct. When everything looks good, they give it their stamp of approval and send it to you for your review.
- Tax Advisor - Upon providing you your draft tax return, you have the option to schedule time with your licensed Bench Tax Advisor to review your draft tax return with you before we file it. Reviewing your tax return with your Tax Advisor is one of the best ways to get income tax advice and can act as a foundation for creating a plan ahead for the years to come. We will not file your tax return until you’re happy with our work and give us the go ahead!
This means that you have 3 US Tax Professionals working on your tax return, to ensure no deduction goes unutilized and that your tax return is getting you the best possible outcome.
What are the qualifications and experience of those who work on my tax return?
Anyone who is preparing, reviewing or filing your tax return will be an experienced US Tax Professional.
Your Bench Tax Advisor will either be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or IRS Enrolled Agent (EA), located in the US. Our team has an average of +10 years of experience as US Tax Professionals.
We also have team members who support the preparation and review of your tax return, who have a combination of Certified Public Accountant (CPA), IRS Enrolled Agent (EA), qualified education in US Taxation, and are experienced in US Tax to give you your best tax return.
What will happen to all the information and documents I’ve already provided? Will I have to redo the work all over again?
Bench will migrate any information and documentation that you’ve already provided in the past. To ensure the accuracy of your filing, we still may need to check in with you to confirm that certain information we have about you is correct, or we may need to request new info or documentation that’s relevant to your income tax filing itself.
Will I still be working directly with people outside of Bench to get my taxes filed?
Moving forward you'll communicate directly with your dedicated Bench Tax Team who will handle and facilitate all of your income tax preparation and filing needs. We’re confident this will result in easier and better communication and make your income tax filing process much smoother.
How will this impact my service experience with Bench Tax?
Your Bench Tax experience will be improved as a result of these changes. Your Bench Tax Advisor and Bench Tax Coordinator will now be your main points of contact for all things tax filing and advice. Gone are the days of having to navigate between two platforms for your tax filing needs. We believe that these changes will improve your communication experience, the speed at which we can complete your filing, and ensure a higher level of quality overall.
Should I still be using Worklayer?
No, you won’t need to use Worklayer anymore. Moving forward, all your tax filing and tax return info will be centralized in one new Tax platform for your entire tax team to see. All communication will happen through email, where you can securely communicate and provide necessary documents. The new platform does not require a login. You can simply access it through the emails you receive.
Will I still have access to Worklayer?
Yes, you will still have secure access in order to access prior documentation and any services completed through the platform.
Can I still book Tax Advisory appointments throughout the year?
Absolutely! We always recommend connecting with your Bench Tax Advisor at least once a quarter. You can continue to book appointments with them using their Calendly link.
How fast will my tax team respond to my messages?
Our team will respond to your messages or requests within one business day. Sometimes you may hear from us faster but it is not guaranteed.
Where will I communicate with my tax team on my tax return?
We will primarily work with you on your tax return through email, but our team uses a platform to store all documents and centralize a history of all communications. This ensures that everyone working on your tax filing has visibility into all matters at all times.
During the filing process, if we need your support, you’ll receive an email from us with a checklist of items. You can respond back directly to the email, and you’ll also be able to upload documents directly to your tax portal by clicking directly on that task. All of this will help ensure that all conversations happening about your tax return are centralized in one place.