Bench Accounting abruptly interrupted service in late December 2024, leaving customers unable to access the platform and their accounting and tax documents. Employer.com announced it was acquiring certain Bench assets on December 30. Bench later said service resumed in January 2025 under Employer.com ownership—but that announcement does not establish that every customer’s records were restored or unfinished work completed.
What happened to Bench Accounting?
On December 27, 2024, Bench told customers its platform would no longer be accessible, according to TechCrunch’s contemporaneous report. Customers faced a sudden loss of access to accounting and tax documents. Three days later, Employer.com and Bench announced an acquisition. The announcement described plans for customer continuity, but it was not proof that service continued seamlessly for everyone.
Bench’s current company information says operations resumed in January 2025 under Employer.com ownership. That is Bench’s description of its status; individual customers should confirm their own access, subscription, records and outstanding work directly.
Did Employer.com buy Bench?
Employer.com announced on December 30, 2024 that it was acquiring certain assets from Bench Accounting, Inc. The transition FAQ described Employer.com as a separate entity and said it was not liable for Bench’s prior obligations, including refunds and completion of past services. These are the companies’ stated terms, not an independent determination of customers’ legal rights.
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The acquisition price and definitive scope of assets and liabilities transferred were not disclosed in the reviewed reporting. Bench’s announcement spoke of continued platform access and work with in-house bookkeepers; TechCrunch reported that Employer.com said customers could either port their data or continue service. Those statements describe the announced plan, not verified outcomes for each customer.
What did the transition terms mean for customers?
Bench’s transition FAQ set out conditions for customers seeking information about services: they had to acknowledge a transfer of data and services through the login portal and have an active Bench.co subscription with Employer.com. The FAQ said the Bench team was willing and dedicated to completing work paid for by earlier subscription payments for active customers, at no additional charge.
The FAQ also warned that customers who discontinued service would not have outstanding 2024 bookkeeping completed. It said payments made before December 30, 2024 were not eligible for refunds. These statements describe the FAQ’s terms at the time; they do not establish how a particular customer’s case was resolved. For an individual account, review the current terms and contact the provider in writing about access, incomplete work and any payment dispute.
How many customers and employees did Bench have?
Contemporaneous TechCrunch reporting gave two different customer-scale figures from different sources and contexts. Employer.com reportedly described Bench as having approximately 12,000 customers. Bench’s former website had claimed more than 35,000 “American small business owners.” Neither figure was presented as an audited count, and the wording does not make them directly comparable.
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TechCrunch also reported that Bench’s website listed more than 600 employees. That was a company website figure reported at the time, not a verified post-shutdown headcount.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What should former Bench customers do now?
Start by establishing what you can access and what remains incomplete. Keep copies of statements, invoices, tax documents and communications, and do not assume a platform transfer means every prior-period task was finished.
- Check account access. Try the Bench login portal and confirm whether your records and bookkeeping reports are available. Save or export accessible records before making a change.
- Confirm the status of unfinished work. Ask Bench/Employer.com for a written list of completed and outstanding periods, deliverables, and any conditions attached to completion.
- Decide whether to continue or move. The reported paths were continuation with Bench under Employer.com or porting data to another provider. Compare the new subscription terms with the practical cost of migration.
- Have a tax professional assess gaps. If a filing deadline is approaching or books are incomplete, ask a CPA or qualified tax professional what records are needed and whether reconstruction is necessary.
If you are considering a move, compare providers on the factors that affect both continuity and tax readiness:
- Whether you can export historical transactions, reports, receipts and tax documents in usable formats.
- Which bookkeeping periods are complete and which still need reconciliation.
- Whether the service includes human bookkeeping support and help preparing records for tax season.
- How migration works, including integrations with your bank, payroll provider and accounting software.
- The price, renewal terms and scope of any new subscription.
- Whether you will also need a CPA or other tax professional for filing or cleanup.
The available reporting does not provide a current, vetted comparison of alternative providers. Ask any prospective small-business bookkeeping service or accounting software migration provider to explain its export process, migration responsibilities, pricing and tax workflow before you commit.
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