Bench + Accountants: Faster Bank Import
Accountants spend hours manually entering client bank statements into bookkeeping software. With hundreds of transactions per client per month, this is the single biggest time drain in practice. If you use Bench for your accounting, you need a fast way to get bank statement data into the system.
BankScan AI for Accountants Using Bench
BankScan AI converts any bank statement PDF to CSV formatted for direct import into Bench. BankScan AI lets you drag-and-drop any client's bank statement PDF and get a formatted Excel spreadsheet in seconds — ready to import into Xero, QuickBooks, or Sage.
The Accountants + Bench Workflow
Accountants typically receive client bank statements monthly, reconcile them against purchase and sales ledgers, post adjusting entries, and prepare management accounts. During year-end, they batch-process 12 months of statements for annual accounts preparation and corporation tax filings.
Key terms you'll encounter: nominal ledger, bank reconciliation, trial balance, management accounts.
How It Works
Upload any bank statement PDF
Supports all major banks. Saves an average of 45 minutes per client per month on bank reconciliation, or 6+ hours per week for a typical practice with 30 clients
AI formats for Bench
Output as CSV with Date, Description, Amount — Bench bookkeepers handle column mapping during their review process — dates in MM/DD/YYYY.
Import and reconcile
Share BankScan AI's converted CSV files with your Bench bookkeeper via the Bench portal. They import the data into your Bench account for categorisation and reconciliation. Bench bookkeepers can use BankScan AI's pre-structured data to speed up categorisation, reducing the typical 5-day turnaround to 1-2 days for historical catch-up bookkeeping.
Supported Banks
BankScan AI works with all major UK and US banks, including:
Bench Features for Accountants
- Bench ready — Output formatted as CSV matching Bench's expected column structure
- Smart integration — Bench bookkeepers can use BankScan AI's pre-structured data to speed up categorisation, reducing the typical 5-day turnaround to 1-2 days for historical catch-up bookkeeping.
- Built for Accountants — Saves an average of 45 minutes per client per month on bank reconciliation, or 6+ hours per week for a typical practice with 30 clients
- Software compatible — Output works directly with Xero, Sage, QuickBooks
Import Steps for Accountants Using Bench
As an accountant, here's how to get bank data into Bench:
- Share BankScan AI's converted CSV files with your Bench bookkeeper via the Bench portal
- They import the data into your Bench account for categorisation and reconciliation
Common Import Issues
Bench's human bookkeepers handle most import issues. Main challenge is when bank feeds disconnect — BankScan AI serves as the backup data source for gap periods.
Bench Import — Built for Accountants
Unique hybrid model combining software with dedicated human bookkeepers. Popular with US small business owners who want hands-off bookkeeping without hiring an in-house accountant.
Try Free — Bench + Accountants