Bench + Contractors & Freelancers: Faster Bank Import
Contractors and freelancers juggling personal and business accounts need to separate expenses for tax purposes. If you use Bench for your accounting, you need a fast way to get bank statement data into the system.
BankScan AI for Contractors & Freelancers Using Bench
BankScan AI converts any bank statement PDF to CSV formatted for direct import into Bench. Upload your bank statements and get organised spreadsheets that make expense categorisation and self-assessment tax returns straightforward.
The Contractors & Freelancers + Bench Workflow
Contractors download bank statements from both personal and business accounts, separate allowable business expenses from personal spending, categorise expenses by type for self-assessment, and either prepare their own tax return or send organised records to their accountant. Limited company contractors also need to reconcile director's loan accounts.
Key terms you'll encounter: IR35, director's loan account, allowable expenses, flat rate VAT.
How It Works
Upload any bank statement PDF
Supports all major banks. Saves 1-2 hours per month on expense tracking and categorisation, plus 3-4 hours at year-end when preparing records for self-assessment
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 Contractors & Freelancers
- 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 Contractors & Freelancers — Saves 1-2 hours per month on expense tracking and categorisation, plus 3-4 hours at year-end when preparing records for self-assessment
- Software compatible — Output works directly with FreeAgent, Xero, QuickBooks Self-Employed
Import Steps for Contractors & Freelancers Using Bench
As contractor, 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 Contractors & Freelancers
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 + Contractors & Freelancers