Bench Tax FAQ
Some frequently asked questions to help clarify working within Bench's Worklayer.
Q. Is Taxfyle secure?
All communication and documents shared are end-to-end encrypted to maintain high-level security. Taxfyle is also a trusted partner of PWC, and has had their systems tested by PWC’s security experts.
Q. Are my documents secure? Who can see my documents?
The documents tied to your profile are secured under your username and password. Only you and your Pro will have access to your documents. In the event that a question is raised to the Taxfyle team and requires a review of your account, a designated in-house Taxfyle representative may also review your relevant documents. All parties are held to stringent confidentiality standards. Should you use Taxfyle again next year, your Pro will be able to refer to your prior year documentation when preparing the current year. This will allow the completion of subsequent years to be expedited as you won't have to upload files that you uploaded in years prior.
Q. What is the difference between my Bench Bookkeeper and my Taxfyle Expert?
Your Bench Bookkeeper works on your annual bookkeeping and prepares a comprehensive financial package that your Taxfyle Expert will use to put together your Tax Return. Your bookkeeper is assigned to you year-round and is always available to answer questions about your books or Bench service. Here are some examples of topics you may wish to cover with your Bench Bookkeeper:
- What is the best categorization for a particular expense?
- What do the ledgers on my balance sheet or income statement mean?
- How do loans or other liabilities affect the bottom line of my business?
Your Taxfyle Expert is a CPA, Enrolled Agent, or Tax Attorney, who is licensed to file taxes and is highly knowledgeable about the IRS and the applicable State tax body. You will only have a Taxfyle Expert assigned to you when your Year End Financials have been completed and reviewed by you. Your Taxfyle Expert will communicate with you directly within the Worklayer platform so long as the tax service is incomplete. Here are some examples of topics you may wish to cover with your Taxfyle Expert:
- How can I maximize my tax deductions?
- Is my business structured in the best way to reduce my tax liabilities?
- How do I file a Tax Extension?
If you have questions for a Taxfyle Expert after your job has closed or before your job has started, please reach out to your Bench team or [email protected]! We can help you connect and get the answers you’re looking for.
Q. What turnaround times can I expect?
For Bench Financials, we find that this turnaround time can vary depending on the quantity of work to be completed and the particular items that are outstanding. We highly recommend logging in to the Bench App as soon as you are able and responding to any outstanding requests from your bookkeeping team. You will be able to confirm the turnaround time specific to your set of books with your bookkeeper once all requests have been addressed.
Typically, your Taxfyle Expert will require up to 5 business days to complete their filing job. You can help him or her stick to this deadline by responding to questions and confirming your return quickly!
Q. What should I do if I receive a notice from the IRS?
There are many reasons why the IRS may send a notice, and the majority of these only require a simple response in order to resolve. In the event that you do receive a notice, please take a photo of the front and back of the notice, and upload both images to your Bench account: https://app.bench.co/documents/uploads. We will help you to reopen your job and connect with your Taxfyle Expert if necessary, or point you in the right direction to resolve the request.
Please be aware that while we can often resolve the notice in a matter of days, receiving a response from the IRS after solving the issue can sometimes take several months. This is completely normal.