Experience with Crunch Accountants

[ian2012]

Crunch service is great

I've been using Crunch for 2 years and think its a great service. I can log in anytime and see exactly how my company is performing, and it makes the whole process of running a company easy to understand. Automatic upload of scanned expense receipts is great too. Account managers and accountants have always replied to emails and explained things clearly. I'd definitely recommend it.

[JonNorris@Crunch]

Seems like the first guy in this treat advertised crunch accounting - as they seems to be spending endless energy in advertising. Pity once you are with them and dish out the money, you encounter a very overly complicated system (simple on the surface). End of the year I try and get my books in order before D-date. I ask them (example) what needs to be done - they reply almost same day with .A Do this - B. Do that. I do it. 3 weeks past, I email them - ask if books are send into the tax man, they come back with 'No, you still have to do C. and D'. I do it - to busy to keep checking that they know what they are talking about, a few weeks pass, email them again - are the books submitted. 'No, you have to Do E and F.' Oooh, ok, how do I do 'F' - 'you have to do F.1 then F.2'. Ok, how do I do F.1 and F.2? Crunch comes back with ooh, we see you did not do 'E' correctly sorry, you have start over at D, then delete 6 months of bla bla bla. ..........In the end I spend more time sorting out my books on crunch than actually working. I would rather pay a normal accountant double and get peace and get some work done without my blood boiling...

Hi Gabriel,

I can see we've had a few problems with your accounts but nothing particularly out of the ordinary. A back-and-forth with your Account Manager is all part of the process - we have to make sure everything is accurate and that requires input from you.

If you're after an accountant that'll knock up some year end accounts no questions asked I'm sure you'll have no problem finding one

[JRCT]

In general my experience is the opposite. Bank transactions get automatically pulled in, do reconciliation (generating any accounting records needed in the process) then click a button somewhere to say submit VAT return/corp tax/whatever.

Even if you only login once a month, your accounts would never be more than a month out-of-date.

I'm not sure why you have to do anything at all at year-end, I can't recall having to do anything other than confirm the accounts are up-to-date and returns can be submitted.

I have run into issues when I try to take more than the recommended amount of salary, their automation is not set up for that, however that sounds unrelated to your complaint.

I agree. I think Crunch are very good. Any problems I've had have been down to either my misunderstanding or my lack of effort in updating stuff regularly. Even then, they've put me back on track when I've asked.

[davemsdev]

I just use a small accountant, they are brilliant only charge me £65 per month get to speak to a proper accountant, was going to go down the other route online etc, but much prefer to know the person I am dealing with is an actual accountant.
what does everyone else pay out of interest ?

[Sausage Surprise]

7 weeks in and no problems yet. Previous accounts still to be input but the layout of the system looks quite straightforward.

[IR35 Avoider]

In general my experience is the opposite. Bank transactions get automatically pulled in, do reconciliation (generating any accounting records needed in the process) then click a button somewhere to say submit VAT return/corp tax/whatever.

Even if you only login once a month, your accounts would never be more than a month out-of-date.

I'm not sure why you have to do anything at all at year-end, I can't recall having to do anything other than confirm the accounts are up-to-date and returns can be submitted.

I have run into issues when I try to take more than the recommended amount of salary, their automation is not set up for that, however that sounds unrelated to your complaint.

[gabrielkolbe]

I hate crunch accounting

Seems like the first guy in this treat advertised crunch accounting - as they seems to be spending endless energy in advertising. Pity once you are with them and dish out the money, you encounter a very overly complicated system (simple on the surface). End of the year I try and get my books in order before D-date. I ask them (example) what needs to be done - they reply almost same day with .A Do this - B. Do that. I do it. 3 weeks past, I email them - ask if books are send into the tax man, they come back with 'No, you still have to do C. and D'. I do it - to busy to keep checking that they know what they are talking about, a few weeks pass, email them again - are the books submitted. 'No, you have to Do E and F.' Oooh, ok, how do I do 'F' - 'you have to do F.1 then F.2'. Ok, how do I do F.1 and F.2? Crunch comes back with ooh, we see you did not do 'E' correctly sorry, you have start over at D, then delete 6 months of bla bla bla. ..........In the end I spend more time sorting out my books on crunch than actually working. I would rather pay a normal accountant double and get peace and get some work done without my blood boiling...

[JonNorris@Crunch]

I was 2011 3 months with Crunch and 2012 one month not once I was contacted by an accountant.

I have in that 3 months around 180 emails and I went from one issue to another issue. I spent 70+ plus of my private time and for what?

My new accountant charges 11£ more a month and I am personally in touch with an accountant and I don't have to run my own books. Just normal banking stuff, invoicing and expenses.

Again, I can only apologise, although I can't offer anything more than that without knowing specifics about your account. If you never spoke to an accountant I would assume the problems lay with getting your account set up (which is handled by account managers) - perhaps trouble getting opening balances from your previous accountant?

If you want to shoot me an email ([email protected]) with your company name I can look into it further.

[Carp3Di3m]

Hi Carp3Di3m,

I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with Crunch, we're very aware that importing historical data can be a pain point for new clients and we're working on ways to fix that.

Just to address your point about Account Managers - you do actually get a lot more for your subscription than just an Account Manager. You get our software, your Account Manager, unlimited access to your own Accountant, our receipt scanning app, all your company tax returns generated and submitted etc. etc.

Generally speaking our customer satisfaction is really high, I can only apologise we didn't make the grade in your case. If there's anything we can do to make it right please let me know.

I was 2011 3 months with Crunch and 2012 one month not once I was contacted by an accountant.

I have in that 3 months around 180 emails and I went from one issue to another issue. I spent 70+ plus of my private time and for what?

My new accountant charges 11£ more a month and I am personally in touch with an accountant and I don't have to run my own books. Just normal banking stuff, invoicing and expenses.

[JonNorris@Crunch]

Hi Carp3Di3m,

I'm sorry you didn't have a positive experience with Crunch, we're very aware that importing historical data can be a pain point for new clients and we're working on ways to fix that.

Just to address your point about Account Managers - you do actually get a lot more for your subscription than just an Account Manager. You get our software, your Account Manager, unlimited access to your own Accountant, our receipt scanning app, all your company tax returns generated and submitted etc. etc.

Generally speaking our customer satisfaction is really high, I can only apologise we didn't make the grade in your case. If there's anything we can do to make it right please let me know.

[rd409]

Does anyone have any experience they would like to share positive/negative or otherwise about the service provided by Crunch accountants?

I'm thinking of moving from my "full service" accountants, for a couple of reasons, mainly

• book-keeping seems slicker
• more real-time info
• automated VAT returns
• and of course price - about 50% cheaper than what I'm currently paying

My arrangements are very standard (small salary, mostly divs) and I rarely use the advice of my accountant.

Any views welcome

Thanks

Steve

Recipe for disaster, I predict.
Dave.

[Carp3Di3m]

I have now signed up with them twice and the accounting service is very low. All you get for money is and account manager.

After I have now spent again more the 30h entering my details since April this year, as nothing worked and a lot of steps had be trouble shooted my account are a total mess, the VAT doesn't match my calculations and the system tells my that I have taken 18k too much out my accounts. I have switched now to a local accountant and I am paying 11£ more a month and I don't have to waste a lot of time getting used to a not straight forward system and entering all my details.

[northernladuk]

You could try a search. This exact question has been asked a few times very recently.

[shartley]

Does anyone have any experience they would like to share positive/negative or otherwise about the service provided by Crunch accountants?

I'm thinking of moving from my "full service" accountants, for a couple of reasons, mainly

• book-keeping seems slicker
• more real-time info
• automated VAT returns
• and of course price - about 50% cheaper than what I'm currently paying

My arrangements are very standard (small salary, mostly divs) and I rarely use the advice of my accountant.

Any views welcome

Thanks

Steve