Does PlainBooks work for accounting / bookkeeping?

Yes. PlainBooks is general-ledger bookkeeping software — workspaces, chart of accounts, journal entries, period close, bank reconciliation, the full report set (Trial Balance, P&L, Balance Sheet, GL detail, AR aging, AP aging, 1099 summary). The accounting / bookkeeping-specific copy on this page describes the accounts and bills that matter most in this vertical.

$15/month or $150/year when signups open. One price, all features, no tiers. Signups aren't open yet — leave your email on the home page and we'll send one note when launch happens.

Do I need to connect a bank account?

No. PlainBooks does not ingest bank feeds. You post journal entries directly (and for trucking workspaces, trips and state-mileage entries write the underlying entries automatically). If you want bank-fed cash visibility, that's a different category of tool.

What about cash-flow forecasting?

On the roadmap, not in the current build. PlainBooks today shows what your books say — current balances, what's open in AR and AP, what's posted, what's pending close. We don't promise features that aren't built.

For solo CPAs + small bookkeeping firms.

Bookkeeping for the firm that keeps other peoples' books.

Tax-prep revenue and bookkeeping retainer revenue post separately so the seasonal vs steady picture is honest. Partner draws hit equity, not expenses. Software renewals can amortize. Your firm's books close clean every month so the October partner question has a real answer.

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Tax-season carry math

January through mid-April you bring in 60–70% of the year. The rest of the year, monthly bookkeeping retainers and a few extension filings. PlainBooks shows whether April's surplus actually carries through October — not whether it should on paper.

Retainer-vs-prep split

Monthly bookkeeping retainers are the steady money. Tax prep is the spike. PlainBooks separates them in the deposit feed so you can see retainer growth — the thing that smooths the year — against the seasonal lumps.

Software-stack truth

Drake or Lacerte or ProConnect. QuickBooks Online Accountant. Karbon. SmartVault. SafeSend. Each one is small; together they are $400–$900 a month, every month. PlainBooks tallies the real annual line.

Where the books get messy

January through mid-April you do 60–70% of the year's revenue. Tax-prep fees come in lumpy — $400 here, $1,800 there, $3,200 for a multi-entity return. Monthly bookkeeping retainers from your steady clients clear the 1st like clockwork — that's the smoother portion. After April 15 the firm's revenue drops to 30–40% of peak for six months. The Drake renewal hits in September.

The firm running other peoples' books still needs its own books to close every month — and especially needs them clean before the next tax season, because the partners are going to ask questions in October.

What PlainBooks does

PlainBooks gives you the books — chart of accounts shaped for a small firm or solo practice, the journal where each tax-prep deposit, monthly-retainer collection, software renewal, CPE charge, and contractor payment writes a balanced entry, and a period close that locks each month.

Tax-prep revenue and bookkeeping-retainer revenue post to separate accounts so seasonal vs steady performance is visible. Software renewals (Drake, Lacerte, ProConnect, QuickBooks Online Accountant) can post as one annual expense or amortize across the year depending on your method.

Partner draws post to the Partner Draw equity account — not to expenses — so the P&L stays an honest measure of firm performance. If the firm runs on a fiscal year, period close handles that.

When the year closes

Close December (or your fiscal year-end) and PlainBooks generates the closing entries. The annual PDF package — Trial Balance, P&L (tax-prep vs retainer revenue separated, software + CPE + dues itemized), Balance Sheet, GL detail, AR aging for clients still on retainer, AP aging — comes out in one file.

PlainBooks does not replace your tax software, manage client documents, or track WIP on returns. Drake, Lacerte, ProConnect, SmartVault, Karbon, Canopy handle those. PlainBooks watches the firm itself — your clients' books are your clients' books.

Bills you can't afford to forget

PlainBooks puts each one on the same calendar as your real bank balance, so you see the collision before it happens.

Tax software (Drake, Lacerte, ProConnect)
Annual, often Sep–Dec
$350–$2,000/year
Practice management + document tools
Monthly
$120–$350
Office rent
Monthly, the 1st
$800–$2,000
Seasonal staff payroll
Biweekly, Jan–Apr
$2,000–$8,000
E&O / professional liability
Monthly or annual
$100–$300
CPE + AICPA + state CPA dues
Spread across year
$80–$280/mo equivalent

The April-surplus question

April you net $8,000–$15,000. May through September you net half that or less. Most firms know this in their bones but cannot point to the exact month the surplus runs out. PlainBooks calculates the runway date from the actual bank balance, the actual recurring expenses, and the recent deposit pattern — so the August week the cushion runs out is on the calendar in June.

$8K–$15K

typical April net to carry to year-end

What PlainBooks doesn't do

Honest about scope. If you need any of these, you need different software.

Replace your tax software — Drake, Lacerte, ProConnect, UltraTax
Manage client documents — SmartVault, SafeSend, ShareFile
Track work-in-progress on returns — Karbon, Canopy, Jetpack
File anything for you. PlainBooks watches the books on the firm itself — your clients' books are still yours to keep.

Ready to see your cash position?

$15/month or $150/year (two months free). 14-day free trial. No card required.

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Common questions

Does PlainBooks work for accounting / bookkeeping?: Yes. PlainBooks is general-ledger bookkeeping software — workspaces, chart of accounts, journal entries, period close, bank reconciliation, the full report set (Trial Balance, P&L, Balance Sheet, GL detail, AR aging, AP aging, 1099 summary). The accounting / bookkeeping-specific copy on this page describes the accounts and bills that matter most in this vertical.
What does it cost?: $15/month or $150/year when signups open. One price, all features, no tiers. Signups aren't open yet — leave your email on the home page and we'll send one note when launch happens.
Do I need to connect a bank account?: No. PlainBooks does not ingest bank feeds. You post journal entries directly (and for trucking workspaces, trips and state-mileage entries write the underlying entries automatically). If you want bank-fed cash visibility, that's a different category of tool.
What about cash-flow forecasting?: On the roadmap, not in the current build. PlainBooks today shows what your books say — current balances, what's open in AR and AP, what's posted, what's pending close. We don't promise features that aren't built.