Tax prep and accounting software that runs itself
Cranston works with QuickBooks, Drake, CCH Axcess, and the rest of your stack. AI prepares the work. Your reviewers make the calls.
Returns
Henderson — 2025 Form 1040
Prepared from client documents, the prior-year return, and QuickBooks activity — every line tied to a source.
Client
Henderson, Mark & Elena
Priority
High
Preparer
Dana Whitfield
Status
In Review
Sources
QuickBooks
Client uploads
Filing status
Married filing jointly
Docs received
14 of 14
Latest activity
Just now
Prep time
12 min 40 s
Review items
3 items
Expected refund
$12,740
Return started
13 min ago
Cranston started the Henderson 2025 return — 14 source documents, the prior-year file, and QuickBooks activity.
Status updated to In Progress
12 min ago
Adjustment
9 min ago
Cranston found §199A information in an attached Schedule K-1 Statement A that was omitted from the draft return.
Qualified Business Income Deduction
Open
Allowed QBI deduction — Line 15
12,460
9,340
+3,120
Fact
8 min ago
Draft refund increased from $8,420 to $12,740 across 3 adjustments.
Assigned to Dana Whitfield
6 min ago
Status updated to In Review
4 min ago
Client confirmed the home office is 240 sq ft — good to claim the simplified method.
Every schedule ties to a source document. Exporting the draft 1040 and e-file forms to CCH Axcess for final review and signature.
The platform
Cranston prepares the work. Your team signs off.
Tax prep, bookkeeping, client requests, and practice management arrive organized, source-linked, and ready for review.
Every client, one workspace
Source documents, books, returns, and email threads stay together in one client workspace. Stop piecing the job together across portals and spreadsheets.
Clients
Henderson LLC
Activity
Files
Books
Returns
Folders
61
Source docs
24
Prior returns
3
Workpapers
12
Email threads
18
Client requests
4
Document
Source
Added
W-2 — R. Henderson.pdf
Gmail
Apr 2
1099-INT — Chase 4412.pdf
Portal
Apr 3
K-1 — Fairview Partners.pdf
Gmail
Apr 8
GL export — Q1.xlsx
QuickBooks
Apr 9
Fixed asset schedule.xlsx
Drive
Apr 9
Updated just now
Prepared for your review
Cranston drafts each return from the client file and puts every flagged item in one queue. Your team makes the judgment calls and signs off.
Returns
Tax year 2025
14 returns
11 signed off · 3 to review
Return
Prep
Status
R. Henderson — 1040
AI prepReview
Meridian Labs — 1120-S
AI prepReview
Alvarez Group — 1065
AI prepReview
Updated just now
Works on top of your stack
QuickBooks, Drake, CCH Axcess, TaxDome, and Gmail stay in place. Cranston moves the work between them.
Connections
12 apps
All syncedSource
Latest activity
Sync
QuickBooks
1,236 transactions synced
1m
Drake Tax
1120-S draft pushed
3m
TaxDome
3 document requests sent
9m
Gmail
watching 4 client threads
12m
Updated just now
How it fits
One layer between your tools and your clients
Your firm
Client relationships, advisory, final sign-off.
Cranston · operating layerTax prep
Organizers, W-2s, and K-1s drafted into the software you already run.
11 drafts readyTax review
Prior return, source docs, and diagnostics in one queue.
3 in your queueBookkeeping
Classification, reconciliation, and journals on every ledger.
1,236 codedPractice management
Open items, due dates, and client chasing on one board.
2 waiting on clientDrake Tax
UltraTaxTaxDomeTax prep
From missing documents to a review-ready return
Cranston requests missing documents, prepares the return, and pushes a source-linked draft into your tax software for review.
Returns
Collecting Docs
2
Form 1120-S
DAcme Dental — missing December bank statement
High
11 of 12 docs
Form 1065
MRiverside Cafe — 1099-K requested from Square
Low
6 of 9 docs
In Preparation
3
Form 1040
DHenderson — 2025 joint return
High
14 docs
Form 1120
SSummit Co — corporate return from trial balance
Medium
22 docs
Form 1040
MLee household — Schedule A substantiation
Low
9 docs
Pushed to Software
3
Form 1065
THarbor Group — e-filed via Drake Tax
Medium
18 docs
Form 1120-S
SBluebird LLC — exported to CCH Axcess
Low
12 docs
Bookkeeping
The monthly close, down to a handful of approvals
Cranston codes each bank feed against your chart of accounts and attaches receipts as evidence. 99% posts automatically. Your reviewer clears the remaining items before the work syncs back to QuickBooks or Xero.
Acme Dental
June close
99.1%
1,236 of 1,247 transactions coded
1,236 auto-coded
8 with client
3 to review
Open items
Approve allDate
Transaction
Amount ($)
Suggested coding
Jun 15
Stripe payout
High12,340.00)
Patient income
MedJun 18
Home Depot
High(860.00)
Repairs & maint.
HighJun 27
Check #2841
(3,200.00)
Needs a client answer
Net of 3 items
8,280.00)
Updated 2 min ago
Reconciliation
Your books match your bank. Every month.
Cranston pulls each statement and matches more than 99% of the transactions automatically. It isolates the exceptions so your reviewer can clear the open items before close.
Workflows
Monthly reconciliation — June 2026
Citi Business Checking
•••• 1102 · 1,247 transactions · June 2026
Reconciliation started
4 min ago
Pulled the June statement from Citi Business — 1,247 transactions imported.
Matching against QuickBooks
3 min ago
1,245 of 1,247 transactions matched. Two open items: one timing difference, one possible duplicate.
Flagged for review
2 min ago
$125.00 Office Depot — duplicate entry detected. The $450 timing difference auto-resolves in 2 days.
Reconciliation complete
1 min ago
Reconciliation report and adjustment entries created. 1 item waiting on your reviewer.
1,245 / 1,247 matched · 1 timing diff · 1 flagged
Client requests
Follow-ups that chase themselves
Missing receipts and open questions become structured requests. Cranston sends them, reminds the stragglers, and posts every answer back to the books with its source attached. No more open-items tab in Excel.
Acme Dental
June requests
Requests
2 of 4
PayPal
Jun 12
Home Depot
Jun 18
Venmo
Jun 21
Check #2841
Jun 27
Home Depot
Jun 18 · (860.00)
Activity
Files
Request created
3 days ago
Cranston flagged an uncategorized card purchase.
Question sent to Sarah via the client portal
3 days ago
“New project or a repair? A receipt helps if you have one.”
Auto-reminder sent
yesterday 9:00 AM
Repair — Dave patched the lobby drywall after the sink leak.home-depot-receipt.pdf86 KB
Posted to the books
2h ago
Coded 6240 Repairs & maintenance — synced to QuickBooks.
Practice management
Know where every client stands
See books, returns, and reviewer queues for every client on one screen. Open the client only when something needs attention.
Firm
All clients
42 clients
36 current · 4 waiting on client · 2 in review
Client
Books
Return
Latest from Cranston
When
Acme Dental
3 to review
1120-S — waiting on docs
Requested December bank statement
2m
Henderson
June closed
1040 in preparation
Drafted from 14 source docs
9m
Riverside Cafe
June closed
1065 — waiting on docs
1099-K requested from Square
1h
Summit Co
2 open items
1120 in preparation
Drafted from trial balance
3h
Harbor Group
June closed
1065 — e-filed
E-file accepted
1d
Updated just now
Security
Your firm's work stays private and isolated.
Cranston encrypts every file and keeps each firm's workspace separate.
Never shared with other firms
Client data, workflows, and firm-specific skills are never pooled with or exposed to another customer.
Reviewer sign-off
Nothing is filed or sent to a client without approval from your reviewers.
AES-256 encryption
Files, returns, and ledgers are encrypted in transit and at rest.
Point-in-time backups
Your firm's workspace can be restored from point-in-time backups.
Source-linked & auditable
Every figure links back to the document it came from.
SOC 2 examination in progress.
The whole price list
Bookkeeping
per client book, per month
$30
Tax preparation
flat rate per return, any form
$40
Tax practice management
included with bookkeeping
$0
That’s the entire bill. Estimate your first statement
Frequently asked questions
How Cranston fits into the way your firm already works.