If you prepare returns for freelancers, sole proprietors and single-member LLCs, BrassWell is an app you can recommend so they arrive with the year already sorted: income and expenses categorized, receipts attached, miles logged, quarterly payments recorded, and one spreadsheet export for you. You still prepare and file the return. BrassWell just changes what lands on your desk.
The April problem
Self-employed clients are often the slowest returns of the season. Bank statements arrive in March, personal and business spending are mixed together, receipts are missing, the mileage is a guess, and nobody paid quarterly estimates. Most of your time goes on sorting, chasing and re-asking, not on the return itself. The IRS expects them to keep records that back up every figure, but most of them never had a system for it.
What you get from a BrassWell client
| What the client keeps | What you receive |
|---|---|
| Income and expenses as they happen, in business categories | An Excel workbook: Income, Expenses, Invoices, Estimated payments and a Summary sheet |
| Expense categories | A Schedule C prep worksheet, each category on its line and the rest on line 27b |
| Receipts scanned with the phone camera | Receipt photos as one zip file |
| Trips logged as they drive (Pro) | An IRS-ready mileage log with dates, purpose and miles |
| 1099 forms checked against recorded income | A 1099 reconciliation that shows which payers match |
| An S-Corp owner’s salary runs (Pro) | A salary log sheet in the same workbook |
Personal spending the client marks as personal is exported but kept out of the business totals, and meals are counted at their 50% deductible share. Each total in the Summary agrees with a SUM() over its sheet, so you can check the figures. Clients can also export a single year or all time, and they can still export after they cancel.
BrassWell is not double-entry bookkeeping and has no accountant login. The client sends you the files, by email or from their phone’s share sheet. If you need a general ledger or payroll, keep those clients on QuickBooks or Xero.
Fewer surprises during the year
BrassWell keeps a running estimate of what the client will owe and sets money aside for it. It suggests a quarterly payment and shows each IRS due date before it arrives. Clients record what they paid, so the year-end estimated payments sheet is already filled in. That means fewer surprise balances due and fewer underpayment penalties to explain. On Pro, they also get a quarterly P&L and tax statement they can send you mid-year.
How to refer your clients
You don’t need an account or a partner agreement. Send the link, and put it where clients already look:
- Engagement letter or welcome packet: add one line saying you recommend BrassWell for tracking income and expenses.
- Year-end organizer: ask for the BrassWell workbook export in place of bank statements and receipts.
- At the April meeting: recommend it to every client whose records were hard to work with, so next year is easier.
- In your email signature or client portal: a short line with the link to brasswell.app.
For next year, I’d like you to try BrassWell (brasswell.app). Add income and expenses as they happen, scan receipts with your phone, and it keeps your tax set-aside and quarterly payments in view. At year end, export the Excel workbook and send it to me. It’s free for 14 days and works on iPhone, Android and the web.
The benefits worth telling clients are simple:
- They know what’s theirs to spend, after the tax set-aside.
- They stop losing receipts: a photo is scanned into an expense.
- Their deductions hold up: miles, meals and receipts are recorded when they happen.
- Their tax prep may cost less, because you spend less time sorting.
- They get paid faster: invoices go out as PDFs and payments are recorded as income.
Core is $19.99 a month or $199 a year. Pro, with the mileage log, time tracking, quarterly statements, the S-Corp salary log and bank import, is $29.99 a month or $299 a year. The 14-day trial never charges. See pricing.
Who it fits, and who it doesn’t
BrassWell fits sole proprietors, freelancers, gig workers and single-member LLCs, which is who the tax estimate is built for. S-Corp and multi-member LLC owners can still track income, expenses and invoices, and Pro adds the salary log, but you handle the business return. It is not built for businesses with employees, inventory or a need for a full ledger.
Questions, answered
Why should tax professionals recommend BrassWell to clients?
Self-employed clients who track the year in BrassWell arrive with income and expenses categorized, receipts attached, miles logged and estimated payments recorded, plus one Excel export and a Schedule C prep worksheet. That means less time sorting records and chasing documents.
What does a BrassWell client send their accountant?
An Excel workbook with Income, Expenses, Invoices, Estimated payments and Summary sheets, plus a salary log sheet for S-Corp owners on Pro. They can also send CSV files, a Schedule C prep worksheet, a 1099 reconciliation, a mileage log on Pro, and their receipt photos as a zip.
Can an accountant log in to a client's BrassWell account?
No. BrassWell has no accountant login. The client exports the files and sends them to you by email or from their phone's share sheet.
Is there a referral or partner program for accountants?
No partner agreement is needed. Send clients the link to brasswell.app. They can try it free for 14 days, then Core is $19.99 a month and Pro is $29.99 a month.
Does BrassWell replace QuickBooks for my clients?
For sole proprietors and freelancers who don't need double-entry books, it can. Clients with employees, inventory, payroll or a need for a general ledger are better on QuickBooks or Xero.
Sources
- Publication 583, Starting a Business and Keeping Records — IRS. What records a small business must keep.
- Instructions for Schedule C (Form 1040) — IRS. Schedule C lines, including line 27b.
- Publication 463, Travel, Gift, and Car Expenses — IRS. Mileage records and the 50% meals limit.
- Estimated taxes — IRS. Quarterly payments and the underpayment penalty.
