Question 1

What does Reconci actually do for my business?

Accepted Answer

Reconci connects to your QuickBooks or Xero account and automates the work your bookkeeper or accountant normally does manually. Every morning it processes your bank feed, categorises each transaction, flags anything unusual, and identifies any receipts you're missing. By the time you open your laptop, your books are already up to date. You spend minutes reviewing rather than hours doing.

Question 2

Do I need accounting knowledge to use it?

Accepted Answer

No. Reconci is built for business owners, not accountants. Everything is written in plain English. You'll see summaries like "You spent £3,200 on suppliers this month, up 12% from last month", not raw ledger entries or accounting codes. If something needs your attention, we tell you exactly what it is and why, in language that makes sense.

Question 3

How long does it take to set up?

Accepted Answer

Under 10 minutes for most businesses. You connect your QuickBooks or Xero account using a secure one-click authorisation, the same process you'd use to connect any certified accounting app. Reconci reads your existing transaction history to learn your patterns, and from that point forward it handles categorisation automatically. No data entry, no configuration, no technical knowledge required.

Question 4

Will it actually learn how my business works?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and this is what makes it different from a basic rule-based tool. Reconci reads your existing transaction history to understand your suppliers, your spending patterns, and how you typically categorise things. The more it processes, the more accurate it gets. If you correct a categorisation, it learns from that correction and applies it to similar transactions in future.

Question 5

What if it categorises something incorrectly?

Accepted Answer

The AI doesn't automatically apply anything it isn't confident about. Low-confidence decisions are flagged for your review, not silently written into your books. If a categorisation is wrong, you can correct it in one click, and the AI learns from your correction. Every change is logged in a full audit trail, so nothing ever happens invisibly.

Question 6

Is my financial data safe?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All data is encrypted in transit and at rest using AES-256 encryption, the same standard used by major banks. We connect to your accounting software using secure read-only authorisation where possible, and we never store your banking credentials. We maintain full audit logs of every action taken on your account. SOC 2 Type II certification is currently underway.

Question 7

Does it help with HMRC compliance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every transaction that requires supporting documentation (receipts, invoices, bills) is flagged automatically. Reconci requests the missing documents and attaches them to the correct transaction once received. Your records are kept audit-ready at all times, so if HMRC ever asks questions, you have everything documented and exportable.

Question 8

Can it handle VAT?

Accepted Answer

Reconci suggests the correct VAT treatment based on the transaction type and your VAT scheme. These suggestions are reviewed before any write-back to your accounting software, so your VAT records remain accurate. We don't file VAT returns directly. That still goes through your accountant or HMRC's Making Tax Digital system, but we keep the underlying records clean so filing is straightforward.

Question 9

Can Reconci replace my accountant?

Accepted Answer

For day-to-day bookkeeping (categorisation, reconciliation, receipt collection, and record-keeping), yes, Reconci can handle the bulk of it. For year-end accounts, tax strategy, and advisory work, you'll still want an accountant. What Reconci does is deliver clean, accurate books to your accountant, which means they spend less time sorting through your data and more time giving you advice. Most users find their accountant bills go down.

Question 10

What does it cost?

Accepted Answer

Early members who start now will lock in founding-member pricing for life. We'll have a simple monthly plan with no per-transaction fees and no surprise charges. Full pricing details will be shared before we open access. You can start now with no credit card required and no commitment.

Question 11

How does Reconci fit into my existing workflow?

Accepted Answer

Reconci sits alongside your existing QuickBooks or Xero setup. It doesn't replace it. The AI handles the categorisation and reconciliation workload in the background. You and your team review AI suggestions, approve the correct ones, override anything that needs adjusting, and close books. The review queue surfaces high-priority exceptions first so you focus your time where it matters, not on a flat list of 500 transactions.

Question 12

Can I manage multiple clients from one place?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Reconci dashboard is built for multi-client management. Each client's data is isolated with no cross-contamination, but your team has unified visibility across all accounts. You can switch between client books instantly, see reconciliation rates at a glance, track open tasks, and identify which clients need attention, all from one screen without logging in and out of multiple QBO or Xero accounts.

Question 13

Who approves what the AI does: me or the AI?

Accepted Answer

You do, always. Reconci operates on a confidence-gated model: only high-confidence categorisations are applied automatically. Everything the AI is uncertain about sits in a pending queue for your review, with the AI's reasoning and suggestion visible alongside each transaction. You never need to undo something you didn't see first. Write-back to QuickBooks only happens after human approval for anything below the high-confidence threshold.

Question 14

What happens when the AI gets a transaction wrong?

Accepted Answer

You'll see it in the review queue and can correct it in one click. Correcting a categorisation teaches the AI not to make the same mistake for that client again. Every correction is logged in the audit trail with a timestamp and the approving team member's name. If a write-back has already happened and needs to be reversed, Reconci supports date-range rewind, so you can undo a full submission and reset the affected transactions to pending.

Question 15

Is there a complete audit trail for compliance purposes?

Accepted Answer

Every action taken in Reconci is logged: every AI suggestion, every manual override, every approval, every correction, every write-back. The log includes timestamp, user, transaction reference, and the AI's reasoning for its suggestion. This is exportable at any time and is structured for HMRC audit scenarios. If a client is ever queried, you have a documented record of every bookkeeping decision made on their behalf.

Question 16

How does pricing work for accounting firms?

Accepted Answer

We'll offer firm-specific pricing designed for multi-client management rather than per-transaction charging that punishes volume. Founding firm members who start now will lock in early-adopter pricing before public launch. Full pricing tiers, including firm and per-client options, will be published before we open access. Start now to be first to see it.

Question 17

Can my clients interact with the system directly?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Reconci includes a client query tool: if a transaction needs clarification that only the business owner can provide, you can send a targeted question to the client in one click. Their response feeds directly back into the categorisation workflow, with no manual forwarding and no email threads to manage. You control what each client can see and do within their own view.

Question 18

How does Reconci handle receipt and document requests?

Accepted Answer

When Reconci identifies a transaction that requires supporting documentation, it flags it and can automatically request the document from your client. Clients can respond by email or through a simple upload link, with no portal login required. Once received, the document is matched to the transaction and stored against it in the audit trail. You can set thresholds (e.g., receipts required for all transactions over £50) per client.

Question 19

Is it GDPR and HMRC compliant?

Accepted Answer

GDPR: All data is encrypted at rest and in transit. Data is stored in compliance with UK data protection requirements. We act as a data processor for your clients' financial data and provide a Data Processing Agreement on request. HMRC: Reconci maintains the documentation standards required for Making Tax Digital and keeps audit-ready records for every transaction.

Question 20

How do I onboard a new client?

Accepted Answer

Connect their QuickBooks or Xero account via OAuth. It takes under 5 minutes per client. Reconci reads their historical transaction data to seed the categorisation rules immediately. From that point, the AI begins processing new transactions automatically. You'll see their account appear in your client dashboard with a reconciliation health score and any immediate actions flagged. No manual data entry or configuration from scratch.

Question 21

Is Reconci worth using if I'm a one-person business?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and arguably more so than for larger businesses. As a solopreneur, bookkeeping is pure overhead, time taken away from billable work. Reconci handles the categorisation and reconciliation automatically, so your books stay current without you thinking about them. Most solo users get their monthly bookkeeping time down from a few hours to a 10-minute weekly review.

Question 22

What does it cost for a freelancer?

Accepted Answer

Early members who start now will lock in founding pricing for life. We'll publish a straightforward monthly plan with no per-transaction fees, so your costs don't grow as your transaction volume grows. No credit card is required to start now, and there's no commitment.

Question 23

Do I need QuickBooks or Xero? I just use a spreadsheet.

Accepted Answer

You don't need a subscription to an accounting platform to get started. Reconci supports direct CSV upload from any UK bank, including Monzo, Starling, Barclays, HSBC, NatWest, and others. Export your bank statement, upload it, and Reconci will categorise every transaction and return a clean, organised report. That said, if you're growing and want ongoing automation, QuickBooks Online and Xero integration gives you the full experience.

Question 24

Can it handle my receipts automatically?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When Reconci spots a transaction that should have a receipt attached, such as a supplier payment or a business expense, it flags it and can request the document automatically. You forward the receipt or photo to a dedicated email address, and it gets matched to the correct transaction. No manual filing, no digging through your inbox at year-end.

Question 25

Will it help me at tax time?

Accepted Answer

Significantly. The biggest problem at self-assessment time isn't the tax calculation. It's the incomplete or disorganised records. Reconci keeps your records current and categorised throughout the year, so when January arrives (or when you hand your records to an accountant), everything is already sorted. You or your accountant can export a clean, categorised statement at any time.

Question 26

Does it handle VAT?

Accepted Answer

Reconci suggests the correct VAT treatment for each transaction based on your VAT scheme and transaction type. This keeps your VAT records accurate throughout the year and makes quarterly returns straightforward. For VAT-registered solopreneurs on Making Tax Digital, accurate real-time records are a requirement, and Reconci keeps you compliant without any manual effort.

Question 27

What if I make a mistake or want to undo something?

Accepted Answer

Everything is reversible. You can correct any categorisation in one click, and the system will learn from the correction. If a larger batch of transactions needs to be revisited, you can reset a date range back to pending and recategorise from scratch. Nothing is permanent unless you explicitly approve it.

Question 28

Can this replace my accountant?

Accepted Answer

For day-to-day bookkeeping and record-keeping, yes. Reconci handles what would typically take a bookkeeper several hours a week. For year-end accounts, corporation tax, or complex tax planning, you'll still benefit from professional advice. What you'll find is that when you do use an accountant, you pay significantly less, because your records arrive clean and current rather than needing hours of cleanup work first.

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