Cranston

Cranston is an AI tax and accounting platform that prepares work inside the software a firm already uses, including QuickBooks, Drake, CCH Axcess, Lacerte, UltraTax, Xero, TaxDome, and Gmail. It reads client documents, keys first-pass entries into existing tax files, classifies and reconciles transactions, and drafts journal entries, while surfacing missing or incorrect documents and drafting client follow-up emails. Nothing posts, files, or reaches a client until a reviewer approves it.

The platform covers tax prep, document check, bookkeeping, and tax research with cited answers drawn from the IRC, regulations, and rulings. Returns are prepared for 1040, 1120, 1120-S, and 1065, with source-linked workpapers, prior-year comparisons, and findings flagged before review. Integrations include Drake Tax, CCH Axcess Tax, UltraTax CS, Lacerte Tax, QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, Xero, and Sage Intacct. Security features include isolated per-firm workspaces, encryption, role-based access, SSO, audit logs, and PII protection.

Cranston is built for accounting and CPA firms. Pricing is usage-based: bookkeeping bills monthly per connected client book, and tax prep bills once per prepared return at a flat rate regardless of form, with no per-seat charges. Volume beyond 2,000 returns per season is priced by arrangement.