Our experience with Steadman Tax Services was extremely disappointing…read more
We dealt with poor communication, multiple handoffs on our account, inaccurate bookkeeping, and a defensive response when we tried to get answers. We were told monthly bookkeeping emails and financial summaries were being sent, but we did not receive them on our end, including in spam. Their explanation was that the emails showed as sent or delivered on their side, but that does not change the fact that we did not receive them on ours
There was also no consistency in who was handling our account. Within about a year of working with Steadman Tax Services, the bookkeepers assigned to us changed multiple times. We started with Sam, who left abruptly and shortly after we became clients. After that, we were moved to Alyssa, then Daniella, and later Keri this January, with no communication about those transitions. That constant turnover made the process frustrating and made it hard to feel like anyone had a full understanding of our books or the history of our account.
The bookkeeping issues were even more concerning. Our 2025 P&L showed many American Express charges categorized as Thumbtack advertising, even though we did not use Thumbtack at all in 2025. That significantly distorted our marketing expenses. We also found other miscategorized expenses, including business subscriptions being placed under office supplies instead of a more appropriate category. We had also already provided information about a cargo van purchase, yet it still was not properly recorded as an asset months after the purchase.
When we reviewed the QB audit history, we also found long gaps with little to no bookkeeping activity, including stretches of roughly 29 days, 81 days, 49 days, 35 days, and 27 days with only minimal or administrative changes. That matters because this was supposed to be an ongoing monthly bookkeeping services that we pay for. The audit log did not reflect the kind of steady monthly review, cleanup, and follow-through we were paying for. Instead, it looked like work was being done in batches with long periods of inactivity in between, which helps explain why issues sat unresolved and why so many things were only caught much later.
To make matters worse, we had repeatedly clarified that my wife does not work and has no separate income, but that continued to resurface as if it had never been communicated. That showed a lack of attention to detail and poor account management.
What was most frustrating was how the firm responded once we raised these concerns. We were not rude or hostile. We brought up specific issues, pointed to documentation, and tried to get clarity on what had gone wrong and how it would be fixed. Instead of taking accountability and working toward a solution, the response felt defensive, dismissive, and focused on shifting blame back onto us. Rather than treating our concerns as legitimate, it felt like we were being talked around and told, in effect, that the problems were ours for not catching them sooner. Then, after we followed up in writing to document those concerns and ask for a resolution, they chose to disengage immediately instead of addressing the issues professionally. That made the entire experience feel even more disappointing and unprofessional.
We were not asking for anything unreasonable. We wanted accurate books, clear communication, consistency, and accountability.
Based on our experience, we would not recommend this firm.
