Heard — Independent Software Review

Streamline your finances and maximize your tax savings.

Compliance Transparency Index

Grade: C — Score: 60/100

Best For

Not Ideal For

Operational Overview

Heard is a specialized financial management platform designed specifically for therapists and wellness practitioners, offering a seamless integration of bookkeeping, tax filing, and payroll services. The technology allows users to manage their finances in one place, eliminating the need for spreadsheets and manual tracking.

The workflow is optimized for efficiency, enabling therapists to save time on financial record-keeping and focus on their clients. With features like automated tax deduction tracking and monthly bookkeeping reviews, Heard simplifies the financial management process, ensuring that practitioners can make informed decisions about their finances.

By using Heard, therapists mitigate the risks associated with financial mismanagement, such as missed tax deadlines and overlooked deductions. The platform provides expert support and guidance tailored to the unique needs of private practice, ensuring compliance and maximizing savings.

Pricing Structure

Lite: $129/month (billed annually), $1,548/year

Essential: $169/month (billed annually), $2,028/year

Premium: $255/month (billed annually), $3,060/year

Gusto Payroll Add-On: $39/month + $6/person/month

Catch-Up Bookkeeping: $99/month of catch-up bookkeeping needed

Alternative Consideration

Consider switching to QuickBooks: QuickBooks offers broader accounting features but lacks specialization in therapy practices.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Heard better than QuickBooks for therapists?

Heard is better when a therapist wants done-for-you bookkeeping, quarterly tax estimates, tax filing support, and a team that specializes in private practices. QuickBooks is better when the buyer wants a DIY accounting system and is comfortable managing categories, reconciliation, reports, and tax coordination separately. Heard's own comparison says QuickBooks is a good DIY option, while Heard is built specifically for therapists and wellness practitioners.

Can Heard replace a local CPA for a therapy practice?

Heard can replace some bookkeeping, tax preparation, and payroll coordination work for the practice types it supports. It is not the same as a local CPA relationship with regular personalized meetings, and Heard says a local CPA may be better for therapists who want that kind of experience. Buyers with complex advisory, legal, or multi-owner needs should confirm the fit before relying on Heard.

Does Heard handle annual tax filing or only quarterly tax estimates?

Heard handles quarterly tax estimates across its plans, but annual tax filing depends on the plan. Lite does not include annual tax filing by default, while Essential includes personal federal and state filing for solo sole proprietors and Premium includes personal and business filing for S corporations or group practices. Lite customers can upgrade, file outside Heard, or pay a one-time $750 fee for Heard to handle annual filing.

Does Heard work for new solo therapists just starting private practice?

Yes, Heard can fit new solo therapists if they want a bookkeeping and quarterly tax system in place early. The Lite plan is positioned for solo therapists in the early years of private practice and includes monthly bookkeeping, quarterly tax estimates, S corp election guidance, and year-end tax-ready books. A very small practice that is comfortable with DIY bookkeeping may still find a spreadsheet or QuickBooks cheaper.

Does Heard support S corp therapists?

Yes. Heard supports S corp election guidance, Form 2553 filing, reasonable salary review, S corp compliance, accountable plan creation, payroll setup, and business tax filing on the Premium plan. Heard also says S corp status usually starts making sense around $80,000 to $100,000 in annual practice income, but buyers should treat that as general guidance rather than legal or tax advice.

Does Heard support group therapy practices and payroll?

Yes, but group practices should look at Premium rather than Lite or Essential. Premium is built for S corporations and group practices and includes group-practice support, business tax filing, S corp compliance, and payroll setup. Payroll is handled through a Gusto-powered add-on listed at $39 per month plus $6 per person per month.

What does the Heard bookkeeping team do each month?

Heard says the bookkeeping team completes catch-up bookkeeping when a customer first joins, then categorizes transactions and reconciles accounts every month. The team may also ask the customer to review transactions or upload monthly statements so the books can be reconciled correctly. Heard says customers can message the bookkeeping team and receive answers from a real person within 1 to 2 business days.

Can Heard clean up past bookkeeping before tax season?

Yes. Heard offers catch-up bookkeeping for months that need transaction review, categorization, validation, and reconciliation. The approved feature data lists standard catch-up bookkeeping at $99 per month needed, and Heard says the fee is calculated at checkout based on the months requiring review. Buyers should confirm the final catch-up scope during onboarding because cleanup can materially change the first-year cost.

Who should not use Heard?

Heard is not a fit for every business. The vendor says it works exclusively with health and wellness private practices and does not work with non-health practices, practices outside the United States, practices with multiple owners, or practices taxed as C corporations. Buyers who need public SOC 2, SSO, or GDPR documentation should also treat those as evidence gaps.

Does Heard provide legal or financial advice?

No. Heard says it is not a law or financial firm and does not provide legal or financial services or advice. Its product is better understood as bookkeeping, tax preparation, payroll coordination, software, and self-help tools for private practice finances. Therapists with legal, entity-formation, ownership, or complex tax questions should involve their own attorney, business advisor, or tax advisor.

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