TaxAct buys Balance Financial

John Cook for Geekwire writes: Balance Financial, a 9-year-old Bellevue company that specializes in personal finance tools and services, has been acquired by Blucora’s TaxAct subsidiary. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Balance Financial CEO Devin Miller wrote in a blog post that the deal will benefit “customers, partners and employees.”

“TaxACT is well-capitalized and boasts the valuable resources of a larger company which will help us further expand the growth of the Balance Financial brand,” wrote Miller in a blog post. “Together, we will leverage our combined knowledge and expertise in the digital personal finance market, enabling us to enhance the premium solutions for both TaxACT and Balance Financial customers.”

Balance Financial will continue to operate under its name, and Miller and the rest of the team will stick in place. “In the end, this transaction is about adding the financial resources and talent to better meet your needs and ensure that our services remain at the forefront of our industry,” said Miller, who previously worked at Finsphere and Premier Payment Services.

Bellevue-based Blucora, formerly InfoSpace, purchased Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based TaxAct in January 2012 for $287 million.

Balance Financial was backed by Crosslink Capital, angel investors Geoff Entress. Michael Buhrmann and others. It employs 11 people. The company, which combines elements of the online financial management service Mint.com with the personal brick-and-mortar touch of H&R Block, raised $2 million in funding last year.

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Devin Miller, CEO of Balance Financial writes: I am excited to share some news today that we are certain will benefit all of our customers, partners and employees. Today marks another significant milestone as Balance Financial becomes part of the TaxACT family in agreeing to be acquired by the company.

TaxACT is a national brand with a strong market position in the tax preparation market, particularly the growing digital do it yourself tax filing market for both consumers and professional preparers. TaxACT is well-capitalized and boasts the valuable resources of a larger company which will help us further expand the growth of the Balance Financial brand. Together, we will leverage our combined knowledge and expertise in the digital personal finance market, enabling us to enhance the premium solutions for both TaxACT and Balance Financial customers.

We will continue to operate under the Balance Financial name, and you will still work with the same people and products that you've come to know and trust, we just have new owners now to help grow the business. In the end, this transaction is about adding the financial resources and talent to better meet your needs and ensure that our services remain at the forefront of our industry.

We're extremely proud of the accomplishments our dedicated team has worked so hard to achieve, without their hard work and dedication we wouldn't have this great opportunity. When we originally launched, we focused exclusively on consumer bookkeeping services, and now, several years later, we have established ourselves as leaders within the consumer and professional space. This deal will contribute to our forward momentum, and create significant opportunities to enhance our offerings to our clients.

This is an exciting time for Balance Financial and we look forward to continuing to serve our customers as part of TaxACT. 

Devin Miller

Co-Founder and CEO