Landscaping & lawn care
Books and taxes for aeration and overseeding companies.
A fall rush that packs most of the year's income into eight weeks, a core aerator pulled from yard to yard, seed bought by the pallet, and a route booked back to back. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September came in at $20,200. The seed order for the fall rush is booked against this month, since it is used up almost as fast as it is bought.
- Fall route billingAeration and overseeding jobs
- Commercial property jobsCommercial contracts
- Grass seed order, palletSeed and materials
- Aerator tine replacementEquipment repairs
- Crew wages, seasonal helpCrew wages
Why your books are different
Aeration and overseeding books go wrong around a season that lasts weeks, not months.
A generalist sees a small seasonal business with a spike in fall. Your business earns most of its year in a short, intense window, running a machine hard and buying seed almost as fast as it uses it. When the books do not track that, a great fall gets spent like it will happen every month.
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1
A whole year's income lands in eight weeks
Most of the year's profit shows up in September and October, and if the books do not flag that clearly, it is easy to spend like the fall rush is a normal monthly pace instead of the season that carries the year.
What we doKeeps the fall rush visible as its own stretch, so planning for the rest of the year is based on the real pattern, not a guess. -
2
Seed costs get bought and used almost the same week
Grass seed bought by the pallet during peak season gets used up fast, but if it is filed with general supplies instead of tracked against the rush, cost per job stays a mystery.
What we doKeeps seed and material costs in their own line during the rush, so cost per job is visible while it still matters for pricing. -
3
Aerator wear parts get missed until the machine breaks
Tines and bearings on a core aerator wear out fast under a full fall schedule, and if repair costs are not tracked against how hard the machine is running, a breakdown mid-rush comes as a surprise.
What we doKeeps equipment repair costs visible against the season, so wear and tear is a number you can watch, not a surprise bill. -
4
The rest of the year gets planned like the rush never ends
A business that earns most of its money in eight weeks still has bills every month of the year, and it is easy to underprepare for the long stretch after the season winds down.
What we doTracks cash on hand against off-season bills, so the months after the rush are a plan, not a scramble.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an aeration and overseeding company.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Aeration and overseeding jobsStandard residential route jobs, billed per visit.
- Commercial contractsProperty management and HOA accounts billed on net terms.
- Add-on servicesSlit seeding or topdressing sold alongside the main job.
- Spring add-on jobsLighter spring aeration bookings for customers wanting two visits a year.
Money out
- Seed and materialsGrass seed and starter fertilizer bought for the rush.
- Equipment repairsTines, bearings, and belts on the aerator fleet.
- EquipmentAerators and seeders, logged so they get written off right.
- Trucks and fuelFuel and insurance for the route vehicles.
- Crew wagesSeasonal labor hired to cover the fall rush.
- Route and dispatch softwareSubscription fees for scheduling and billing.
What we watch for you
- Fall rush total
Income earned in the peak weeks against the rest of the year, so planning matches the real pattern.
- Cost per lawn
Seed and labor against job billing, so per-job pricing keeps pace with real cost.
- Off-season runway
Cash on hand against bills that keep running after the rush ends.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so a big fall does not end in a tax surprise.
Ask Gus
Things aeration and overseeding owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Yes. I keep the fall rush visible as its own stretch, so your set-aside and off-season planning are based on how your income actually lands, not a flat monthly guess.
As a materials cost during the rush, kept separate from general supplies, so you can see real cost per job while the season is still going.
Yes, equipment repairs are a legitimate business expense. I log it as a repair cost and keep it visible against how hard the machine ran this season.
The tax side
The tax side of an aeration and overseeding business.
Most of what goes wrong here is a short season packed with income: a set-aside not started early enough, and equipment bought or repaired without a clear line.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Aerators and seedersEquipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Quarterly estimated taxesProfit that lands almost entirely in a few fall weeks still owes tax on the IRS calendar, due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
- Seasonal help, on or off payrollA worker hired to cover the fall rush who uses your equipment and works your schedule is usually an employee, seasonal or not.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions aeration and overseeding companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Grass seed and starter fertilizer
- Aerator tines and bearings
- Equipment repairs
- Route fuel
- Seasonal crew wages
- Route software subscriptions
- Uniforms with your logo
- Liability insurance
- Local ads timed to fall
- Card processing fees
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
An aeration and overseeding year, kept every month.
Your whole business runs on an eight-week rush. Your taxes come on a schedule that does not care. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started and you get a monthly set-aside, so the long stretch before fall is when you plan, not when you scramble.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed well ahead of the season that actually pays the bills.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand before the rush, what you will owe, and whether last year's pricing needs to change for the season ahead.
- October
Right after the rush
As the rush winds down, Gus looks at what the season brought in, equipment you might buy, and anything worth doing before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for aeration and overseeding companies. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions aeration and overseeding owners ask first.
My income is almost entirely in September and October. Does that confuse the monthly number?
No. Gus tracks your actual months, so the rush shows up as the spike it is, and your set-aside and off-season planning are built around your real pattern.
I buy seed in bulk right before the rush. How does that get handled?
It is tracked as a materials cost during the rush, separate from general supplies, so you can see real cost per job while pricing still matters.
Do I need to set aside tax money differently because my income is so seasonal?
Often yes, and that is a conversation for the accountant based on your set-aside history. Gus keeps the monthly numbers clear so that conversation has real data behind it.
My crew is seasonal and only works the fall rush. Does that change how they are booked?
It changes how they should be classified more than how they are booked. Gus keeps wages clear either way and flags anything that looks like a payroll conversation worth having.
My books are behind from last fall. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
More in landscaping & lawn care
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Hydroseeding
- Land clearing & forestry mulching
- Landscape curbing
- Organic lawn care companies
- Pond, water feature & koi pond builders
- Raised bed & edible garden installers
- Xeriscaping & native plant landscaping
- Certified arborists & plant health care
- Grading & drainage (French drain) contractors
- Leaf removal services
- Mulch, stone & landscape supply yards
- Sod installation
- Stump grinding
- Commercial grounds maintenance
- Irrigation & sprinkler contractors
- Lawn fertilization & weed control
- Mosquito & tick control
- Snow removal & plowing
- Tree service & removal
- Landscape design & installation
- Lawn mowing & maintenance companies
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
- Retractable screens & motorized shades
- Seawall & bulkhead contractors
- Sport court builders (pickleball, basketball)
What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever