HVAC, insulation & chimney

Books and taxes for air duct cleaning companies.

A high volume of small jobs, coupon and directory leads, sanitizer upsells, and a van that runs all day. Gus sorts every deposit, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
MayExample month
$7,500
what you made

May came in at $7,500. Coupon site fees ate more than usual this month, so I flagged it, that lead source is getting expensive for what it brings in.

  • Square payoutsJob revenue
  • Angi lead feesLead fees
  • Coupon site commissionLead fees
  • Rotobrush LLCEquipment and supplies
  • Shell fuel, van 2Vans and fuel
Money in$27,600
Money out$20,100
Set aside for taxes$2,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Duct cleaning books go wrong around volume and add-ons.

You run six or eight small jobs a day, most sold through a coupon or a lead site, some turned into a bigger sanitizing or dryer vent add-on at the door. When the books cannot tell a base job from an upsell or a lead cost from a real expense, you cannot see which jobs and which leads actually pay.

  1. 1

    A base job and an upsell are one deposit

    A $149 advertised duct cleaning turns into a $420 ticket once sanitizing and a dryer vent cleaning get added at the house. Booked as one lump sum, you lose track of how often the upsell actually happens.

    What we doKeeps base cleanings and add-on services in separate categories, so you can see how much of your revenue comes from the upsell.
  2. 2

    Coupon and directory fees eat the ticket quietly

    A coupon site or lead directory can take 20 percent or more of a job before you ever see the money, and paid one small fee at a time it rarely gets noticed against the job it came from.

    What we doTracks lead fees by source, so you can see which ones are actually worth the cost per job.
  3. 3

    High job volume hides which vehicle is losing money

    Two vans running all day rack up fuel, repairs, and wear differently. Lumped into one truck expense line, a van that is quietly costing more than it earns never gets noticed.

    What we doKeeps vehicle costs visible so a van that is bleeding money on repairs shows up before it becomes a habit.
  4. 4

    Equipment replacement looks like a bad month

    A new truck-mounted vacuum system or a Rotobrush unit can run several thousand dollars. Filed as a regular supply cost, it makes one month look like a loss for no clear reason.

    What we doFlags equipment purchases the day they happen and keeps them separate from everyday supplies.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a duct cleaning 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

  • Standard duct cleaningThe advertised base job, whole-house or per-vent.
  • Sanitizing and add-on servicesUpsells added at the house, kept apart from the base job.
  • Dryer vent add-onsVent cleanings sold alongside a duct job.
  • Commercial contractsRecurring cleanings for offices and small property managers.

Money out

  • Lead fees by sourceAngi, coupon sites, and directory commissions, tracked separately.
  • EquipmentTruck-mounted vacuums and Rotobrush units, logged so they get written off right.
  • Sanitizing suppliesThe chemicals and filters used on add-on services.
  • Vans and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance, tracked by vehicle.
  • Uniforms and marketing materialsBranded shirts, door hangers, and yard signs.
  • Card and processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keep before you get paid.

What we watch for you

  • Upsell rate

    How often a base job turns into sanitizing or a vent add-on, and what that is worth.

  • Lead cost by source

    What each coupon or directory lead actually costs against what it brings in.

  • Cost per van

    Fuel and repairs per vehicle, so a costly van gets caught before it becomes routine.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things air duct cleaning 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.

That coupon site takes a huge cut. Is it even worth it?

I have been tracking it against what those jobs actually bring in after the fee. Worth a look this quarter, I will pull the number for you.

Why does May look thin? I was busy all month.

Lead fees were higher than usual, mostly from the coupon site. I flagged it so you can see it against your other lead sources.

I just bought a new truck-mounted vacuum for $6,200. Does that come off this year?

Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.

The tax side

The tax side of an air duct cleaning business.

Most of what goes wrong here is volume hiding the details. A hundred small jobs a month, each one needing to land in the right category, or the year gets fuzzy.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Vans and equipmentVehicles and truck-mounted vacuum systems bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sA helper or second crew you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, outside of payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • Employee or contractorA crew member who drives your van, works your schedule, and cleans on your jobs is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
  • 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 air duct cleaning companies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Lead fees and coupon commissions
  • Sanitizing chemicals and filters
  • Rotobrush and vacuum equipment repair
  • Van fuel and maintenance
  • Uniforms with your logo
  • Door hangers and yard signs
  • Phone and tablet for scheduling
  • Tools that live in the van
  • Card processing fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Business license renewal
  • Cleaning brushes and vent covers

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

A duct cleaning year, kept every month.

Spring cleaning and pre-heating-season calls both bring a rush. Your team keeps you ahead of both and of the return. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, right as allergy season calls start picking up.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring's volume changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the fall push

    Homeowners call before turning on the furnace. Before that rush, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

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 air duct cleaning 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 air duct cleaning owners ask first.

I run six or more jobs a day. Can Gus keep up with the volume?

Yes. He works from your bank statement and sorts every deposit into the right category, whether it is one job a day or a dozen.

How does Gus handle upsells like sanitizing or dryer vents?

He keeps them in their own category, separate from the base cleaning, so you can see how much of your revenue comes from add-ons.

My leads come from three different coupon and directory sites. Can that be tracked?

Yes. Lead fees are tracked by source, so you can see which ones are worth what they cost against the jobs they bring in.

Do I need separate books for each van?

Not separate books, but Gus keeps fuel and repair costs visible by vehicle, so a van that is costing more than it should gets caught early.

My books are a mess from years of doing it myself. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people 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.

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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