Auto repair & maintenance

Books and taxes for auto electrical specialists.

No-start diagnostics billed by the hour, wiring repairs, alternator swaps, and remote start installs. Gus sorts all of it, 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
AugustExample month
$11,000
what you made

August came in at $11,000. Two intermittent no-start jobs ran three hours of diagnostic time each, so I logged that time against the ticket instead of folding it into a flat labor charge.

  • Shopmonkey payoutsRepair orders
  • Remote start install kitAccessory parts
  • WorldPac electrical partsParts and materials
  • Autel scan tool updateDiagnostic software
  • Wisetack payoutFinanced repairs
Money in$41,000
Money out$30,000
Set aside for taxes$2,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Electrical shop books go wrong on time, not on parts.

You sell diagnostic time more than you sell parts, a wiring gremlin can take hours to chase down and cost almost nothing in materials, while a windshield sensor or module swap costs the opposite. A generalist bookkeeper prices you like a parts shop and misses what actually makes the money.

  1. 1

    Diagnostic time isn't the same as repair labor

    Chasing an intermittent short or a no-start can take hours of testing before a single part is touched, time that a customer expects to see reflected honestly, not folded into a flat labor rate that undercharges the hunt.

    What we doKeeps diagnostic time visible against the ticket, so pricing reflects the hours spent finding the problem, not just fixing it.
  2. 2

    Accessory installs are a different business than repair

    Remote starters, backup cameras, and stereo upgrades are sold and installed differently than a repair order, often with a kit purchased for one specific job and margin that doesn't look like your diagnostic work.

    What we doKeeps accessory installs in their own category, so you can see what installs bring in against what diagnostic and repair work earns.
  3. 3

    A scan tool subscription isn't a shop supply

    A module-level scan tool subscription that can read wiring diagrams and live data across makes can cost more in a year than most shop tools combined. Filed as a supply, it blends into rags and gloves.

    What we doKeeps diagnostic software and hardware in its own line, so you can see what staying capable across every make actually costs.
  4. 4

    Comebacks on intermittent problems eat labor twice

    An intermittent electrical issue can come back after a first repair looked successful, and the second visit to chase it down again earns nothing new if it's covered under your own warranty.

    What we doFlags no-charge warranty redo labor separately, so a stubborn gremlin doesn't quietly erode a month's margin unnoticed.
  5. 5

    Financed repairs pay out short

    When a customer finances a $1,800 wiring repair through Wisetack, the payout lands lower than the invoice, with the difference kept as a fee. Booked at the amount that lands, your real prices and your real costs both come out wrong.

    What we doBooks the full repair order as money in and the financing company's cut as its own fee, so your numbers stay honest.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an auto electrical shop.

Set up once for diagnostic time and accessory work, you never pick a category, an accountant checks every one.

Money in

  • Diagnostic and repairNo-start, wiring, and module repair work, billed by the hour and by the job.
  • Accessory installsRemote starters, cameras, and stereo upgrades, kept apart from repair work.
  • Financed repairsWisetack or Sunbit payouts, with the fee booked apart from the sale.
  • Fleet accountsLocal business vehicles billed net 30 for electrical work.

Money out

  • Electrical parts and materialsAlternators, starters, sensors, and wiring from WorldPac or a local jobber.
  • Accessory kitsRemote start, camera, and stereo kits, kept apart from repair parts.
  • Diagnostic softwareModule-level scan tool subscriptions and updates.
  • Tech wages and commissionFlat-rate and hourly diagnostic pay, kept apart.
  • EquipmentScan tools and wiring diagram software, logged so they get written off right.
  • InsuranceGaragekeepers and general liability coverage.

What we watch for you

  • Diagnostic hours billed

    How much of the month's labor is time-based diagnostics versus flat-rate repair.

  • Accessory margin

    What's kept on installs after the kit cost, tracked apart from repair work.

  • Comeback cost

    Labor on warranty redo chases that billed nothing new, worth watching each month.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things electrical shop 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.

I spent four hours chasing a short and the part only cost $12. How does that show up?

I logged the diagnostic time against that ticket, separate from the part cost, so the hours you spent actually show in what the job earned.

Should remote start installs be tracked separate from repair work?

Yes, I already keep them apart. That way you can see what installs bring in on their own, instead of blending into your diagnostic numbers.

A wiring job I did in May came back with the same intermittent problem. Does that count as new income?

No, and I flagged it that way. It's redo labor with nothing new coming in, so it won't make the month look better than it was.

The tax side

The tax side of an auto electrical shop.

Most of what goes wrong here is diagnostic time nobody separates from parts, and scan tool subscriptions filed like shop supplies.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Module-level scan toolsA wiring diagram and diagnostic subscription across makes, along with the hardware that runs it, can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • Flat-rate tech classificationA technician who works your schedule and uses your scan tools is usually an employee, even paid by the flat-rate hour on diagnostic work. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes routine.
  • Contractor 1099sAn installer or wiring specialist you send accessory work to, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operator shops can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, and it comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions auto electrical specialists miss

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

  • Scan tool subscriptions
  • Wiring diagram software fees
  • Multimeter and probe kits
  • ASE certification fees
  • Shop towel service
  • Garagekeepers insurance
  • Soldering equipment
  • Uniform rental
  • Waste battery disposal fees
  • Continuing training courses

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 electrical shop's year, kept every month.

Diagnostic work comes in steady all year with no real slow season. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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 for accessory installers is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April isn't a surprise.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January and matched what the shop actually made.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a run of accessory install season changed the number this year.

  4. October

    Before winter no-starts

    Cold weather brings a wave of battery and starting failures. Before the rush, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and moves worth making 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 auto electrical specialists. 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 electrical shop owners ask first.

Can Gus separate diagnostic time from the parts cost on a ticket?

Yes. He keeps diagnostic hours visible against the ticket, so a job that took hours to chase down shows that time, instead of getting hidden inside a flat labor number.

Should accessory installs like remote starters have their own category?

Yes, and Gus already keeps them separate from repair work, so you can see what installs earn on their own instead of blending into diagnostic income.

My scan tool subscription is expensive. Does it count as a write-off?

Yes. Diagnostic software and the hardware that runs it is a business expense, kept in its own line so you always know what staying capable across makes costs you.

Can Gus handle financed wiring repairs?

Yes. He books the full repair order as money in and the financing company's cut as a fee, so your sales aren't understated and the fee still counts against your taxes.

My books are a mess from doing them myself. 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 auto repair & maintenance

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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