Collision & appearance
Books and taxes for auto glass shops.
Chip repairs paid outright, full windshield replacements billed to insurance, calibration add-ons, and a mobile van running between job sites. 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
March came in at $13,600. Three windshield jobs needed a calibration add-on, so I kept that fee separate to see how often it actually gets billed.
- Insurance claim payoutInsurance billing
- Customer, chip repairChip repairs
- Glass distributor invoiceGlass stock
- Tech commission, W. DiazCommission pay
- Fuel, mobile vanVehicle and travel
Why your books are different
An auto glass shop's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist bookkeeper sees deposits and glass invoices. Your business does a $60 chip repair and a $900 windshield replacement with a safety system calibration add-on in the same day, often paid two different ways. When the books do not separate those, pricing and profit both stay a guess.
-
1
Insurance pays weeks after the glass goes in
A full windshield replacement gets billed to insurance the day the job is done, but the payment can land weeks later. Booked only when it clears, the shop cannot easily see how much work is sitting unpaid at any given time.
What we doTracks insurance-billed jobs from the day of service, so the gap between doing the work and getting paid stays visible. -
2
A calibration add-on gets buried in the windshield price
Many newer vehicles need a camera or sensor calibration after a windshield replacement, billed as an add-on. Lumped into one glass line, it is hard to tell how often that extra work gets billed and whether it is priced right.
What we doKeeps calibration fees as their own line, so you can see how often the add-on happens and what it brings in. -
3
A chip repair and a full replacement look the same in the books
A quick chip repair and an all-day windshield replacement with calibration both show up as one deposit if the books do not separate them, hiding which service actually drives the shop's income.
What we doKeeps chip repairs and full replacements in separate lines, so you can see which service brings in the most. -
4
Mobile van costs get lost against shop-based work
A tech driving a mobile glass van to a customer's driveway or office lot has different costs than a job done in the bay, and mixing the two hides what mobile service really costs to run.
What we doKeeps vehicle and travel costs in their own line, so mobile service profitability is visible on its own.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an auto glass shop.
Set up once for how jobs get billed and what a job costs to complete. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Insurance billingFull replacement and repair claims billed directly to a carrier.
- Chip repairsQuick repairs paid outright by the customer.
- Calibration add-onsSafety system calibration fees, tracked apart from the glass itself.
- Fleet and dealer accountsRecurring glass work for a rental fleet or dealership.
Money out
- Glass stockWindshields, side glass, and moldings from a wholesale glass distributor.
- Adhesive and urethaneSealant supplies used to set every windshield.
- Commission payWhat techs are paid per job, apart from hourly wages.
- Calibration equipmentTargets and tools used for camera and sensor calibration, logged so they get written off right.
- Vehicle and travelFuel, maintenance, and insurance for the mobile glass van.
- Shop insuranceLiability coverage for glass work and calibration services.
What we watch for you
- Receivable lag
How long insurance takes to pay after a windshield job, so cash surprises get smaller.
- Calibration rate
How often a calibration fee gets added to a replacement, worth knowing before pricing changes.
- Chip versus replacement mix
Which service brings in more relative to how often it happens.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things auto glass 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.
It happens more than owners expect. I have it tracked from the day of service, so you can see exactly what is still outstanding and for how long.
Yes, and I already do. Keeping them apart shows you how often calibration gets billed and whether it is priced the way it should be.
Not for the books, I keep it in its own line. Whether that changes how he should be classified is above my pay grade, so I flagged it for the accountant.
The tax side
The tax side of an auto glass shop.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and equipment labels. Insurance receivables that sit unbilled, calibration tools filed as supplies, and a tech paid like a contractor who works like an employee.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Calibration equipment write-offsCalibration targets, stands, and diagnostic tools can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Mobile van mileageA mobile glass tech driving to customer locations can usually deduct business mileage at 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026, instead of tracking every actual vehicle cost.
- Contractor 1099sA tech not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- Employee or contractorA tech who drives your van, works your schedule, and uses your calibration equipment usually looks like an employee, even if paid by commission.
Deductions auto glass shops miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Adhesive and urethane
- Calibration targets and tools
- Glass moldings and clips
- Van fuel and maintenance
- Shop rags and cleaning supplies
- Liability insurance
- Uniforms and gloves
- Trade certification courses
- Card processing fees
- Phone for dispatch
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 auto glass shop's year, kept every month.
Chips and cracked windshields show up any week of the year. 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.
- 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.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring rock chip season changed the number.
- October
Before winter cracks
Cold weather brings more cracked windshields. Before it hits, Gus looks at calibration equipment worth buying 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 auto glass shops. 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 auto glass shop owners ask first.
Can Gus track insurance-billed jobs that take weeks to pay?
Yes. He tracks the job from the day of service, so you can see what is still outstanding with insurance and for how long, instead of only seeing income when a check clears.
Do calibration fees need to be tracked differently from glass sales?
It helps a lot. Keeping calibration fees apart from the windshield price shows how often that add-on gets billed and whether the pricing on it makes sense.
My tech is paid commission plus hourly. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Commission stays its own line, so you can see labor against what each job brought in.
Do I write off calibration equipment all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.
I run a mobile van and a shop bay. Does Gus separate those?
Yes. Mobile van costs stay in their own line, so you can see what mobile service actually costs to run apart from bay-based jobs.
My books are behind because I have been chasing insurance payments. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them and matches payments to jobs as they clear, 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.
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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