Vehicle sales & auto services
Books and taxes for auto locksmiths.
Lockout calls, key fob programming, lead fees taken by a booking app, and a new programming machine all move through the books differently. Gus sorts every dollar into its own line, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August netted $6,600. The new programming machine got flagged as equipment instead of a regular supply buy, so it's ready for the accountant to look at.
- Lockout service, cardLockout and entry calls
- Key fob programming, cashKey and fob programming
- Thumbtack lead feeLead fees
- Key blanks and fobs, wholesaleKey and fob inventory
- Programming software renewalProgramming equipment and software
Why your books are different
An auto locksmith's books go wrong around the parts and the lead fee.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business carries real inventory in key blanks and fobs, pays an app before every booked call even starts, and sometimes works from a van at two in the morning. When the books do not track any of that, a busy month can hide a thin margin.
-
1
Key and fob inventory gets treated like a supply run
Buying a batch of blank keys and transponder fobs from a wholesaler feels like restocking supplies, but it is inventory that gets used job by job, and lumped into general supplies it is hard to see if pricing per job actually covers what the parts cost.
What we doTracks key and fob inventory as its own category, so the real parts cost on a job is visible against what you charged. -
2
Lead fees eat into a job before it even starts
A lockout call booked through Thumbtack or Angi comes with a lead fee taken out before you even show up, and if that fee is not tracked against the job it paid for, a string of app-sourced jobs can look more profitable than they really are.
What we doKeeps lead fees in their own line, matched to the calls they generated, so you know what a booked job actually nets. -
3
Emergency pricing blurs into regular calls
A two a.m. lockout call charged at a premium rate looks the same as a daytime call in a lump revenue number, so you cannot tell how much of your income depends on emergency work versus regular scheduled jobs.
What we doKeeps after-hours and emergency calls separate from standard service, so the value of being available around the clock is visible. -
4
Programming equipment gets buried in tools
A key programming machine or diagnostic tool can cost thousands of dollars, and filed with everyday hand tools, it muddles the month and its tax treatment gets missed.
What we doFlags programming equipment purchases separately and gets the accountant's call on how to write them off. -
5
Service van costs mix with personal vehicle expenses
A locksmith's van carries the inventory and equipment for the whole business, and if its fuel and maintenance mix with a personal vehicle's costs, the true cost of running the mobile side of the business is unclear.
What we doKeeps service van expenses separate from any personal vehicle, so mobile costs reflect only the business.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an auto locksmith.
Set up once for how calls, inventory, and lead fees move. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Lockout and entry callsStandard lockout and vehicle entry service calls.
- Key and fob programmingCutting and programming replacement keys and transponder fobs.
- Emergency and after-hours callsPremium-rate calls outside normal business hours.
- Commercial and fleet accountsDealerships or fleet operators with standing service agreements.
Money out
- Key and fob inventoryBlank keys, transponder chips, and fobs bought wholesale.
- Lead feesWhat apps like Thumbtack or Angi keep for booking a call.
- Programming equipment and softwareKey programming machines and their subscription updates.
- Service van fuel and maintenanceThe vehicle that carries your inventory and tools to every call.
- Licensing and bondingState locksmith licensing and the bond many states require.
- InsuranceLiability coverage for a trade that works on customers' vehicles and security systems.
- Dispatch and scheduling softwareWhat keeps calls routed and booked through the day.
What we watch for you
- Revenue per call
What an average job nets once parts and lead fees are considered.
- Lead fee share
How much of app-sourced income goes to the app before you ever show up.
- Emergency call share
How much of the month's income comes from premium after-hours work.
- Inventory cost per job
What key blanks and fobs actually cost against what a job charged.
Ask Gus
Things auto locksmiths 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 lead fee tied to that specific call, so you can see what the job actually netted after the app's cut.
I keep emergency calls separate from regular ones, so you can see exactly how much of your income depends on being available at odd hours.
I flagged it as equipment instead of a regular supply buy, so the accountant can look at writing it off with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of an auto locksmith business.
Most of what goes wrong here is treating inventory like inventory and equipment like equipment. Getting both right is what makes the return come out clean.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Programming equipment and Section 179A key programming machine or diagnostic tool bought for the business can usually be expensed the year you buy it, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Inventory versus a routine expenseKey blanks and fobs bought to use on jobs are inventory. Their cost is tracked against the jobs that use them rather than as a flat monthly supply expense.
- Self-employment tax on profitA sole proprietor or partner pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on business profit, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base for 2026.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits starting above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint taxable income.
Deductions auto locksmiths miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Key blanks and transponder chips
- Programming software subscriptions
- Service van fuel and maintenance
- Lead fees from booking apps
- Locksmith licensing and bonding
- Liability insurance
- Diagnostic tool calibration
- Uniforms and identification badges
- Phone and dispatch software
- Lock picks and entry tools
- Van signage and lighting
- Continuing education and certification
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 locksmith's year, kept every month.
Lockout calls come whenever a key gets stuck or a battery dies. 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, and a monthly set-aside is planned before winter cold snaps bring a wave of dead-battery lockouts.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed as spring travel picks up call volume. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at midyear, what you will owe, and whether summer heat and vacation travel are pushing lockout calls the way they usually do.
- October
Before the cold returns
Gus looks at any programming equipment worth buying and what the year's number looks like before winter's lockout calls pick back up.
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 locksmiths. 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 locksmiths ask first.
How does Gus handle lead fees from apps like Thumbtack?
He keeps them tied to the specific call they paid for, so you can see what a booked job actually nets after the app's cut.
I charge more for late-night emergency calls. Does that get tracked separately?
Yes. Emergency and after-hours calls stay in their own category, so you can see how much of your income depends on being available around the clock.
Do you track my key and fob inventory for me?
Gus tracks what you spend on inventory and keeps it separate from other expenses. Managing stock levels and what to reorder stays your call.
I use both my personal truck and a dedicated service van. Can Gus separate those?
Yes. Service van costs stay apart from any personal vehicle expenses, so your mobile costs reflect only the business.
What happens when I buy a new programming machine?
Gus flags it as equipment the day it shows up, instead of lumping it into regular supplies, and the accountant decides how to write it off.
My records right now are just what hit my bank account with no detail. Can that be fixed?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it into calls, inventory, and lead fees as best he can, then tells you where you stand.
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