DTC brands

Books and taxes for beverage brands.

A distributor payout, a retail slotting fee, a bottle deposit that isn't really yours, and a co-packer's minimum run size. 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
JulyExample month
$15,000
what you made

July came in at $15,000. A pallet sat too long in an un-cooled truck and spoiled, so I booked that loss against inventory this week.

  • Shopify Payments payoutSite sales
  • Distributor payoutWholesale and distribution
  • Riverside Bottling Co invoiceCo-packing and bottling
  • Retail slotting feeSlotting and placement fees
  • Meta adsAdvertising
Money in$62,000
Money out$47,000
Set aside for taxes$3,300
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A beverage brand's books go wrong around the co-packer, the shelf, and spoilage.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is a co-packer's minimum run, a distributor buying at one price and reselling at another, and a drink that spoils if the cold chain slips. When the books do not know that, margin quietly leaks.

  1. 1

    A co-packer's minimum run size distorts one month's cost

    A bottler often requires a minimum order of several thousand cases per run, and paying for a full production run at once can make that single month look far more expensive than a typical one, even though the drinks will sell over several months.

    What we doKeeps a full production run as inventory, not an expense the day it is paid, so one big batch does not sink a month's number.
  2. 2

    A distributor takes a cut before the money ever reaches you

    Selling through a beverage distributor usually means they buy at a wholesale price and resell to stores, and if only the distributor's payout is booked, it is easy to lose track of what the product actually sells for on the shelf.

    What we doBooks the distributor sale at what they actually paid, and keeps a note of retail pricing separate, so both sides of that relationship stay clear.
  3. 3

    Bottle deposit fees are collected and owed, not revenue

    Several states charge a bottle or can deposit that gets collected at the point of sale and is meant to be refunded or remitted, and if that money is booked as ordinary sales revenue, it overstates what the business actually earned.

    What we doKeeps bottle deposit collections separate from product revenue, since that money is not really yours to keep.
  4. 4

    Retail slotting fees are a real cost of shelf space

    Paying a grocery chain a fee just to get a new drink onto its shelves is common and can run into real money, and if it is not tracked against the specific retailer, you cannot tell whether that shelf space is actually paying for itself.

    What we doKeeps slotting fees tied to the retailer that charged them, so you can see whether that shelf space is earning its keep.
  5. 5

    Cold chain and short shelf life mean spoilage is a real, recurring cost

    A perishable drink that needs refrigerated shipping can spoil in transit or on a shelf past its date, and if that loss is not booked as it happens, inventory looks bigger than what you can actually sell.

    What we doBooks spoiled or expired product as a loss the month it happens, so inventory reflects what is actually sellable.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a beverage brand.

Set up once for how you sell and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Site salesFull-price and promo orders through your own storefront.
  • Distributor and wholesale salesWhat a distributor actually paid you, kept apart from retail price.
  • Retail direct accountsStores you sell to directly without a distributor.
  • Marketplace salesAmazon or a similar site, if you sell there.

Money out

  • Co-packing and bottlingThe facility that produces and bottles each run.
  • Slotting and placement feesWhat retailers charge for shelf space, tied to the retailer.
  • Cold chain and freightRefrigerated shipping and delivery.
  • AdvertisingMeta and Google ad spend driving traffic to the site.
  • PackagingBottles, cans, and labels.
  • Card and marketplace feesWhat processors and marketplaces keep before you get paid.

What we watch for you

  • Cost per case

    Co-packing, ingredients, and packaging against cases produced, so pricing holds up run to run.

  • Slotting fee return

    Shelf placement fees against what that retailer actually sells, so you know if the spot is worth it.

  • Spoilage rate

    Product lost to expiration or cold chain failure, since it quietly cuts into what you can sell.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked from actual sales, not the cases still sitting in a warehouse.

Ask Gus

Things beverage brand 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.

We paid a grocery chain $5,000 just to get on their shelf. Is that a normal cost?

It is common in this business. I keep that fee tied to the retailer that charged it, so you can see whether that shelf space is actually earning its keep.

A batch of drinks spoiled in a warehouse before it sold. What happens to that cost?

I book it as a loss the month it happens, so your inventory reflects what is actually sellable, not stock that no longer is.

The bottle deposit we collect at checkout, is that our money?

Not really. I keep it separate from product revenue since it is meant to be refunded or remitted, not counted as what the business earned.

The tax side

The tax side of a beverage brand.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and ownership. A production run expensed too soon, a deposit fee counted as revenue, and a set-aside nobody started until peak season ended.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Inventory and cost of goodsYou deduct the cost of what sold, not what got bottled. A full production run sitting in a warehouse is an asset until it sells, not a write-off the day the co-packer invoice is paid.
  • 1099-K from marketplaces and processorsShopify Payments and any marketplace you sell direct through report your volume to the IRS once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Distributor sales are taxable the same way, form or no form.
  • Bottle deposit and container lawsA number of states require a deposit on bottles and cans that gets collected and later refunded or remitted. Rules differ a lot by state, so Gus flags when this is likely to apply and the accountant sorts out specifics.
  • The pass-through deductionUp to 20 percent of qualified business income is deductible for most owners, phasing down above $201,750 for single filers and $403,500 for joint filers. Getting the full benefit means co-packing runs and distributor sales were both booked correctly.

Deductions beverage brands miss

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

  • Co-packing and bottling costs
  • Slotting and placement fees
  • Cold chain and refrigerated freight
  • Bottles, cans, and labels
  • Meta and Google ad spend
  • Distributor commissions
  • Trade show and expo booth fees
  • Product photography
  • Card and marketplace fees
  • Trademark and brand registration
  • Quality testing
  • Cold storage rent

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 beverage brand's year, kept every month.

Summer carries most of the volume, and the co-packer's schedule shapes the rest of the year. Your team is on the books every month, busy or quiet. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Post-holiday slowdown

    Sales slow down after the holidays, right as last year's return needs to get moving. Gus keeps the set-aside running through the quieter stretch.

  2. April

    Return goes out signed

    The accountant files and signs the return, co-packing runs and distributor sales included. The set-aside has covered it since January, so the bill is no surprise.

  3. July

    Peak season

    The busiest stretch of the year for most drink brands. Gus watches spoilage and slotting fees closely as volume climbs.

  4. October

    Building for the next run

    Holiday flavor runs get planned and co-packer slots get booked ahead of the season. Gus keeps those deposits as inventory on order, not a hit to a fall month.

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 beverage brands. 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 beverage brand owners ask first.

We paid a grocery chain to get our drink onto their shelves. Is that deductible?

Yes. Slotting fees are an ordinary cost of getting shelf space, and Gus keeps them tied to the retailer that charged them so you can see whether that spot is worth it.

A batch of our drinks spoiled before it sold. What happens on the books?

That loss gets booked the month it happens, so inventory reflects what is actually sellable rather than stock that no longer is.

Do I owe tax on the bottle deposit we collect at checkout?

That money is generally meant to be refunded or remitted, not kept as revenue, and Gus keeps it separate from product sales so your real earnings stay clear. Rules vary by state, so the accountant looks at your specific one.

Our distributor buys at a lower price than we sell direct. How does Gus handle that?

He books the distributor sale at what they actually paid you, and keeps a note of your direct retail pricing separate, so both sides of the business stay clear.

We had to pay for a full production run at our co-packer. Does that count against this month?

No. It stays as inventory until the drinks actually sell, so a big production run does not make one month look far more expensive than it really was.

My books are behind because we just signed with a new distributor.

Send the distribution agreement and your bank statements. Gus sorts through the new relationship and most owners know where they stand within 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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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