Water recreation & marinas

Books and taxes for boat rental companies.

Hourly and daily bookings, damage deposits, fuel surcharges, and a fleet that ages by the season, not the year. 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
$18,800
what you made

July made $18,800. Two damage deposits from June got kept for a cracked windshield and a lost bimini top, so I moved those from held deposits into income.

  • Boatsetter payoutRental bookings
  • Fuel surcharge, dock officeFuel surcharges
  • Kept damage deposit, boat 4Forfeited deposits
  • Marine Finance Co paymentFleet loan payments
  • Boat wash and detail crewCleaning and detailing
Money in$58,200
Money out$39,400
Set aside for taxes$4,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A boat rental fleet's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. A rental fleet is hourly bookings, damage deposits that sometimes get kept, fuel surcharges instead of a fuel bill, and boats that lose value every season whether they get rented or not. When the books do not know that, the fleet's real cost per rental stays hidden.

  1. 1

    Damage deposits sit in the wrong bucket

    A $500 hold on a renter's card is not income the day it is charged. If it gets counted as revenue right away, a month with several refunds later looks like it lost money it never actually made.

    What we doHolds deposits separately and only books a kept deposit as income once it is actually kept for damage or a late return.
  2. 2

    Fuel surcharges get mixed into the rental price

    Charging a flat fuel fee instead of billing actual fuel used is common in this business, but if it lands in the same line as the rental fee itself, nobody can see whether the surcharge is actually covering fuel costs.

    What we doKeeps fuel surcharge income in its own line against actual fuel spend, so you can see if the fee is set right.
  3. 3

    The fleet ages whether it rents or not

    A runabout or deck boat loses value every season, but if boats are only tracked as a loan payment and an insurance bill, the owner never sees the real cost of running an aging fleet.

    What we doTracks each boat as a business asset and flags when it may be time to talk depreciation or a trade-in with the accountant.
  4. 4

    Peer-to-peer and direct bookings blur together

    A boat listed on Boatsetter or GetMyBoat and also booked directly through your own site pays out on different schedules and takes different cuts, so a single revenue line hides which channel is actually worth the marketing spend.

    What we doSplits marketplace bookings from direct bookings, so you can see which channel earns more after fees.
  5. 5

    A slow rain week gets mistaken for a bad business

    Weather can wipe out a week of bookings with no warning, and one thin week can spook an owner into cutting the wrong cost.

    What we doTracks the month against the season it is in, so a weather-driven slow stretch does not get mistaken for a pricing or demand problem.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a boat rental company.

Set up once for how the fleet gets booked and what it costs to run. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Rental bookingsHourly and daily bookings taken directly or through Boatsetter and GetMyBoat.
  • Fuel surchargesFlat fuel fees or return-full charges collected from renters.
  • Forfeited depositsDamage or late-return deposits that were actually kept.
  • Add-on rentalsTubes, wakeboards, coolers, and captain-for-hire upgrades.

Money out

  • Fleet loan paymentsFinancing on the boats and trailers in the rental fleet.
  • Fuel and oilFuel bought to run and top off boats between rentals.
  • Engine and hull repairMarine mechanic work and parts for the fleet.
  • Cleaning and detailingWash, detail, and turnaround crew between rentals.
  • Marine insuranceLiability and hull coverage for the fleet.
  • Marketplace feesWhat Boatsetter or GetMyBoat keep from marketplace bookings.
  • Dock or launch site feesSlip, ramp, or storage costs for keeping the fleet ready to rent.

What we watch for you

  • Fleet utilization

    Booked hours against available hours per boat. It shows if pricing or the schedule needs a look.

  • Fuel surcharge coverage

    Surcharge income against actual fuel spend, so the fee stays set right as fuel prices move.

  • Channel mix

    Marketplace bookings against direct bookings, after fees, so marketing spend goes where it earns more.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things boat rental 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.

A renter's deposit got kept for a broken bimini top. Where does that money go?

I moved it out of held deposits and into income for the month it was kept, since it is not really a deposit anymore once you keep it.

Is our fuel surcharge actually covering what we spend on fuel?

Close. Surcharges brought in $2,100 this month against $1,850 in fuel. It is working for now, but worth watching if fuel prices climb.

We're thinking about trading in two of the older boats. Does that change anything on the books?

That is above my pay grade. A trade-in touches depreciation, and the accountant should look at both boats' numbers before you sign anything.

The tax side

The tax side of a boat rental business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Deposits counted too early, surcharges buried in rental income, and a fleet that ages without anyone tracking it.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Depreciating the rental fleetBoats and trailers bought for the rental fleet can usually be written off over time or, often, largely in the year they are bought under bonus depreciation and Section 179, up to current limits. The accountant decides which approach fits the year.
  • Sales tax on rentalsWhether boat rentals owe state or local sales tax varies by state and is worth checking locally. Gus does not file it, but keeps rental income clearly split out for the accountant.
  • Marketplace payout incomePayouts from Boatsetter or GetMyBoat may arrive with a tax form of their own at year end. Gus reconciles what actually landed in the bank against what any marketplace reports.
  • The pass-through deductionMost rental fleet owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when rental income, surcharges, and deposits are tracked correctly all year.

Deductions boat rental companies miss

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

  • Fleet loan interest
  • Boat and trailer insurance
  • Dock and ramp fees
  • Cleaning and detailing supplies
  • Life jackets and safety gear
  • Bimini tops and cushions
  • Marketplace listing fees
  • Fuel dock account fees
  • Trailer tires and hitches
  • Boater safety course materials
  • GPS and marine electronics
  • Photography for listings

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 boat rental year, kept every month.

Bookings are heaviest for a handful of months and thin the rest of the year. Taxes come on their own 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, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled before the season starts booking up.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, ahead of the spring rush of bookings.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether peak season bookings are on pace to cover the slow months.

  4. October

    Before the fleet comes in

    Before boats go into winter storage, Gus looks at any fleet purchases or trade-ins 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 boat rental 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 boat rental owners ask first.

How does Gus handle a renter's damage deposit?

It sits as a held deposit, not income, until it is either returned or kept. Only a kept deposit counts as money the business earned, which keeps a month with several refunds from looking like it lost money.

We book through Boatsetter and our own website. Can Gus keep those separate?

Yes. He splits marketplace bookings from direct bookings so you can see which channel is actually worth more after fees, not just which one brings in more calls.

Do you track how much each boat in the fleet actually earns?

Gus can keep fuel, repairs, and rental income visible enough to see the fleet's overall performance. Tracking profit boat by boat in detail is a bigger project than the monthly bookkeeping covers, but ask and he will tell you what is realistic.

We're behind on sorting last season's bookings. Can we still start now?

Yes. Send the bank and marketplace payout statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.

Does Gus handle the boater safety certification renters need?

No. That is a state requirement between the renter and the state, not a bookkeeping task. Gus tracks the cost if you provide the course, but not the certification itself.

Can Gus tell us if it's worth adding another boat to the fleet?

He can show you what the current fleet earns after loan payments, fuel, and upkeep, which is the number to look at before adding one. The buy or lease decision itself is worth a conversation with the accountant.

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