Aviation & marine services
Books and taxes for boat repair and marine mechanic shops.
Haul-out jobs, outboard and sterndrive rebuilds, winterizing packages, and a parts order that covers half the boats in the yard. Your own bookkeeper stays on it all year, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April came in at $15,300. The rebuilt sterndrive core went in as a deposit, not a straight cost, until the old unit ships back for credit.
- Haul-out and bottom jobHaul-out and bottom work
- Outboard rebuild, customer boatEngine repair and rebuilds
- West Marine parts orderParts and materials
- Sterndrive core depositEngine repair and rebuilds
- Travel lift maintenanceShop equipment
Why your books are different
A boat repair shop's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees invoices and parts bills. Your business is haul-outs billed by the foot, engine cores with a refund attached, and a parts order that covers half the yard. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell which jobs actually pay.
-
1
A rebuild core charge reads as a straight loss
An outboard or sterndrive rebuild often carries a core charge that comes back as credit once the old block ships back. Booked as a flat expense, the credit gets lost and the job looks like it cost more than it did.
What we doLogs the core as a deposit against the rebuild, not a cost, and clears it out only if the old block never actually ships back for credit. -
2
Haul-out fees and repair labor get mixed together
The travel lift fee to pull a boat out of the water is a pass-through cost from the marina, not labor you performed, and lumping it with repair billing hides what the actual repair work earned.
What we doKeeps haul-out and lift fees in their own line, separate from the labor billed on the work itself. -
3
A bulk parts order covers half the yard
A West Marine or Fisheries Supply order can supply parts for several boats on the lift at once. Filed as one lump cost, it makes whichever job it lands in look overpriced and the others look free.
What we doHolds parts and materials in one running line across the yard, so a big supply order reads as restocking the shelf, not one boat's repair bill. -
4
Winterizing packages get billed all at once
A fall winterizing push, paid up front, gets counted as one big month, while the coverage and storage runs for months afterward, making the following slow months look worse than they are.
What we doFlags prepaid winterizing work so the accountant can spread it across the months it actually covers.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a boat repair shop.
Set up once for how you bill and what you buy. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Haul-out and bottom workLift fees, bottom paint, and hull cleaning billed together.
- Engine repair and rebuildsOutboard and sterndrive work, kept apart from routine repairs.
- Winterizing and storageFall lay-up packages, flagged as prepaid work.
- Diagnostics and small repairsShorter jobs billed by the hour.
Money out
- Parts and materialsWest Marine, Fisheries Supply, and engine manufacturer orders.
- Engine cores and rebuild kitsRebuild costs and the core charges tied to them.
- Mechanic wagesWages for shop mechanics, separate from parts and core charges on the same repair.
- Shop equipmentTravel lift maintenance, hoists, and diagnostic tools.
- Dock and yard rentSpace for boats waiting on repair or storage.
- InsuranceShop liability and coverage for boats in your care.
What we watch for you
- Labor per job
What an average repair actually bills in labor, so quotes keep pace with what the work costs.
- Parts margin
The spread between what a customer's invoice charges for parts and what the yard actually paid for them.
- Core credit tracking
How much in core charges is still owed back to you, so nothing gets forgotten.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things boat repair 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.
No. I booked it as a deposit, not a cost. It only shows up as an expense if the core never goes back for credit.
The West Marine order that landed covered four different jobs. I keep parts in one line so a stock-up like that does not make one month look weak.
That one is not mine to decide alone. I flagged the arrangement, and the accountant will look at whose truck he drove and whose schedule he kept before calling it either way.
The tax side
The tax side of a boat repair shop.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A core charge booked as an expense, haul-out fees mixed into repair labor, and a prepaid winterizing rush that skews a month.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Shop equipment and the travel liftTravel lifts, hoists, and diagnostic equipment can often be expensed the year you buy them under Section 179, up to $2,560,000. Bonus depreciation is currently 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAny outside mechanic or seasonal help you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Employee or contractorA helper who shows up on your schedule, uses the shop's tools, and takes direction on every job is usually an employee under the law, no matter whether you call the arrangement day labor or a side gig.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits that start above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint. Getting core charges and parts labeled right keeps that number accurate.
Deductions boat repair and marine mechanic shops miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Diagnostic and test equipment
- Travel lift maintenance and repairs
- Tool sets and tool insurance
- Shop uniforms and safety gear
- Yard and dock rent
- Hazmat and used oil disposal
- Liability insurance
- Bottom paint and hull cleaning supplies
- Continuing manufacturer training
- Shop heating and utilities
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 repair year, kept every month.
Boats need work whenever an owner has a problem. 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, right as the spring commissioning rush hits.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the spring launch rush changed the number more than usual.
- October
Before winterizing season
Owners book haul-outs and winterizing before the first freeze. Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing 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 boat repair and marine mechanic 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 boat repair shop owners ask first.
Can Gus separate haul-out fees from the repair labor itself?
Yes. Lift and haul-out fees stay in their own line, separate from the labor you billed on the actual repair, so you can see what each part of the job earned.
What happens to an engine core charge on the books?
It goes in as a deposit, not an expense. If the core ships back and the shop credits you, that shows up too. It only becomes a real cost if the core never goes back.
One parts order supplied four different boats. Does that mess up the month?
No. A big West Marine or Fisheries Supply run sits in its own steady line, so it reads as a stock-up for the yard rather than an inflated cost on whichever boat happened to be on the lift first.
Do I need to change how I write up repair tickets?
No. Write tickets the way the yard always has. Gus reads what actually landed in the bank account and only reaches out if a deposit or a bill needs a quick explanation from you.
My books are behind from a busy spring launch season. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Hand over whatever bank statements you have sitting around. Between Gus's first pass and the accountant's check, most yards are caught up and know where they stand within a week.
Do I write off a new travel lift all at once?
It often works out that way. Big equipment like a travel lift is usually eligible to be deducted the year you buy it, though your accountant may decide spreading it out serves your year better once they see the whole picture.
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