Collision & appearance
Books and taxes for boat and RV detailers.
Spring commissioning at the marina, gel coat oxidation removal, an RV roof treatment before a summer trip, and a fall haul-out season that packs the calendar. 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
April came in at $14,400. Spring commissioning at the marina carried the month, so I kept that seasonal rush apart from the steady RV work you do year round.
- Marina commissioning contractBoat detailing
- Customer, RV wash and waxRV detailing
- Gel coat compound orderBoat care product
- Crew pay, per jobCommission pay
- Fuel, trailer and truckVehicle and travel
Why your books are different
A boat and RV detailer's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist bookkeeper sees deposits and product bills. Your business drives to a marina or storage yard instead of a driveway, works surfaces many times the size of a car, and lives on a spring and fall rush most of the year forgets about. When those get mixed together, it is hard to plan for the slow months in between.
-
1
Boat and RV work run on completely different calendars
Boat owners want commissioning done before the water warms up, while RV owners spread work out before summer trips and again before winter storage. Treated as one seasonal pattern, neither one gets planned for correctly.
What we doKeeps boat detailing and RV detailing as separate income lines, so each season's real pattern is visible on its own. -
2
A spring rush at the marina carries months that have not happened yet
A few weeks of commissioning work at the marina can bring in more than the next two slow months combined, and it is tempting to spend like every month will look like spring.
What we doShows the year against itself, not just month to month, so a strong spring and a quieter summer both make sense together. -
3
Gel coat and marine product cost more than typical detailing supplies
Oxidation removal compound, marine wax, and RV roof treatment cost more per job than standard car detailing chemicals, and if lumped into one generic supplies line, true job cost gets lost.
What we doKeeps boat and RV specific product costs in their own line, so job pricing reflects what the work actually costs in materials. -
4
Travel to marinas and storage yards eats real time and fuel
A trip to a marina slip or an RV storage yard often means more driving and setup time than a residential driveway job, and that extra cost is easy to undercharge for if it is never tracked.
What we doKeeps vehicle and travel costs in their own line, so travel-heavy jobs are priced with the real cost of getting there.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a boat and RV detailer.
Set up once for how the two seasons run and what a job costs in product and travel. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Boat detailingMarina commissioning, oxidation removal, and wash and wax jobs on boats.
- RV detailingWash, wax, and roof treatment jobs, tracked apart from boat work.
- Marina and storage yard contractsRecurring accounts with a marina or storage facility.
- Winterizing and haul-out add-onsFall service jobs tied to seasonal storage.
Money out
- Boat care productGel coat compound, marine wax, and oxidation removers.
- RV care productRoof treatment, awning cleaner, and exterior polish.
- Commission payWhat crew members are paid per job, apart from hourly wages.
- Vehicle and travelFuel and maintenance for the truck and trailer running between marinas and yards.
- EquipmentBuffers, pressure washers, and ladders sized for boats and RVs, logged so they get written off right.
- Marina and yard access feesAny fee paid to work on-site at a marina or storage facility.
What we watch for you
- Season mix
How much income comes from boat work versus RV work, so slow stretches in either are expected, not a surprise.
- Product cost per job
Marine-grade product cost against what a job charges, so pricing keeps up with higher material costs.
- Travel cost per job
Fuel and time spent reaching marinas and storage yards, useful when quoting distant jobs.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things boat and RV detailers 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 track your year against itself, not month to month. A strong spring commissioning rush followed by a quieter stretch is normal for this business and reads that way.
Yes, I keep boat product and RV product in their own lines, so each job type's real cost shows up instead of one blended average.
I track your travel costs separately, so you can see what the driving actually costs you on those jobs. Worth a look before your next quote out that way.
The tax side
The tax side of a boat and RV detailing business.
Most of what goes wrong here is seasonal timing and travel that goes untracked. Both are easy to fix once boat and RV work are kept apart and mileage gets logged.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vehicle and travel mileageA mobile detailer driving between marinas, storage yards, and 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.
- Equipment write-offsBuffers, pressure washers, and trailer-mounted equipment sized for boats and RVs can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA crew member 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.
- Quarterly estimated taxesWithout payroll withholding, a self-employed detailer usually owes estimated tax four times a year, on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
Deductions boat and RV detailers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Gel coat compound and marine wax
- RV roof treatment product
- Buffing pads and applicators
- Trailer and truck fuel
- Marina and yard access fees
- Liability insurance
- Uniforms and work gear
- Trade certification courses
- Phone for scheduling jobs
- Marketing and referral incentives
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 and RV detailer's year, kept every month.
Spring commissioning and fall haul-out set the rhythm. Your 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.
- 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, right as spring commissioning season picks up. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the spring marina rush changed the number.
- October
Before fall haul-out
As boats and RVs come out of the water and off the road for winter, Gus looks at 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 boat and RV detailers. 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 and RV detailers ask first.
Can Gus keep boat work and RV work separate on the books?
Yes. He tracks them as two different income lines, so you can see each season's pattern clearly instead of one blended number that hides both.
My income is really lumpy, big in spring and fall, quiet in between. Will that look like a problem?
No. Gus tracks your year against itself, so seasonal swings read as normal for this business, not as something going wrong.
I drive long distances to some marinas. Does that count as a business expense?
Yes. Mileage or vehicle costs for travel to job sites are usually deductible, and Gus keeps that tracked so it is not missed at tax time.
My crew gets paid per job, not hourly. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Per-job pay stays its own line, so you can see labor cost against what each job type brought in.
Do I write off new pressure washers or buffers 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.
My books are a mess after a busy spring season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them and separates boat from RV work as he goes, 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.
More in collision & appearance
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Auto upholstery & interior repair
- Wheel & rim repair
- Paintless dent repair
- Vehicle wrap shops
- Auto detailing shops
- Auto glass repair & replacement
- Ceramic coating & paint protection film (PPF) installers
- Collision & body shops
- Mobile auto detailing
- Window tinting shops
- Campervan & van conversion builders
- Golf cart dealers & customizers
- Overlanding outfitters & builders
- RV repair shops & mobile RV technicians
- Trailer dealers & repair
- Auto electrical specialists
- Car buying & auto brokers
- Classic & collector car dealers
- Classic car restoration shops
- Collector car storage garages
- Custom car audio shops
- Emissions & state inspection stations
- Engine rebuilders
- Hybrid & EV repair specialists
- Independent car rental & Turo hosts
- Junkyards & auto salvage yards
- Mobile tire service
- Motorcycle repair & custom shops
- Motorcycle training schools
- Off-road, 4x4 & lift kit shops
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