Aviation & marine services
Books and taxes for boat shrink wrap services.
Per-foot wrap jobs, rolls of film bought by the season, propane for the heat guns, and a six-week window where the whole year gets made. 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
October came in at $16,600. The season's big roll of shrink film went in as one order, not split across every boat it will end up covering.
- Marina fleet wrap contract, 40 boatsFleet wrap contracts
- Individual wrap job, 32-foot cruiserPer-boat wrap jobs
- Shrink film, season roll orderFilm and materials
- Propane, heat gunsPropane and equipment fuel
- Seasonal crew wagesCrew wages
Why your books are different
A shrink wrap business's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a few weeks of frantic work and a big film bill. Your business earns most of its year in a short window, buys film by the season rather than the job, and burns propane at a rate that has to be tracked against the work. When the books do not know that, a six-week rush looks like an anomaly instead of the whole business model.
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1
A season's worth of film gets bought in one order
Shrink film is usually bought by the roll for the whole season, not job by job, and if the entire order lands as a cost against the first few boats wrapped, those jobs look like they lost money while the rest of the season looks free.
What we doKeeps film and materials in one steady line across the season, so a big roll order does not distort which boats it actually covered. -
2
Propane and heat gun fuel gets lost in general supplies
Propane for shrinking the film down tight is a real, sizable cost during the rush, and if it gets buried in a general supplies bucket, you cannot tell what it actually costs to run the heat guns across a busy weekend.
What we doKeeps propane and equipment fuel in its own line, so the real cost of running the crew during peak season is visible. -
3
The whole year's income gets averaged into one number
Most of your income lands in a six-week fall window, and if the books smooth that into twelve even months, you cannot tell whether that short season actually covered the rest of the year the way it needs to.
What we doKeeps the wrap season visible on its own so the short, intense window reads as the real shape of your year, not an average. -
4
A marina fleet contract gets billed differently than one-off jobs
A marina paying for forty boats wrapped under one contract settles very differently than an individual boat owner paying per job, and mixing them together hides which kind of customer actually drives the season.
What we doKeeps fleet contracts and individual wrap jobs in separate lines so you can see which kind of work is carrying the season.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a shrink wrap business.
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
- Fleet wrap contractsMarina and boat club contracts covering multiple boats.
- Per-boat wrap jobsIndividual owner jobs, billed by the foot.
- Vent and door installsAccess door and ventilation add-ons billed separately.
- Spring removal and disposalRemoving and hauling away old film, billed as its own service.
Money out
- Film and materialsShrink film bought by the roll for the season.
- Propane and equipment fuelPropane for heat guns and shrinking equipment.
- Crew wagesSeasonal crew paid during the wrap rush.
- Vehicle and fuelTrucks and trailers moving film and equipment between marinas.
- Equipment maintenanceHeat guns, torches, and film applicators.
What we watch for you
- Cost per boat
Film and propane against boat length, the number that tells you if per-foot pricing still works.
- Fleet contract share
How much of the season came from marina fleet contracts versus individual jobs.
- Film cost per season
What the season's bulk film order actually cost against how many boats it covered.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things shrink wrap 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 keep film in one steady line across the season, so the big order does not make the first few boats look like they lost money.
Yes, propane and equipment fuel have their own line, so you can see exactly what it costs to run the crew hard during the rush.
No. I keep the wrap season visible on its own, so the quiet months read as the normal shape of your year, not a problem.
The tax side
The tax side of a shrink wrap business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing on a bulk film order and a season that does not look like a calendar year. The accountant sorts out what applies to your specific setup.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment and heat gunsHeat guns, torches, and applicators can often be expensed the year you buy them under Section 179, up to $2,560,000.
- Contractor 1099sAny seasonal crew 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 contractorSeasonal crew who use your equipment, work your schedule, and take direction from you are usually employees, whatever the pay arrangement looks like.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when film, propane, and crew wages are booked right all year.
Deductions boat shrink wrapping services miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Shrink film and season rolls
- Propane and heat gun fuel
- Vent and access door hardware
- Truck and trailer expenses
- Equipment maintenance and repairs
- Crew safety gear and uniforms
- Liability insurance
- Ladders and access equipment
- Storage yard access fees
- Film scrap disposal costs
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 shrink wrap year, kept every month.
Most of your season happens in a few weeks. 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, well before the fall rush.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand ahead of the season, and what fleet contracts are shaping up for the fall rush.
- October
Peak wrap season
With the wrap rush in full swing, Gus looks at whether equipment or crew needs adjusting before the window closes.
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 shrink wrapping services. 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 shrink wrap owners ask first.
Can Gus track cost per boat even when film is bought by the season?
Yes. He keeps film in one steady line and can show what the season's bulk order actually cost against how many boats it covered.
Do I need to change how I bill marina fleet contracts?
No. Keep billing the way you do. Gus keeps fleet contracts and individual jobs in separate lines so you can see which kind of work carried the season.
My crew only works six weeks a year. Does that change how they get paid on the books?
It changes the hours, not the process. Gus keeps seasonal crew wages visible against the work, and flags anything that looks more like a year-round employee relationship.
Do I write off new heat guns and applicators all at once?
Most years, yes. Wrap equipment typically qualifies for a full write-off the season you buy it, but the accountant weighs your whole year before settling on whether to take it all at once or spread it out.
My books are a mess after a crazy wrap season. Is that a problem?
No. Once the rush dies down, hand over the bank statements from the weeks you were slammed. Gus works through the pile and most owners are sorted out within a week of catching up.
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