Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for brand ambassadors and affiliate marketers.

Commissions from five different affiliate networks, each on its own payout schedule, a clawback when a referred order gets returned, and a flat monthly retainer from one brand. Your own bookkeeper 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
$5,900
what you made

July came in at $5,900. A batch of returns clawed back some of last month's commissions, so I netted that against this month instead of hiding it.

  • Impact payoutAffiliate commissions
  • LTK payoutAffiliate commissions
  • Brand ambassador retainerRetainer income
  • Commission clawback, returnsAffiliate commissions
  • Link tracking softwareSoftware
Money in$6,800
Money out$900
Set aside for taxes$1,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An affiliate marketer's books go wrong in a few specific spots.

A generalist sees a handful of payouts and calls it revenue. Yours comes from several affiliate networks that each pay on their own schedule and their own minimum threshold, and it can shrink after the fact when a referred customer returns what they bought.

  1. 1

    A commission clawback shows up as a mystery deduction

    When a customer referred through an affiliate link returns the item, the network takes the commission back, sometimes weeks or months later, and if that clawback is not expected, it looks like an unexplained loss on the books.

    What we doNets clawbacks against the commissions they came from, so a return-driven deduction reads as the normal cost of affiliate work, not an error.
  2. 2

    Networks pay out at different minimum thresholds

    One network pays monthly once a $50 minimum is hit, another pays quarterly at $100, and a third holds earnings until $500, so income that has actually been earned can sit unpaid for a while without it being obvious why.

    What we doTracks earned commissions even before a payout clears its network's minimum, so real earnings are visible, not just what has been paid out so far.
  3. 3

    A flat ambassador retainer looks like a commission

    A brand paying a flat monthly fee for consistent posting is a different kind of deal than a commission tied to sales, and blending the two hides how much of the income depends on driving sales versus simply being a face for a brand.

    What we doKeeps retainer income in its own line, separate from commission-based affiliate income, so both kinds of deals stay distinct.
  4. 4

    Attribution windows delay when a sale actually counts

    A sale that happens 25 days after someone clicks a link can still count toward a commission because of how long the network's tracking window lasts, so income earned in one month can show up as a payout much later.

    What we doBooks commission payouts to the month they land while keeping the underlying network reports on file, so a delayed payout does not get miscounted as something else.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an affiliate marketing business.

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

Money in

  • Affiliate commissionsPayouts from Amazon Associates, ShareASale, Impact, and LTK.
  • Retainer incomeFlat monthly fees from brand ambassador deals.
  • Sponsored post feesOne-time payments for a specific sponsored post.
  • Gifted productProduct sent in exchange for promotion, valued by the accountant.

Money out

  • Link tracking softwareTools used to manage and track affiliate links.
  • Content productionPhotos and videos made to promote affiliate products.
  • Website hostingA blog or link page used to house affiliate content.
  • Business phone and internetThe connection needed to post and manage links daily.
  • Business liability insuranceCoverage for the affiliate marketing business.

What we watch for you

  • Income by network

    Which affiliate networks actually pay well against which barely clear their minimum.

  • Clawback rate

    How much of earned commissions get returned due to product returns.

  • Retainer versus commission split

    How much of income is steady retainer fees against sales-dependent commissions.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so a strong payout month does not turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things affiliate marketers 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.

My payout this month is smaller than what I tracked in sales. What happened?

A batch of returns clawed back some of last month's commissions. I netted that against this month so the deduction makes sense instead of looking like a mistake.

One of my networks holds earnings until I hit $500. Does that mean I haven't actually earned that money yet?

You have earned it, it just has not been paid out. I track it either way, so you can see your real income even before a threshold is met.

A brand pays me a flat $500 a month regardless of how many sales I drive. Is that different from my other deals?

Yes, and I keep it in its own line. It is a retainer, not a commission, so it should not be blended with your sales-based income.

The tax side

The tax side of running an affiliate marketing business.

Most of what trips people up here is commission clawbacks and payouts that land later than the sale that actually earned them.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Gifted product is still incomeProduct sent in exchange for promotion counts as income at what it is worth, even with no cash involved. Gus flags it and the accountant values it.
  • Self-employment taxAn affiliate marketer not on payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Form 1099-K and 1099-NEC from networksAffiliate networks send a 1099-NEC or 1099-K depending on how they are set up. All commission income is taxable whether or not a form arrives.
  • The pass-through deductionMost affiliate businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.

Deductions brand ambassadors and affiliate marketers miss

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

  • Link tracking software
  • Content creation costs
  • Website and blog hosting
  • Camera and lighting gear
  • Business phone and internet
  • Business liability insurance
  • Payment processor fees
  • Accounting and legal fees

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

An affiliate marketing business's year, kept every month.

Payouts land on each network's own calendar all year, not around tax season. Your team keeps the books closed every month. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year's partnerships

    Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned ahead of the year's shopping season swings.

  2. April

    Filed, links still live

    The return is filed and signed, no scramble for cash, since a share of every commission has been set aside since January.

  3. July

    Network performance check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a strong spring shopping season changed the number.

  4. October

    Before holiday shopping season

    Affiliate income often spikes around the holidays. Gus looks at last year's numbers and anything worth doing 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 brand ambassadors and affiliate marketers. 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 brand ambassadors and affiliate marketers ask first.

Do I owe tax on commissions I earned but haven't been paid out yet?

Generally only once actually received. Gus tracks what is earned against what is paid so the accountant works from real cash for the return.

A network clawed back a commission from three months ago. How does that get handled?

Gus nets it against the commissions it came from, so the deduction reads as the normal cost of returns, not confused with a new loss.

I work across five different affiliate networks. Can Gus track them separately?

Yes. He keeps each network's payouts in its own line so you can see which ones actually pay well for your effort.

A brand sent me a $400 gift box instead of paying for a post. Do I owe on that?

Usually yes, valued at what the product is worth. Gus flags it as gifted product so the accountant can assign a fair value for the return.

My commissions and retainers have never been tracked separately across networks. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank and network payout statements you have. Gus sorts income by source, the accountant checks it, and most marketers 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.

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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