Accounting, tax & financial pros
Books and taxes for business brokers.
A commission that closes out an eight-month listing, a new seller's upfront retainer, marketing spend tied to one deal, and a co-broker split. 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
May made $37,000. The Ridgeline sale commission is on its own line, since that deal took eight months to close and this month is not a sign business suddenly tripled.
- Sale commission, Ridgeline Auto DetailingSuccess fees
- Listing retainer, new sellerListing fees
- BizBuySell listing renewalMarketplace listing fees
- Co-broker split, Ridgeline saleCo-broker fees paid
- CIM design, new listingMarketing materials
Why your books are different
A business broker's own books go wrong in a few predictable spots.
You help owners understand what their business is really worth. Your own firm's books hide a version of the same trouble, because one commission check can represent eight months of unpaid work that never showed up as income along the way.
-
1
A single commission makes one month look enormous
A sale that closes after eight months of marketing, showings, and negotiation pays its entire commission in one month, which can make that month look like the business suddenly took off when it was really a long deal finally landing.
What we doFlags large success fees against how long that listing was active, so a big month reads as one deal closing, not sudden growth. -
2
Listing retainers and success fees blend into one number
An upfront retainer collected when a listing agreement is signed and the commission paid at closing are very different kinds of income, but they often land in the same revenue account, hiding how much of the practice depends on deals actually closing.
What we doKeeps listing retainers separate from success fees, so steady retainer income and closing-dependent commission are easy to tell apart. -
3
Marketing spend for one listing gets lost in general costs
Photography, a confidential information memorandum, and marketplace promotion for a specific listing are real costs tied to that one deal, but they usually land in a general marketing account with no link to which listing they supported.
What we doKeeps marketing costs tied to the listing they supported, so you can see whether a given deal was worth what it cost to market. -
4
Co-broker splits get mixed with referral costs
A commission split paid to a co-broker on a deal is a direct cost of that specific sale, but it often gets bundled with general referral or marketing expenses instead of tracked against the deal it came from.
What we doKeeps co-broker splits in their own line, tied to the deal, so your real take-home on a co-brokered sale is clear. -
5
Buyer earnest money gets counted as the broker's income
A deposit a buyer puts down while a deal is pending is not the broker's money, it belongs to the transaction until closing, but a bank feed alone cannot always tell that apart from a fee actually earned.
What we doKeeps buyer deposits and pending transaction funds separate from commission income the firm has actually earned.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a business brokerage.
Set up once for how your firm bills and spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Success feesCommission earned when a listing closes.
- Listing feesUpfront retainers collected when a listing agreement is signed.
- Referral incomeSplits received as the co-broker on someone else's listing.
- Consultation feesPaid valuation or exit planning conversations outside a listing.
Money out
- Marketplace listing feesBizBuySell, BizQuest, and similar listing marketplaces.
- Marketing materialsPhotography, confidential memoranda, and listing promotion.
- Co-broker fees paidCommission splits paid out on co-brokered deals.
- State broker license and duesRenewal fees to stay licensed.
- Professional liability insuranceCoverage for the brokerage's own exposure.
- Travel to buyer and seller meetingsSite visits, walkthroughs, and closing meetings.
What we watch for you
- Retainer versus commission split
Upfront listing fees against success fees, so steady income and deal-dependent income are easy to tell apart.
- Marketing cost per listing
What each listing costs to market against what it ultimately pays, so pricing and effort line up.
- Days on market
How long listings sit before closing, so a big commission month is read against the real timeline behind it.
- Co-broker cost
What splits paid out actually leave you on a co-brokered deal.
Ask Gus
Things business brokers 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, and I flagged that commission against how long the listing was active. It reads as one deal finally landing, not sudden growth.
About $1,400 across photography and the memorandum. I kept it tied to that listing, so you can see it against the commission it earned.
That one is above my pay grade to settle from the books alone. I can show the accountant your retainer history against how deals actually closed, so that conversation starts from real numbers.
The tax side
The tax side of running a business brokerage.
Most of what trips up your own return is timing, the same discipline you use to walk a seller through what their business is worth.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Commission is earned at closing, not at signingA listing agreement signed in January and closed in September earns its commission in September. Booking it any earlier overstates income before the deal is actually done.
- 1099s for co-brokers and contractorsA co-broker split paid to an independent broker, or a contractor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Self-employment tax and the S corp questionA sole broker pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on net profit, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Electing S corp status by March 15 changes how much of that profit is taxed that way.
- Section 179 on office and marketing equipmentCameras, computers, and office equipment bought for the brokerage can usually be written off in the year purchased, up to $2,560,000.
Deductions business brokers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Marketplace listing fees
- Listing photography and CIM design
- State broker license renewal
- Professional liability insurance
- Travel to buyer and seller meetings
- Co-broker referral costs
- Home office costs
- Business valuation tool subscriptions
- Continuing education courses
- Professional association dues
- Computer and camera equipment
- Document prep and notary 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 business brokerage's year, kept every month.
Deals close on their own timeline, not a quarterly one. Gus keeps your own numbers steady in the background, whether this month has a closing or not. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
New listings, new year
New sellers come to market for the year, last year's own return gets started, and a set-aside gets planned that can flex around commission timing.
- April
Filed, no matter who closed
Your own return is filed and signed, whether or not a big commission landed that quarter.
- July
Midyear listing check
Where the brokerage stands, how many listings are active, and whether marketing spend is earning its keep.
- October
Before the year's last closings
A look at deals likely to close before December and what that means for the set-aside before the year turns.
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 business brokers. 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 business broker owners ask first.
Can Gus keep a big commission from making the whole year look inflated?
Yes. Large success fees get flagged against how long the listing was active, so a big month reads as one deal closing, not the business suddenly growing.
Can Gus tell my listing retainers apart from commission at closing?
Yes. They stay in separate lines, so you can see how much of your income depends on deals actually closing versus steady retainer fees.
We already list on BizBuySell and BizQuest. Does anything change?
No. Keep listing the way you do. Gus works from your firm's bank statement and asks once if a charge is unclear.
How does Gus handle a co-broker split on a deal?
It stays tied to that deal, in its own line, so your real take-home on a co-brokered sale is easy to see.
My own books have been behind since I am focused on active listings. Is that fixable?
Yes, and it is common between closings. Send the bank statements you have, and Gus will work through them while you focus on active listings, with the accountant checking behind him.
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 accounting, tax & financial pros
We keep books for the business next door too.
- 1031 exchange intermediaries
- Business valuation firms
- Crypto tax specialists
- Forensic accountants
- Outsourced controllers
- Payroll service bureaus
- Sales tax consultants
- Cost segregation firms
- Fractional CFOs
- M&A advisors (lower middle market)
- R&D tax credit firms
- Bookkeeping firms
- CPA firms
- Enrolled agents & tax resolution firms
- Tax preparation offices
- Banner & large-format printers
- Court reporters
- Label printers
- Legal document preparers
- Mailing houses & lettershops
- Mediators
- Private investigators
- Process servers
- Trade show display producers
- Answering services
- Apostille services
- Background check companies
- Crop insurance agents
- Document shredding & records management
- DOT compliance consultants
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