Performance, custom & powersports
Books and taxes for campervan and van conversion builders.
Build deposits collected months before delivery, change orders mid-build, high-dollar solar and electrical components, and whether the van itself is yours or the customer's. 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
February made $17,000. The Sprinter build's deposit is being held against the stage of work finished so far, not counted all at once.
- Deposit, Sprinter build 14Build deposits and progress payments
- Final payment, Transit build 12Build deposits and progress payments
- Victron electrical orderSolar and electrical components
- Dometic appliance orderAppliances and fixtures
- Subcontracted upholsterySubcontracted labor
Why your books are different
A van conversion builder's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is builds that run for months, deposits collected in stages, change orders added along the way, and vans that are sometimes yours and sometimes the customer's. When the books do not know the difference, a great build season can look like a loss.
-
1
A build deposit gets counted as income the day it lands
A conversion running three to five months often collects a deposit up front and progress payments at milestones. Counted as income immediately, the month the deposit lands looks great and the months of cabinetry, electrical, and finish work that follow look like a loss.
What we doHolds each deposit and progress payment against the stage of work it covers, so income and cost land in the same months. -
2
A customer-supplied van and a shop-purchased van get mixed together
When a customer brings their own van, only the labor and materials are your business. When you buy the van yourself to build and resell as turnkey, the van itself is inventory. Treating both the same way overstates or understates what a build actually cost you.
What we doSeparates customer-supplied builds, which are labor and materials only, from shop-purchased vans, which carry the van's cost as inventory. -
3
A bulk solar and electrical order swings a month
Ordering lithium batteries, inverters, and solar panels for several builds at once in one purchase makes that month look terrible and the months you use the stock look artificially good.
What we doKeeps electrical component purchases in one steady line and tells you when a stock-up is the reason a month looks thin. -
4
A change order gets buried in the original quote
A customer adding extra cabinetry or a bigger battery bank mid-build often just gets folded into the final invoice with no record of what changed. That hides whether change orders are actually profitable or just extra work for the same money.
What we doTracks change orders as their own line against the build, so you can see whether add-ons are worth the extra time they take. -
5
Subcontracted specialty work gets mixed into materials
Upholstery, custom electrical, and cabinetry finish work often go to outside specialists paid out of the same account as materials. Lumped together, that labor cost disappears into the parts line instead of showing up on its own.
What we doKeeps subcontracted labor in its own category and tracks who was paid for the 1099 list.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a van conversion builder.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Build deposits and progress paymentsRecognized against the stage of work actually finished.
- Change order incomeAdd-ons and upgrades billed apart from the original quote.
- Turnkey van salesBuilds where the shop bought and converted the van itself.
- Consulting and design feesLayout and design work sold on its own, before a build starts.
Money out
- Builder wagesKept apart so you can see labor against the work it paid for.
- Solar and electrical componentsInverters, lithium batteries, and panels from Victron and similar suppliers.
- Appliances and fixturesDometic appliances, fans, and plumbing fixtures.
- Insulation and build materialsWall panels, wiring, and cabinetry stock.
- Van purchasesOnly for turnkey builds, where the shop owns the van being converted.
- Subcontracted laborUpholstery, electrical, and finish work not on payroll.
- Shop rent and utilitiesThe bay, tools, and finish area.
- Marketing and lead feesGoogle ads, van life shows, and social content costs.
What we watch for you
- Build backlog
Deposits collected for builds not yet delivered. Spending it before the work is done is how a busy shop runs short.
- Change order margin
Whether add-ons billed mid-build are actually worth the extra time they take.
- Turnkey versus customer-supplied mix
How much of the business carries van inventory cost against how much is labor and materials only.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things van conversion builders 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 hold it against the stage of work the build is actually at, so income and the materials and labor it takes land in the same months.
As a change order against that build, separate from the original quote, so you can see whether add-ons like that are worth the extra time.
Yes. The van itself becomes inventory on that job, unlike a customer-supplied van where only the labor and materials are your cost.
The tax side
The tax side of a van conversion builder.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and what counts as inventory. Deposits counted too early, a turnkey van treated like a customer's van, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Shop and fabrication equipmentWoodworking tools, welders, and fabrication equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Turnkey van inventoryA van bought by the shop to convert and resell is inventory, not an expense the day it is bought. What actually sold during the month is what counts.
- Subcontracted specialty laborAn upholsterer or electrician paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions campervan and van conversion builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Woodworking and fabrication tools
- Electrical testing equipment
- Freight on solar and electrical components
- Van life show booth costs
- Google local ads
- Shop rags and cleaners
- Design software subscriptions
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tool financing and interest
- Liability insurance
- Sawdust and material waste disposal
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 van conversion builder's year, kept every month.
Builds run for months on their own schedule, no matter the season. 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 for subcontracted specialists 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.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the current build backlog changed the number more than expected.
- October
Before winter build season
Before winter fills the bay with builds meant for spring delivery, 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 campervan and van conversion builders. 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 van conversion builders ask first.
How does Gus handle deposits on a multi-month build?
He holds each deposit and progress payment against the stage of work it actually covers, so income and the build's real cost land in the same months.
Does it matter if the customer supplies their own van?
Yes. A customer-supplied van means your cost is labor and materials only. A van you buy yourself to convert and resell becomes inventory, and Gus tracks the two differently.
How are change orders tracked mid-build?
As their own line against the original build, separate from the base quote, so you can see whether add-ons are worth the extra time they take.
I use outside specialists for upholstery and electrical. Does that change anything?
It changes where the cost is tracked. Gus keeps subcontracted labor in its own category and keeps a running list for 1099s at year end.
Do I write off my electrical and solar stock when I buy it?
No. Components held for future builds are inventory. What actually goes into a build during the month is what counts, not what you ordered.
My books are behind on a few builds. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, 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.
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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