Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for campground and RV park brokers.

A commission on selling the land and the operating business together, months of due diligence on a seller's occupancy records, a franchise transfer fee, and a co-broke split with a specialty firm. Gus 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
MarchExample month
$11,400
what you made

March cleared $11,400 on the Cedar Hollow park sale. That deal took five months of due diligence on their occupancy records, so I kept those costs tied to the listing the whole way through.

  • Sunbelt Business Brokers depBusiness sale commissions
  • Occupancy records reviewDeal due diligence
  • KOA franchise transfer feeFranchise transfer costs
  • Co-broker split, specialty firmCo-brokerage splits paid
  • Drone footage, Cedar HollowListing marketing
Money in$41,200
Money out$29,800
Set aside for taxes$3,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Campground and RV park books go wrong past the land price.

Selling a campground or RV park means selling a running business along with the dirt, complete with occupancy records, seasonal income, and sometimes a franchise agreement. When the books treat it like a plain land sale, they miss what actually drives the price and the commission.

  1. 1

    Business value gets lumped in with the land price

    A park's income from seasonal sites, cabin rentals, and a camp store carries real business value on top of the real estate, and if the sale price is treated as one land number, the commission and the tax basis both come out wrong.

    What we doFlags the operating business value apart from the land and buildings, so the accountant can apply the right treatment to each piece of the sale.
  2. 2

    Months of due diligence on a seller's books look like wasted spend

    Reviewing a target park's occupancy records, seasonal revenue, and expense history can take months before a deal even goes under contract, and if that cost is not tied to the eventual sale, it reads as money spent with nothing to show for it.

    What we doTies due diligence costs to the specific park being evaluated, so once a sale closes, the real cost of getting the deal done is visible against the commission it earned.
  3. 3

    A franchise transfer fee gets treated like a regular closing cost

    Transferring a KOA or similar franchise agreement to a new owner carries its own fee and approval process, and lumped in with ordinary closing costs, it is easy to lose track of on a deal with a lot of moving pieces.

    What we doKeeps franchise transfer costs in their own line, so they are visible as their own piece of what the deal required.
  4. 4

    Seasonal park income makes a deal's timing look erratic

    A park's own income runs heavy in summer and thin in winter, and a sale that closes based on trailing seasonal numbers can make the broker's own commission timing look unpredictable if it is not tied back to the underlying deal.

    What we doKeeps each deal's costs and eventual commission tied together regardless of season, so a sale that closes in a slow month still reads as the payoff of work done earlier.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a campground and RV park broker.

Set up once for how a business-and-land sale actually breaks down. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Business sale commissionsCommission on selling the park's land and operating business together.
  • Referral fees receivedFees from agents or brokers in other regions sending a buyer or seller your way.
  • Consulting and valuation feesFlat fees for valuing a park outside a listing agreement.
  • Franchise placement feesFees for helping a buyer secure a franchise agreement on a park being sold.

Money out

  • Deal due diligenceOccupancy record review, financial analysis, and site inspection costs tied to one park.
  • Franchise transfer costsFees paid to transfer a franchise agreement to a new owner.
  • Co-brokerage splits paidThe other broker's share on a deal split with a specialty firm.
  • Listing marketingDrone footage, photography, and print for a specific park.
  • Vehicle and mileageTravel to inspect and show parks often outside town.
  • MLS and license feesMLS dues, board dues, and any business brokerage designation.

What we watch for you

  • Days to close

    How long a business-and-land sale is taking against due diligence and financing, since it runs longer than a plain land sale.

  • Commission retained after co-broke

    Your actual take after any split with a specialty firm.

  • Cost per active listing

    Due diligence and marketing spend tied to parks not yet sold, so it reads as pipeline, not loss.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month even while a deal is still working through months of due diligence.

Ask Gus

Things campground and RV park 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.

The Cedar Hollow deal took five months of due diligence before it even went under contract. Where did that spend go?

It stayed tied to that listing the whole time. This month's commission shows the real net, the due diligence cost against what the sale brought in.

This sale includes both the land and the business income from the camp store and cabins. Does that change the commission?

I flagged the business value apart from the land price, since it can be taxed differently. The accountant makes the call on how each part is treated.

Should I set up a separate entity for parks I help finance as part of the deal?

That is above my pay grade. A real accountant looks at the specific structure and tells you what fits.

The tax side

The tax side of a campground and RV park brokerage.

Most of what matters here is separating the land from the operating business, and tracking due diligence costs across deals that take months to close.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax on commission incomeCommission income carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, whenever a business-and-land sale finally closes.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith commissions landing unevenly across long due diligence periods, estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 need a real look at which deals are likely to close when.
  • The pass-through deductionMost brokers can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when due diligence costs and commission income are booked correctly all year.
  • Land, business, and franchise valueA sale bundling land, an operating business, and a franchise agreement can carry different treatment for each piece. Gus flags each part separately so the accountant applies the right rule to each.

Deductions campground and RV park brokers miss

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

  • Occupancy record and financial due diligence
  • Franchise transfer fees
  • Co-brokerage splits paid
  • MLS and business brokerage dues
  • Drone footage and print marketing
  • Vehicle mileage to inspect parks
  • Continuing education and designations
  • E and O insurance
  • Site visit travel costs
  • Phone and data plan
  • Home office for a dedicated workspace
  • Professional valuation reports

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 campground and RV park broker's year, kept every month.

A business-and-land sale can take months of due diligence before it ever closes. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax side while a deal is still in motion. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, referral fee 1099s go out, and a monthly set-aside is planned around deals likely to close this year.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether any long due diligence deals finally closed.

  4. October

    Before buyers plan next season

    Buyers often want to close before the next camping season starts. Gus looks at what is worth doing or buying before December while there is still time.

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 campground and RV park 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 campground and RV park brokers ask first.

How does Gus handle a sale that includes both the park's land and its business income?

The business value gets flagged apart from the land price, since the two are often taxed differently. The accountant makes the final call on how each piece is treated.

I spent months reviewing a seller's occupancy records before the deal went under contract. Is that cost tracked anywhere?

Yes. It stays tied to that specific listing the whole time, so once the commission comes in, you see the real cost against what the deal earned.

Does a franchise transfer fee count differently than a regular closing cost?

Gus keeps it in its own line so it is visible as its own piece of the deal, separate from ordinary closing costs, even though both are usually deductible.

My deals often take six months or more of due diligence. Is that a problem for the books?

No. Gus keeps costs tied to the specific park being evaluated, so a long due diligence period reads as a deal in progress, not a business that has gone quiet.

I split most deals with a specialty firm that handles this niche nationally. How does that affect my income?

Only your side of the split, what actually lands in your account, ever counts as your income. The other firm's share never touches your books.

My books have not been kept up in over a year across several open listings. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements and listing agreements you have. Gus sorts each deal's due diligence costs and any commissions, and most brokers know where they stand within a couple of weeks.

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 brokerage, lending & investing

We keep books for the business next door too.

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