Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for closet and garage organization companies.
A design deposit collected at the in-home visit, a panel order sent to the manufacturer, weeks of lead time before install day, and a quick one-day install at the end. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
January came in at $13,000. The panel order for the Grimaldi garage system went out to the manufacturer this month, but the install isn't scheduled until March, so I kept the cost tied to that job.
- Design deposit, Grimaldi jobDesign deposits
- Final payment, Osei closet jobInstall completion payments
- Panel order, manufacturerPanel and material orders
- Wire shelving and hardwareHardware and accessories
- Truck fuelTrucks and fuel
Why your books are different
Closet and garage system books go wrong in the gap between design and install.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your job starts with a design visit, waits weeks while panels get manufactured, then wraps up in a single install day. When the books do not track that gap, a deposit collected in January for a March install throws off both months.
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1
The design deposit lands long before the install cost does
You collect a deposit at the in-home design consultation, then wait several weeks for the manufacturer to cut and ship the panels before install day. Booked without tying it to the job, the deposit can look like a strong month that install costs later wipe out.
What we doTies the design deposit to its job, so the gap between booking and install does not distort either month. -
2
A manufacturer order is a big cost with no install date yet
Sending a custom panel order to the manufacturer is a real cost that lands weeks before the crew ever shows up to install it, and booked as a plain expense it can make a slow month look worse than it is.
What we doKeeps panel and material orders tied to their job, so an early manufacturer order does not read as a bad month. -
3
A quick install day hides how much lead time actually cost
Install itself often takes a single day, which makes it easy to think a job is cheap to deliver, when the real cost was the weeks of manufacturing lead time and the deposit that funded it long before.
What we doShows the full job cost across the whole timeline, not just install day, so you can see what a job actually took to deliver. -
4
Garage epoxy or slatwall add-ons blend into the base system cost
A garage job that adds epoxy flooring or slatwall panels on top of cabinetry brings in more revenue, but if that add-on cost and income are not tracked apart from the base system, you cannot see how much upsells are really worth.
What we doKeeps add-on work like flooring or slatwall in its own line, so upsells show up as the extra margin they are.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a closet and garage organization business.
Set up once for how your jobs get paid and what they cost. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Design depositsCollected at the in-home consultation, before the manufacturer order goes out.
- Install completion paymentsThe balance collected on install day.
- Garage add-onsEpoxy flooring, slatwall, and overhead racks billed on top of the base system.
- Standalone design feesDesign consultations that do not convert to a full job.
Money out
- Panel and material ordersCustom panels and materials sent to the manufacturer, tied to the job.
- Hardware and accessoriesWire shelving, drawer hardware, and closet accessories.
- Install laborCrew wages for install day, kept apart from material cost.
- Design software3D design and layout software used for consultations.
- Truck and fuelThe vehicle that hauls panels and hardware to install day.
- Lead feesAngi, Houzz Pro, and paid leads that turn into signed jobs.
What we watch for you
- Job margin
What each job actually cleared once design, materials, and install labor are all counted.
- Design-to-install lag
How long it typically takes from deposit to install, so cash flow timing is not a surprise.
- Add-on revenue
How much garage flooring or slatwall upsells are adding on top of base systems.
- Material cost share
Panels and hardware against revenue, watched so a manufacturer price jump gets caught early.
Ask Gus
Things closet and garage organizers 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.
I tied the deposit to that job, so when the install cost hits in March, you will see the full picture together instead of two disconnected months.
It is tracked as a cost against the same job, so once it installs you can see exactly what the job earned after design, panels, and labor.
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I have been keeping that list all year so it is ready.
The tax side
The tax side of a closet and garage organization business.
Most of what trips up this business is timing across the design-to-install gap, and knowing who works for you.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Installer 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a second installer for bigger jobs, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
- Employee or subcontractorAn installer who works your schedule and uses your tools usually looks like an employee, not a sub, no matter what the invoice says. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Tools and equipmentInstall tools and the vehicle that hauls them can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right only when the books track deposits and manufacturer orders correctly all year.
Deductions closet and garage organization companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Install tools and hardware
- 3D design software subscription
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Angi and Houzz Pro lead fees
- Liability insurance
- Small tool replacement
- Continuing education and certifications
- Branded uniforms
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Mileage to consultations and installs
- Sample panels and finish swatches
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 closet and garage organization year, kept every month.
New year resolutions and spring cleaning drive bookings, but manufacturing lead time means the work stretches out. Gus keeps taxes on their own schedule. 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 installer 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, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether design-to-install lag is affecting cash flow.
- October
Before year-end
Gus looks at any equipment worth buying before December and where the year is landing.
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 closet and garage organization companies. 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 closet and garage organizers ask first.
My deposit and install often land in different months. Does that mess up my books?
No. Gus ties the deposit to the job it belongs to, so the gap between the design visit and install day does not distort either month.
I send a big panel order to the manufacturer before install is scheduled. Does that hurt my monthly number?
It would if it sat as a plain expense. Gus ties it to the job it belongs to, so an early order does not make an unrelated month look thin.
Do garage add-ons like epoxy flooring need to be tracked separately?
It helps a lot. Gus keeps add-on work in its own line, so upsells show up as the extra margin they are, not blended into the base system.
Do I write off design software or install tools all at once?
Often you can. Equipment and software bought for the business can usually be deducted the year you buy them, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are a few months behind. 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 within a week.
Do standalone design consultations that don't convert to a job get tracked?
Yes. Design fees that do not turn into a full job stay in their own category, so you can see what your consultation work is worth on its own.
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