Vehicle sales & auto services

Books and taxes for collector car storage garages.

Monthly storage fees, a fall intake rush, battery tender checks, and bailee's insurance on someone else's car all move through this business differently. Gus sorts every dollar into its own line, 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
OctoberExample month
$8,300
what you made

October netted $8,300. The fall intake fees stayed separate from your regular monthly storage billing, so this month's rush doesn't hide what the steady base actually brings in.

  • Monthly storage billing batchStorage fees
  • Fall intake service feeSeasonal intake and pickup
  • Bailee's insurance premiumInsurance
  • Climate control utility billUtilities and climate control
  • Battery tender replacementValet equipment and supplies
Money in$26,400
Money out$18,100
Set aside for taxes$1,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A storage garage's books go wrong around what you own, not what you're paid.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your building holds cars worth more than the business itself, none of which are yours, alongside a recurring storage bill and a seasonal rush of intake and pickup work. When the books do not draw that line clearly, the numbers stop making sense.

  1. 1

    Client cars never belong on your books as inventory

    A garage full of valuable client vehicles can look, on paper, like a business sitting on inventory worth millions, when none of those cars are actually yours to count as an asset.

    What we doKeeps client vehicles entirely off the books as property, tracking only the storage and service fees they generate.
  2. 2

    Recurring fees and seasonal work blur together

    The steady monthly storage bill and a one-time fall intake or spring wake-up service both land in the same deposit, so it is hard to tell how much of the business is reliable recurring income versus seasonal rush work.

    What we doKeeps monthly storage billing separate from seasonal intake and pickup fees, so the steady base is visible on its own.
  3. 3

    Valet service labor gets lost in general payroll

    Staff time spent on battery tenders, tire rotations, and start-and-run checks for stored cars is real labor tied to a specific service, but if it is not tracked apart from general shop payroll, it is hard to tell if valet services are priced to cover the time they take.

    What we doKeeps valet service labor in its own line so you can see what that work actually costs against what it's billed at.
  4. 4

    A busy intake month looks unsustainable

    Dozens of cars coming in for winter storage in a few weeks brings a burst of one-time fees that will not repeat until spring, and without context that spike can make normal months look weak by comparison.

    What we doTracks the seasonal pattern of intake and pickup so a fall surge reads as the calendar, not the new normal.
  5. 5

    Insurance costs get treated like a routine bill

    Bailee's insurance covering client vehicles while they're on your property is a significant and specific cost, and if it gets grouped with general liability insurance, it is hard to see how much storing other people's cars is really costing you to insure.

    What we doKeeps bailee's coverage in its own line so the real cost of holding client vehicles is visible.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a collector car storage garage.

Set up once for how storage, valet work, and seasonal intake come in. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Storage feesRecurring monthly billing for the space a client's car occupies.
  • Seasonal intake and pickupOne-time fees for bringing a car in or getting it ready to leave storage.
  • Valet servicesBattery tender checks, tire rotation, and start-and-run service while a car is stored.
  • Detailing and concierge add-onsCleaning and extra care requested by a client.

Money out

  • Facility rent or mortgageThe building where client vehicles are kept.
  • InsuranceBailee's coverage for client vehicles plus general liability on the facility.
  • Utilities and climate controlPower for heating, cooling, and dehumidifying the storage space.
  • Valet equipment and suppliesBattery tenders, tire cradles, and car covers.
  • Security systemsCameras, alarms, and access control for a building full of valuable cars.
  • Staff wagesAnyone handling intake, valet checks, and client communication.
  • Cleaning and detailing suppliesWhat's used for add-on detailing services.

What we watch for you

  • Occupancy rate

    How many storage spots are filled against total capacity, since an empty bay earns nothing.

  • Recurring versus seasonal mix

    How much of the month's income is steady storage billing versus one-time intake and pickup fees.

  • Valet revenue per car

    What add-on services actually bring in per stored vehicle.

  • Insurance cost per car

    What it costs to insure the fleet you're holding against what storage fees bring in.

Ask Gus

Things storage garage owners 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've got forty client cars in the building right now. Does that count as inventory on my books?

No, none of those are yours. Only the storage and service fees you charge show up as income. The cars themselves stay off your books entirely.

Fall intake was crazy busy. Will a quiet November look bad by comparison?

No, I track the seasonal pattern so a quiet month after a big intake rush reads as the calendar, not a decline.

My guy spent a whole day doing battery checks and start-and-run on twenty cars. Where does that show up?

I keep valet labor in its own line, separate from general payroll, so you can see if that service is priced to cover the time it actually takes.

The tax side

The tax side of a collector car storage garage.

Most of what goes wrong here is remembering the cars are never yours, and tracking what it costs to insure them. Getting both right is what makes the return come out clean.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Client vehicles are never your assetCars you store for clients are never your property or inventory. Only the fees you charge to store and service them count as your income.
  • Bailee's insurance is a real deductible costInsurance covering client vehicles while they are in your care is an ordinary and necessary business expense, deductible as it is paid.
  • Storage equipment and Section 179Battery tenders, lifts, and other equipment bought for the business can usually be expensed the year you buy them, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income, with limits starting above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint taxable income.

Deductions collector car storage garages miss

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

  • Battery tenders and chargers
  • Car covers and tire cradles
  • Climate control utility costs
  • Bailee's insurance premiums
  • Security cameras and alarm monitoring
  • Facility lighting
  • Detailing supplies
  • Dehumidifiers
  • Access control systems
  • Cleaning equipment for the facility
  • Forklift or dolly maintenance
  • Signage and client paperwork supplies

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 storage garage's year, kept every month.

Cars go in before winter and come out for spring on their own schedule. Your taxes come on a schedule too. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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, and a monthly set-aside is planned as the storage building settles into its full winter season.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed as spring wake-up services begin. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand at midyear, what you will owe, and how occupancy is holding up now that most cars are out for the summer.

  4. October

    Before the intake rush

    Gus looks at any facility upgrade worth making and what the year's number looks like heading into the busiest stretch of the year.

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 collector car storage garages. 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 storage garage owners ask first.

Do the client cars in my building count as assets on my books?

No. None of those cars belong to you, so they never show up as inventory or an asset. Only the fees you charge to store and service them count as income.

Storage billing is steady but intake season is a rush. Does Gus separate those?

Yes. Monthly storage fees stay separate from one-time intake and pickup fees, so you can see how much of the business is steady versus seasonal.

My staff spend real time on valet services like battery checks. Does that get tracked?

Yes. Valet labor gets its own line, separate from general payroll, so you can see if those services are priced to cover the time they take.

Do you handle arranging transport when a client wants their car moved?

No. Gus tracks any fee you charge for coordinating transport. Booking the actual carrier stays with you or the client.

How does bailee's insurance factor into my books?

It stays in its own category, separate from general liability, so you can see what it actually costs to insure the vehicles you're holding.

My records right now are just a spreadsheet of who's paid and who hasn't. Can that be fixed?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it into storage, valet, and seasonal fees, then tells you where the business actually stands.

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