Organic, social & brand marketing
Books and taxes for community management agencies.
Monthly retainers per community, moderators working paid shifts across time zones, a community app that costs more as a server grows past a member tier, and giveaway prizes for engagement events. 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
January came in at $6,900. Client R's server crossed into a bigger membership tier, so Circle's bill jumped, I flagged it so you know it was growth, not a billing mistake.
- Retainer, Client R communityRetainer revenue
- Retainer, Client S communityRetainer revenue
- Moderator shift pay, weekend teamModerator payouts
- Circle subscription, tier upgradeCommunity app costs
- Giveaway prizes, AMA eventEngagement event costs
Why your books are different
Community agency books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a retainer payment and a subscription bill. Your business is moderators working set shifts across time zones, community software that costs more as a server crosses a member tier, and engagement events with real prize costs attached. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell what running any one community actually costs.
-
1
Moderators on regular shifts look like employees
A moderator who works the same weekend hours every week, follows a set schedule, and only uses the client's own tools looks like an employee to the IRS no matter what the contract calls them.
What we doFlags moderators with steady, scheduled shifts and has the accountant weigh in before a habit becomes a real employment risk. -
2
A membership tier jump inflates a normal bill
Circle, Mighty Networks, and similar apps price by member count, so a community that grows past a tier line brings a real jump in cost that can look like a billing error if nobody is watching for it.
What we doNotes when a community app bill jumps because of a tier change, so the increase reads as growth, not a mistake. -
3
Giveaway prizes get lost in general expenses
Gift cards, merchandise, and prizes bought for an AMA or a community contest often land in a generic expense line, so it is hard to see what running engagement events actually costs against what they are worth to a client.
What we doKeeps engagement event costs in their own category, so prize spend stays visible and tied to the event it served. -
4
One client's several communities get billed as one lump
A client running a Discord server, a Slack group, and a private forum all under one retainer makes it hard to see which community actually needs the moderator hours it is getting.
What we doKeeps moderator pay and app costs tied to the specific community they serve, so you can see which one is worth the most attention.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a community agency.
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
- Retainer revenueMonthly billing per community managed.
- Launch and setup feesOne-time fees for building a new community from scratch.
- Event hosting feesOne-off fees for running a large AMA or community event.
- Moderator training feesEngagements training a client's in-house team to moderate their own community.
Money out
- Moderator payoutsShift-based pay to moderators covering different time zones.
- Community app costsDiscord Nitro boosts, Circle, Mighty Networks, and Discourse hosting.
- Engagement event costsGiveaway prizes, gift cards, and merchandise for community events.
- Bot and integration toolsModeration bots and other helper tools used across communities.
- Coworking and officeShared office space or a home office setup.
What we watch for you
- Retainer revenue
The steady piece of income, separate from one-time launch or event fees.
- Cost per community
What moderator shifts and membership tiers actually cost for one client's community.
- Moderator hours share
What moderator pay costs against revenue, since it usually moves before anything else does.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month no matter how many members a community adds.
Ask Gus
Things community agency 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.
It might. A set schedule like that can start to look like an employee to the IRS, so I flagged it for the accountant to weigh in before it becomes a habit.
No, Client R's community crossed into a bigger membership tier, so the bill went up with it. I noted that so it reads as growth, not a mistake.
Anyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more this year gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep that list running across every moderator.
The tax side
The tax side of a community agency.
Most of what goes wrong here is who counts as what. A moderator who looks like an employee, a growing app bill nobody explained, 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.
- Moderator classificationA moderator working set shifts, following a schedule, and using only the client's tools is usually an employee, not a contractor. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it early.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, a moderator paid as a contractor, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated agencies can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. Above roughly $200,000 single, the accountant checks how much of it still applies to a moderator-heavy business.
- Self-employment taxA solo owner not running payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
Deductions community management agencies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Circle or Mighty Networks subscription
- Discord Nitro boosts
- Moderation bot tools
- Moderator shift pay
- Giveaway prizes and gift cards
- Business liability insurance
- Coworking space
- Business phone and internet
- Website hosting for the agency
- Accounting and legal fees
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 community agency's year, kept every month.
Communities need moderating every day of the year, but tax deadlines do not move. 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
Start the year off
Last year's return gets started, the moderator 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Return filed, signed
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside kept pace as communities grew.
- July
Check the halfway point
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether cost per community is holding steady as membership grows.
- October
Before community budgets reset
Clients plan next year's community budget around this time. Gus looks at which communities are worth their moderator cost before those talks.
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 community management agencies. 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 community agency owners ask first.
One of my moderators works a set weekly schedule for a single client. Is that a problem?
It can be. A moderator on a regular schedule using only the client's own tools starts to look like an employee, so Gus flags it and the accountant weighs in before it becomes a habit.
Our community software bill jumps whenever we cross a membership tier. Can Gus explain that instead of just showing a bigger number?
Yes. Gus notes when a community app bill increased because of a tier change, so it reads as growth in the community, not an unexplained cost.
We run three different communities for one client. Can Gus show me which one is worth the most attention?
Yes. Moderator pay and app costs get tied to the specific community they serve, so you can compare which one is pulling its weight.
Do I need paperwork for moderators I pay by the shift?
Anyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more this year gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list current across every moderator you use.
My books mix retainer income, moderator pay, and app bills together right now. Can that get sorted out?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus separates income from moderator and app costs, the accountant checks it, 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