Farms, ranches & agritourism

Books and taxes for custom harvesting and farm service contractors.

A combine crew running north with the harvest, a per-acre rate billed to each farm along the way, and diesel and equipment repair that follow the crew wherever the wheat is ready. 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
JulyExample month
$30,700
what you made

July came in at $30,700. The Henderson farm job got billed by the acre, kept apart from the fuel and travel costs for getting the crew there.

  • Henderson farm harvest invoiceCustom harvest jobs
  • Wheeler farm harvest invoiceCustom harvest jobs
  • Combine header repair partEquipment repair
  • Diesel fuel, combine and trucksFuel
  • Crew lodging on the roadCrew travel and lodging
Money in$92,000
Money out$61,300
Set aside for taxes$9,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Custom harvesting books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees a farm business with a big fuel bill. Your business bills by the acre to a different farm every few days, moves a crew and equipment across counties or states following the harvest, and puts serious hours on equipment that has to be ready every single season. When the books do not separate those, you cannot tell which jobs and which routes actually pay.

  1. 1

    Per-acre jobs from different farms get lumped together

    Harvest invoices to five different farms in one week all look like the same kind of deposit, but each job has its own acreage, rate, and travel distance behind it.

    What we doKeeps each farm's harvest jobs identifiable in the books, so you can see which accounts and which routes actually pay best.
  2. 2

    Travel and lodging costs get buried in general fuel expenses

    Moving a crew and a combine hundreds of miles between jobs means diesel, lodging, and meals on the road, and if those costs are not separated from routine fuel, you cannot tell what a long-distance run actually costs against a nearby job.

    What we doKeeps crew travel and lodging separate from routine fuel costs, so you can see what distance actually adds to a job.
  3. 3

    Major equipment repairs look like routine maintenance

    A combine header rebuild or an engine overhaul in the middle of harvest season costs real money and keeps the crew running for another season, but on a bank statement it can look like just another repair bill.

    What we doFlags major equipment repairs and rebuilds separately from routine maintenance, so you can see what keeping the fleet running really costs.
  4. 4

    Weather delays between jobs get no clean record

    Rain that stalls a crew for a week between farms still costs money in crew wages and equipment payments, but without a note, that idle week just looks like a gap in income instead of a specific weather delay.

    What we doNotes weather delays the owner flags, so an idle stretch reads as weather, not a mystery in the numbers.
  5. 5

    Crew wages on the road pay like a lump sum

    A traveling crew paid a day rate or a share of the harvest is often paid out in one lump sum at the end of a run, which leaves no clean trail of what labor actually cost against each job along the route.

    What we doKeeps crew wages as their own labor line, so you can see what a run's labor costs against what the jobs on it brought in.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a custom harvesting contractor.

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

  • Custom harvest jobsPer-acre or per-hour billing to each farm along the harvest run.
  • Custom planting or spraying jobsOff-season work like planting or spraying billed the same way as harvest.
  • Equipment rental incomeFees earned renting out equipment during the off-season.
  • Trucking and hauling feesGrain hauling billed separately from the harvest work itself.
  • Deposit or retainer paymentsAdvance payments from farms booking a spot on the season's route.

Money out

  • FuelDiesel for combines, trucks, and support equipment across the season.
  • Equipment repairHeader rebuilds, engine work, and major repairs, logged so they get written off right.
  • Crew wagesTraveling crew pay, kept apart from lump-sum settlements at the end of a run.
  • Crew travel and lodgingMotels, meals, and travel costs for the crew on the road.
  • Equipment paymentsLoan or lease payments on combines, headers, and support trucks.
  • InsuranceEquipment, liability, and crew insurance for the harvest season.
  • Parts inventoryBelts, bearings, and wear parts kept on hand during the run.

What we watch for you

  • Revenue per acre

    What each job actually nets after fuel and travel, tracked by farm and by route.

  • Fuel cost per mile of route

    What moving the crew between jobs actually costs, so a long run can be priced right next season.

  • Equipment repair cost trend

    Whether repair costs are climbing year over year, tracked from the books.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things custom harvesting contractors 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.

We bill five different farms in one week during peak harvest. Can you keep them straight?

Yes. I keep each farm's jobs identifiable, so you can see which accounts and which routes actually pay the best.

Moving the crew four hundred miles for the next job cost a lot in fuel and motels. Does that get tracked separately?

It does. I keep travel and lodging apart from routine fuel, so you can see what a long run really costs against a nearby job.

Rain stalled us for a week between jobs. Does that mess up the numbers?

No. Flag it for me and I'll note the delay, so an idle week reads as weather, not a mystery in the income.

The tax side

The tax side of a custom harvesting business.

Most of what goes wrong here is separating job costs from travel costs. Major repairs filed like routine maintenance, crew wages paid in a lump sum, and a set-aside nobody started until after the run.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Business incomeCustom harvesting and farm service work is typically business income reported the way most small service businesses report, though the mix of your own farming activity can change that, so Gus flags it for the accountant.
  • Equipment depreciationCombines, headers, and support trucks can usually be written off, sometimes the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099s for traveling crewAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 for crew work gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Business mileage or actual vehicle costsSupport trucks and travel between jobs can usually be deducted using actual costs like fuel and repairs, or the standard mileage rate, whichever the accountant finds fits your year.

Deductions custom harvesting and farm service contractors miss

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

  • Diesel fuel
  • Combine header parts
  • Crew lodging and meals on the road
  • Belts and wear parts
  • Equipment insurance
  • Trailer and truck maintenance
  • Tarps and grain hauling supplies
  • Two-way radios or crew communication
  • Liability insurance
  • Parts inventory storage
  • Uniforms and safety gear
  • Route planning and mapping tools

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 custom harvesting year, kept every month.

Your busiest months follow the harvest north or south, and your equipment needs work before and after the run. Your taxes come on their own 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the crew 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so harvest season income funds it evenly.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed before the season's route and crew get locked in.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand during peak harvest season, and whether this year's jobs are pricing out better than last year's.

  4. October

    Off-season repairs

    Gus looks at equipment worth rebuilding or replacing before next season and flags what this year's route earned per acre.

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 custom harvesting and farm service contractors. 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 custom harvesting contractors ask first.

Can Gus keep jobs from different farms straight during peak harvest week?

Yes. He keeps each farm's harvest jobs identifiable in the books, so you can see which accounts and which routes actually pay best.

Moving the crew a long distance between jobs costs a lot. Does that get tracked separately from regular fuel?

Yes. Travel and lodging stay separate from routine fuel costs, so you can see what a long-distance run really costs against a nearby job.

Do I have to change how I bill the farms I work for?

No. Bill the farms you work for the way you always have. Gus works from your bank statement, and a harvest job he cannot tie to a specific farm gets one question, remembered after that.

Rain stalled the crew for a week between jobs. Does that hurt the books?

It shouldn't. Flag the delay for Gus and he notes it, so an idle week reads as weather, not a mystery in the income.

Is a major header rebuild written off all at once?

Often, yes. A major header rebuild typically counts as a deductible repair or improvement the year the work is done, though some big jobs get spread out instead. Gus logs the cost and the accountant makes the call.

My crew gets paid a lump sum at the end of a run. Can Gus still track what labor cost?

Yes, as long as you send what was paid out. Keeping crew wages as their own line is what lets you see what a run's labor costs against what the jobs on it brought in.

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