Consulting & business services
Books and taxes for drug testing centers.
A batch of pre-employment tests, a quarterly fee for managing a trucking company's DOT random pool, a specimen sent out to a national lab, and the mobile collection visit at a client's warehouse. 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
August came in at $7,200. The random pool management fee from Q3 covers three months of DOT compliance work, so I'm spreading that income across the quarter instead of counting it all in one month.
- DOT random pool, Q3 feeRandom pool management fees
- Pre-employment tests, batchPer-test fees
- National lab processingLab send-out fees
- Collector certification renewalCertification and compliance
- Mobile collection, on-site visitMobile collection costs
Why your books are different
A drug testing center's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and lab bills. Your business is a per-test fee, a quarterly pool management fee for DOT-mandated testing, and a specimen that costs something every time it goes to a national lab. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell whether your DOT pricing actually covers the extra paperwork it takes.
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1
DOT and non-DOT tests get billed the same way
A DOT-mandated test carries stricter chain-of-custody paperwork than a standard pre-employment screen, but priced and tracked the same, you cannot tell if the DOT premium actually covers the extra work.
What we doKeeps DOT and non-DOT test income in separate lines, so you can see whether your DOT pricing covers the compliance work it demands. -
2
A quarterly pool management fee counted all at once
A trucking company pays a quarterly fee for you to manage their DOT random testing pool, and booked entirely the day it lands, that quarter looks unusually strong while the following months look thin.
What we doSpreads pool management income across the months of the quarter it covers, so the picture matches the ongoing work. -
3
Lab send-out costs are a direct cost, not overhead
The fee paid to a national lab to process a specimen scales directly with how many tests you run, and lumped into general supplies, it is hard to see your true margin per test.
What we doKeeps lab send-out fees in their own line, so you can see what each test actually nets after processing costs. -
4
Mobile collection visits cost more than walk-in tests
Driving to an employer's site for on-site collection takes more time and fuel than a walk-in test at your own facility, and blended together, it is hard to see if mobile visits are priced to cover it.
What we doKeeps mobile collection costs separate, so you can see whether on-site visits are priced to cover the extra time and travel.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a drug testing center.
Set up once for how you bill and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Per-test feesStandard pre-employment, random, and post-accident screening.
- Random pool management feesOngoing fees for managing a client's DOT-mandated testing pool.
- Mobile collection feesPremiums for on-site testing at an employer's location.
- Rush results feesPremiums for expedited lab turnaround.
Money out
- Lab send-out feesProcessing costs paid to a national lab per specimen.
- Certification and complianceCollector certification renewal and DOT compliance training.
- Testing kits and suppliesCollection kits, chain-of-custody forms, and shipping materials.
- Mobile collection costsVehicle, fuel, and travel time for on-site visits.
- Professional liability insuranceCoverage for the accuracy and handling of test results.
What we watch for you
- DOT versus standard mix
How much of your income comes from higher-compliance DOT testing versus standard screening.
- Cost per test
What lab send-out fees cost against your per-test fee, since that margin can be thin.
- Mobile visit margin
Whether on-site collection fees actually cover the travel and time it takes.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things drug testing center 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.
Yes. DOT and standard test income are kept in separate lines, so you can see whether your DOT pricing actually covers the extra compliance work.
I spread it across the quarter it covers instead, so one strong month doesn't make the rest of the quarter look thin by comparison.
Lab send-out fees are kept in their own line, so you can see that cost clearly against what each test brings in.
The tax side
The tax side of a drug testing center.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing pool management fees right and keeping lab costs visible against per-test income. Handled right, the year does not surprise you.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment write-offsCollection equipment and mobile testing vehicles bought for the business can usually be written off in the year they are purchased. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Self-employment taxProfit that reaches you as the owner rather than a wage carries 15.3 percent in self-employment tax, capped at the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- Quarterly estimated paymentsSince there's no paycheck withholding, quarterly estimated payments are the usual way to stay current: April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
- The pass-through deductionA drug testing center's profit can often qualify for up to a 20 percent deduction off taxable income, and the accountant confirms the real number once the year's books are accurate.
Deductions drug testing centers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Collection kits and chain-of-custody supplies
- Lab send-out processing fees
- Collector certification renewal
- Mobile collection vehicle costs
- DOT compliance software
- Professional liability insurance
- Facility rent and utilities
- Laptop and office equipment
- Marketing to employers
- Continuing education courses
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 drug testing center's year, tracked in four checkpoints.
Hiring surges and DOT random testing cycles shape workload differently through the year. Gus keeps your own taxes on schedule alongside it. 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, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, right as DOT random pool schedules reset for the year.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. The set-aside running since January means there's no surprise bill to cover.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether DOT pool fees are keeping pace with standard testing volume.
- October
Before year end
A look at certification renewals and equipment worth buying before December closes out the year.
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 drug testing centers. 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 drug testing center owners ask first.
DOT tests require more paperwork than standard screens. Should they be priced and tracked differently?
Yes, and Gus keeps them separate. That way you can see whether your DOT pricing actually covers the extra chain-of-custody work it requires.
A client pays me quarterly to manage their random testing pool. Does that count as one month's income?
No. Gus spreads that fee across the quarter it actually covers, so the picture matches the ongoing management work rather than one lump payment.
How do I know if I'm actually making money on each test after lab fees?
Gus keeps lab send-out fees in their own line, separate from your per-test fee, so your real margin per test is easy to see.
I do both walk-in tests and mobile collections at employer sites. Can Gus tell those apart?
Yes. Mobile collection costs are tracked separately, so you can see whether the fee you charge for on-site visits actually covers the travel and time.
My books fell behind during a stretch of heavy DOT testing volume. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements and lab contract details you have. Gus sorts them out, and most people 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