IT & tech services

Books and taxes for e-waste and asset disposition businesses.

A pickup fee from a client clearing out old servers, scrap metal payouts that post weeks after a load ships, a certificate of data destruction issued per device, and refurbished laptops resold at auction. Your own bookkeeper sorts 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
MarchExample month
$11,500
what you made

March came in at $11,500. A scrap metal load from February finally paid out this month, so I booked it back against when the load shipped, not when the check arrived.

  • Client pickup and disposal feesPickup and disposal fees
  • Scrap metal payout, February loadScrap metal income
  • Refurbished laptop auction saleRefurbished resale
  • Data destruction certification renewalCertification and compliance costs
  • Warehouse forklift leaseWarehouse and equipment costs
Money in$48,200
Money out$36,700
Set aside for taxes$2,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

E-waste and asset disposition books go wrong at the scrap payout and the certificate.

A generalist sees a pickup fee and a bill. Your business runs on scrap metal payouts that post weeks after a load ships, refurbished equipment resold at auction, and data destruction certificates that carry real liability if done wrong. When the books blend those, you cannot tell which stream of the business is actually paying the bills.

  1. 1

    Scrap metal payouts arrive weeks after the load ships

    A load of shredded servers or circuit boards sent to a scrap buyer often does not pay out until weeks later, once weighed and priced, and if that payout is not tied back to the month the load shipped, the books show income in a month where nothing happened.

    What we doBooks scrap metal income against the month the load actually shipped, so a delayed payout does not distort the wrong month.
  2. 2

    Refurbished resale gets mixed with recycling and disposal fees

    Reselling a refurbished laptop at auction is a different kind of income than the fee charged to pick up and dispose of a client's old equipment, and lumped together neither number shows which side of the business actually earns.

    What we doKeeps refurbished resale income separate from pickup and disposal fees, so each stream's real value is visible.
  3. 3

    Data destruction liability costs get buried in general insurance

    Certifying that a client's data was destroyed carries real liability if something goes wrong, and the specialized insurance and certification renewals that back that promise are a distinct cost from general business coverage.

    What we doKeeps data destruction certification and its related insurance in its own line, apart from general business coverage.
  4. 4

    A warehouse full of unsorted equipment looks like unused inventory

    Pallets of collected devices waiting to be sorted, refurbished, or scrapped can sit for weeks, and if that inventory is not tracked, a warehouse full of equipment worth real money can look like dead space instead of income waiting to be realized.

    What we doFlags equipment on hand awaiting processing, so you can see what is tied up in inventory versus what has already been converted to cash.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an e-waste and IT asset disposition business.

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

  • Pickup and disposal feesCharged to clients for collecting and processing old equipment.
  • Scrap metal incomePayouts from scrap buyers, tracked back to when the load shipped.
  • Refurbished resaleCleaned and tested equipment resold at auction or direct sale.
  • Data destruction feesCharged per device for certified data wiping or shredding.

Money out

  • Certification and compliance costsR2 or similar certification renewals for responsible recycling.
  • Warehouse and equipment costsRent, forklifts, and shredding equipment for processing.
  • Transportation and haulingFuel and vehicle costs for pickups and scrap shipments.
  • Data destruction insuranceCoverage specific to the liability of certifying data destroyed.
  • WagesPay for sorting, refurbishing, and warehouse staff.

What we watch for you

  • Scrap payout lag

    Time between a load shipping and the payout landing, so cash flow gaps are not a surprise.

  • Refurbished margin

    What resold equipment earns after refurbishing cost, separate from pickup fees.

  • Equipment on hand

    How much sits in the warehouse awaiting processing, so it does not look like dead space.

  • The set-aside

    The set-aside tracks scrap payouts back to when the load shipped, so timing gaps do not leave April underfunded.

Ask Gus

Things e-waste and asset disposition 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.

A scrap load I shipped in February finally got paid out this month. Does that count as March income?

No, I booked it back against February, when the load actually shipped, so neither month looks off because of the payout delay.

I have pallets of collected devices sitting in the warehouse waiting to be sorted. Is that costing me anything?

It is not a loss, it is inventory waiting to convert to cash. I flag what is on hand so you can see it is not dead space.

Do I need special insurance for the data destruction certificates I issue?

Most shops carry coverage specific to that liability. I keep it in its own line, and the accountant can confirm what your state expects.

The tax side

The tax side of an e-waste and IT asset disposition business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing between when a load ships and when it pays out, and inventory sitting unsorted in the warehouse.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Equipment write-offsShredding equipment, forklifts, and processing tools bought for the business can usually be written off the year they are bought.
  • Inventory of collected and refurbished equipmentDevices collected for resale are inventory, and their cost usually counts against income when they are sold, not when they are collected.
  • State e-waste and disposal rulesHandling and disposal of electronic waste carries rules that vary a great deal by state, and this is worth confirming directly rather than assuming either way.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income when pickup fees, scrap income, and resale are tracked apart all year.

Deductions e-waste recycling and IT asset disposition businesses miss

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

  • Certification renewal fees
  • Shredding and processing equipment
  • Warehouse rent and utilities
  • Transportation and hauling costs
  • Data destruction insurance
  • Forklift and equipment leases
  • Wages for sorting and refurbishing staff
  • Safety equipment and training
  • Business insurance
  • Fuel for collection vehicles
  • Scale and weighing equipment
  • Professional association dues

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

An e-waste and asset disposition year, kept every month.

Clients clear out old equipment on their own schedule, and scrap prices move with the market. Your team stays on the books every month, not just at tax time. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Loads reset for the year

    Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned around scrap and resale income so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed and accounted for

    Your return is filed and signed, with scrap income already matched to the loads that earned it.

  3. July

    Midyear on the scale

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether refurbished resale is carrying its weight against pickup fees.

  4. October

    Before the year's last haul

    Gus looks at warehouse equipment worth buying before December and flags inventory that has sat unsorted too long.

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 e-waste recycling and IT asset disposition businesses. 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 e-waste and asset disposition owners ask first.

Scrap metal payouts land weeks after a load ships. Does that confuse my monthly numbers?

No. Gus books scrap income back against the month the load actually shipped, so a delayed payout does not distort either month.

I resell refurbished laptops at auction. Does Gus separate that from disposal fees?

Yes. Refurbished resale gets its own income line, apart from pickup and disposal fees, so you can see what each side of the business earns.

I have pallets of equipment sitting around waiting to be processed. Does that show up as a loss?

No, Gus flags it as equipment on hand, so it reads as inventory waiting to be converted to cash, not dead space or a loss.

Does Gus handle my R2 or similar recycling certification?

Gus tracks the cost of certification renewals as a business expense, but maintaining the certification itself stays with you and the certifying body.

My books are behind because scrap payouts and pickup fees were never separated. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send what you have. Gus sorts pickup fees from scrap and resale income, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand within 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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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