Route, vending & coin-op assets
Books and taxes for EV charging station hosts.
Session payments through the charging network app, a utility bill that spikes with demand charges, network fees, and a property owner who expects a cut of every kilowatt hour sold. Your own bookkeeper keeps the real margin visible, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September came in at $5,500. The utility bill jumped this month from a demand charge, kept in its own line so it does not look like a normal usage increase.
- ChargePoint network payoutSession revenue
- EVgo network payoutSession revenue
- Utility bill, demand chargeElectricity and demand charges
- Property commission, retail siteLocation commissions
- Network software feeNetwork and app fees
Why your books are different
EV charging books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a utility bill and a network payout and assumes the spread between them is the profit. Your business runs on a utility rate structure most people never look at closely, session pricing set by a network app, and a property split that depends on the site. When the books do not separate all of that, the real margin per charger stays a mystery.
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1
Demand charges get mistaken for a usage spike
A commercial electric bill often includes a demand charge based on the highest burst of power drawn in a billing period, which a fast charger can trigger with a single busy afternoon, and an owner who reads that as regular usage going up can misprice sessions for months.
What we doKeeps demand charges in their own line separate from regular electricity usage, so you can see what is driving the utility bill up. -
2
The property split looks like plain rent
A retail site or apartment complex hosting your chargers often takes a percentage of session revenue rather than a flat lease, and booked as generic rent, that structure disappears and you lose the ability to see what each site is really costing you.
What we doBooks each site's commission as its own line tied to that location's session revenue, so the real cost per site is visible. -
3
Network fees hide inside the payout
The payout that lands from ChargePoint, EVgo, or Blink is already net of the network's cut, so booking it as the full session price hides what running through that network is actually costing you.
What we doBooks the session sale at its full price and the network's cut as a fee, so both numbers stay visible. -
4
A new charger looks like a utility upgrade
A fast charging unit and its installation can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and if the whole project gets filed as a utility or site improvement expense, it never gets tracked as the equipment it is or written off the way equipment can be.
What we doLogs each charger and its installation cost as its own asset the day it goes live, so it gets the write-off treatment equipment is due. -
5
Idle fees and session revenue get mixed together
Some networks charge drivers an idle fee for staying plugged in after charging finishes, and if that fee lands in the same bucket as the charging session itself, you cannot tell how much of your revenue is actually electricity sold versus a penalty fee.
What we doKeeps idle fees separate from session electricity revenue, so you can see what each charger is actually earning from charging.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an EV charging host.
Set up once for how each charger earns and what the utility and network take. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Session revenueWhat drivers paid for charging, booked at the full amount before network fees.
- Idle feesPenalty fees some networks charge drivers who stay plugged in after finishing.
- Site host incentivesAny rebate or incentive paid by a network or utility for hosting chargers.
- Membership plan feesMonthly or annual charging plan fees collected directly from frequent drivers, when offered.
Money out
- Electricity and demand chargesThe utility bill, with demand charges kept visible against regular usage.
- Network and app feesWhat ChargePoint, EVgo, or Blink keeps before the session payout lands.
- Location commissionsThe percentage or flat fee paid to the property hosting the chargers.
- Chargers and installationNew charging units and the electrical work to install them.
- Maintenance and repairsCable, connector, and cabinet repairs on installed chargers.
- InsuranceLiability and equipment coverage for chargers placed on a property.
What we watch for you
- Revenue per charger
Shows which units at which sites are actually earning back what they cost to run.
- Demand charge share
What demand charges are costing against session revenue, so pricing and scheduling can adjust.
- Network fee rate
Tracked across networks, so you can see which one keeps more of what drivers pay.
- The set-aside
What you will owe on charging revenue, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things EV charging hosts 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.
Mostly it is a demand charge from one busy afternoon, not steady usage. I keep that cost separate so you can see what actually drove the bill up.
Usually yes, including the installation cost. I logged them as equipment, not a utility expense, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
I track what each network's fee actually costs you against session revenue at your current sites, so you have real numbers before you sign with either one.
The tax side
The tax side of an EV charging business.
Most of what goes wrong here is what a utility bill or a network payout is hiding. Demand charges buried in usage, network fees netted out of revenue, and installation costs filed as a utility expense.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Chargers and installationCharging equipment and its installation usually qualify to be written off in the year the cost is incurred. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Sales tax on charging sessionsWhether electricity sold for vehicle charging is taxed as a utility, a service, or a retail sale differs by state, and the rules are still evolving in many places, so Gus flags it for the accountant rather than guessing.
- Contractor 1099sAn electrician or maintenance tech paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll usually needs a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when demand charges, network fees, and commissions are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions EV charging station hosts miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Charger purchases and installation
- Electrical panel upgrades
- Demand charge costs
- Network and app fees
- Property commission fees
- Cable and connector repairs
- Liability insurance
- Signage and wayfinding
- Software for session monitoring
- Site electrical maintenance
- Permit and inspection fees
- Parking bumper and bollard hardware
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 EV charging year, kept every month.
Drivers plug in every day of the year. Your taxes come on a fixed 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.
- January
Plan the charging year
Last year's return gets started, the contractor 1099 list is ready, and your monthly set-aside begins now, sized to what the chargers bring in, so April is already handled.
- April
Filed and current
Your business return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been tracking session revenue since January.
- July
Midyear charging check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer road trip charging changed the number.
- October
Before winter demand shifts
Charging patterns often shift as weather cools and driving habits change. Gus looks at whether a new site or charger is worth adding before next 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 EV charging station hosts. 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 EV charging hosts ask first.
How does Gus separate demand charges from regular electricity cost?
He keeps demand charges in their own line on the utility bill, so a single busy afternoon that spikes your rate does not get mistaken for steady usage going up.
Does the property owner's commission complicate the books?
No. Whether a site takes a flat fee or a percentage of session revenue, Gus books it as its own line tied to that site, so you can compare what every location actually nets.
Do I owe sales tax on charging sessions?
It depends on your state, and the rules for taxing electricity sold for vehicle charging are still settling in many places. Gus flags it and the accountant confirms the rule where you operate.
Can I write off the electrical work to install a new charger?
Usually yes, installation cost is typically treated the same as the equipment itself. Gus logs the full project as an asset, and the accountant decides the best way to write it off.
I run chargers through two different networks. Does that complicate things?
No, Gus books each network's session payouts and fees separately, so you can compare ChargePoint, EVgo, or any other network side by side.
My utility bills and network payouts have never been matched up. Can that get sorted?
Yes. Send the utility statements and network payout reports you have. Gus works through them site by site, and most owners know where they stand within a week or two.
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