Consulting & business services
Books and taxes for exit planning advisors.
A retainer for a client who may not sell for another three years, a one-time business valuation project, a referral fee you pay the estate attorney who sent the client, and a success fee that only shows up if a sale actually closes. 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
June came in at $10,200. Alder's retainer keeps coming in steadily even though a sale is likely still years away, so I never count on a future success fee until an actual closing happens.
- Alder Family Business retainerRetainer income
- Kestrel Holdings valuationValuation project fees
- Subcontracted business appraiserSubcontracted valuation specialists
- Referral fee, estate attorneyReferral fees paid
- CEPA renewalCertification and continuing education
Why your books are different
An exit planning advisor's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and a slow trickle of retainer checks. Your business is a multi-year retainer for a client who may not sell for years, a one-time valuation project, and a success fee that only exists once a sale actually closes. When the books do not know that, it is easy to start counting on money that has not happened yet.
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1
A future success fee gets treated like it already happened
A success fee tied to a business sale can be a large number, and it is tempting to plan around it before a closing actually occurs, sometimes years into an engagement.
What we doKeeps any anticipated success fee out of your real income entirely until a sale actually closes, so your financial picture never depends on something uncertain. -
2
Retainer income and valuation project fees blend together
An ongoing monthly retainer for years of exit planning work is a different kind of income than a one-time business valuation project, and mixed together, it is hard to see which part of the practice is the steady base.
What we doKeeps retainer income and one-time valuation fees in separate lines, so the steady base of the practice is visible on its own. -
3
Referral fees paid out get lost in marketing costs
Paying a referral fee to the attorney or wealth manager who sent you a client is a real, ongoing cost of getting new business, and lumped into general marketing, it is hard to see how much client acquisition actually costs.
What we doKeeps referral fees paid out in their own line, so you can see the real cost of where your clients come from. -
4
A subcontracted appraiser's fee needs to flow through cleanly
A business appraiser you bring in for a valuation project has their own fee structure, and if it is not billed through cleanly, it is hard to see what the engagement actually netted you after their work.
What we doKeeps subcontracted appraiser fees tied to the specific engagement, so your real margin on a valuation project is clear.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an exit planning advisory practice.
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
- Retainer incomeOngoing monthly or quarterly exit planning engagements.
- Valuation project feesOne-time business valuation and assessment work.
- Success fee incomeFees booked only once a business sale actually closes.
- Referral income receivedFees earned when you refer a client to another professional.
Money out
- Subcontracted valuation specialistsOutside business appraisers brought in for valuation projects.
- Referral fees paidPayments to attorneys, wealth managers, or accountants who send you clients.
- Certification and continuing educationCEPA renewal and Exit Planning Institute membership.
- Professional liability insuranceCoverage for the advice you provide on high-stakes transactions.
- Travel to client meetingsMileage and lodging for in-person planning sessions.
What we watch for you
- Retainer renewal rate
Whether your recurring base of long-term engagements is holding steady.
- Referral cost share
What referral fees paid out cost against the new client income they bring in.
- Valuation margin
What a valuation project nets after the subcontracted appraiser is paid.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things exit planning advisors 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.
I keep it out of your real income entirely until the closing actually happens, so your financial picture never depends on something that hasn't occurred yet.
I keep it in its own line instead, so you can see the real cost of where your clients are coming from, separate from general marketing.
Yes. Their fee is tied to the specific engagement, so your real margin on a valuation project stays visible.
The tax side
The tax side of an exit planning advisory practice.
Most of what goes wrong here is not counting on a success fee before it actually happens and keeping referral costs visible. 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.
- Contractor 1099sA subcontracted appraiser or specialist paid $2,000 or more over the year, off payroll, needs a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that tally current.
- Self-employment taxWhat the business pays you as owner profit, not a wage, owes 15.3 percent self-employment tax up to the $184,500 wage base.
- Quarterly estimated paymentsOwners typically spread what they owe across four estimated payments a year, due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, instead of waiting for one spring bill.
- The pass-through deductionAdvisory profit from exit planning work can often be trimmed by up to 20 percent before it's taxed, confirmed by the accountant once a year's books are settled.
Deductions exit planning advisors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- CEPA and Exit Planning Institute dues
- Subcontracted appraiser fees
- Referral fees paid to other professionals
- Professional liability insurance
- Travel to client meetings
- Laptop and presentation equipment
- Home office space
- Continuing education courses
- Marketing to business owners
- Business formation 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
An exit planning year, checked in four times.
Retainers run for years while a sale's timing stays uncertain until it happens. Gus keeps your own taxes on schedule regardless. 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, 1099s go out to subcontracted appraisers, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, and thanks to the set-aside running since January, the number due is already familiar.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether any engagements are getting closer to an actual sale.
- October
Before year end
A look at certification renewals and referral relationships worth strengthening 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 exit planning advisors. 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 exit planning advisors ask first.
A client's business sale could bring a large success fee, but the timing is uncertain. Should that show up in my books now?
No. Gus keeps any anticipated success fee out of your real income until a sale actually closes, so your financial picture never depends on something that hasn't happened.
I keep some clients on a multi-year retainer and do one-time valuation projects for others. Can Gus tell those apart?
Yes. Retainer income and one-time valuation fees are kept in separate lines, so you can see which part of your practice is the steady base.
I pay a referral fee to professionals who send me clients. Is that just a marketing expense?
Gus keeps it in its own line instead, so you can see the real cost of where your clients come from, separate from general marketing spend.
Can I see if a valuation project actually made money after paying the appraiser I brought in?
Yes. The appraiser's fee is tied to the specific engagement, so your real margin on that project stays clear.
My books are behind because engagements run so long it's hard to keep track. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have from your retainers and valuation projects. Gus sorts them out, 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