DTC brands

Books and taxes for fitness equipment brands.

A January resolution surge, a big box wholesale account on terms, warranty replacements, and freight that costs almost as much as the equipment. 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
JanuaryExample month
$22,000
what you made

January came in at $22,000. Two rowing machines arrived cracked, so I booked the replacements as warranty cost, not a mystery expense.

  • Shopify Payments payoutSite sales
  • Amazon FBA settlementMarketplace sales
  • Freight carrier invoiceFreight and shipping
  • Warranty parts orderWarranty and returns
  • Meta adsAdvertising
Money in$85,000
Money out$63,000
Set aside for taxes$5,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A fitness equipment brand's books go wrong around weight, damage, and one huge month.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is freight that costs as much as the product, a warranty claim on a cracked bench, and a January surge that can dwarf every other month. When the books do not know that, the whole year reads wrong.

  1. 1

    Freight costs can rival the product's own price

    A power rack or a rowing machine can cost more to ship by freight than it costs to make a lighter product, and if that shipping cost is not tied to the specific order, margin on heavy items is a guess.

    What we doTies freight cost to the order it shipped with, so heavy equipment shows its real margin instead of an average across everything you sell.
  2. 2

    Damage in transit is a cost, not a mystery expense

    A bent bar or a cracked bench that arrives damaged gets replaced under warranty, and if that replacement cost is not tracked back to the original sale, it just looks like a random expense with no story.

    What we doTies a warranty replacement to the sale it came from, so damage and returns show up as the real cost of shipping something heavy.
  3. 3

    Big box accounts pay on terms and sometimes take deductions

    A large retail account can pay 60 or 90 days out and deduct chargebacks for late shipments or damaged freight before the payment even lands, and if the books only see the final deposit, it looks like you were shorted for no reason.

    What we doTracks the invoiced amount and each deduction separately, so you can see what a big account actually costs to keep.
  4. 4

    A crowdfunded launch is not all revenue the day it lands

    Money raised through a crowdfunding campaign for a new product includes both presale revenue and the cost still owed to the manufacturer to actually build it, and spending it like profit before the product ships can leave nothing for the bill that comes due.

    What we doKeeps crowdfunding proceeds tied to the production cost still owed, so the campaign is not spent like sales already earned.
  5. 5

    January's surge hides how the rest of the year performs

    A New Year's resolution spike can bring in a season's worth of sales in a few weeks, and averaging the whole year against that one month can make every other month look like it is failing.

    What we doKeeps the seasonal surge visible on its own, so the rest of the year is judged against its own normal.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a fitness equipment brand.

Set up once for how you sell and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Site salesFull-price and promo orders through your own storefront.
  • Marketplace salesAmazon and similar sites, kept apart since each takes its own fees.
  • Wholesale to retailersBig box and specialty fitness accounts, billed on terms.
  • Crowdfunding proceedsPresale money for a new product, kept apart from the cost still owed to build it.

Money out

  • Contract manufacturingThe factory that builds each product line.
  • Freight and shippingGetting heavy equipment to a customer or a retailer.
  • Warranty replacement partsRepairs and replacements tied to the sale that needed them.
  • Packaging and cratingBoxes and pallets built for bulky, heavy products.
  • AdvertisingMeta and Google ad spend driving traffic to listings.
  • Fulfillment3PL pick, pack, and ship fees.
  • Card and marketplace feesWhat processors and marketplaces keep before you get paid.

What we watch for you

  • Freight cost per order

    Shipping against sale price on heavy items, so a bulky product's real margin is not a guess.

  • Warranty claim rate

    Replacements against units sold, since a rising rate can mean a supplier or design problem.

  • Big account deductions

    What large retail accounts take off an invoice, so you know what a wholesale relationship really nets.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked through the surge and the slow months alike.

Ask Gus

Things fitness equipment brand 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.

January was our biggest month ever. Does that mean we should expect that every month?

No, and I keep January visible as its own thing so the rest of the year gets judged fairly, against its own normal, not against your best month.

A rowing machine arrived cracked and we sent a free replacement. Where does that cost go?

I tie it back to the original sale as a warranty cost, so you can see what shipping something heavy actually costs you in damage over time.

Our big box account deducted $600 from the last invoice for a late shipment. Is that normal?

It happens with large retail accounts. I track the deduction against the invoice so you see what that account actually nets you, not just the final deposit.

The tax side

The tax side of a fitness equipment brand.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and weight. A crowdfunding payout spent too early, freight buried in the wrong line, and a set-aside nobody started until after the January rush.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Inventory and cost of goodsYou deduct the cost of what sold, not what got built. A container of finished equipment sitting in a warehouse is an asset until it ships, not a write-off the day the factory invoice is paid.
  • 1099-K from marketplaces and processorsAmazon and Shopify Payments report your payment volume to the IRS once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Crowdfunding proceeds and wholesale sales are taxable the same way, form or no form.
  • Equipment and warehouse gearRacking, packing equipment, or a delivery van bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent, permanent, for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 covers up to $2,560,000 in a year.
  • The pass-through deductionUp to 20 percent of qualified business income can be deducted, phasing down for single filers above $201,750 and joint filers above $403,500. The number depends on freight, warranty costs, and the January surge all being booked correctly.

Deductions fitness equipment brands miss

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

  • Freight and shipping
  • Warranty replacement parts
  • Packaging and crating materials
  • Contract manufacturing
  • Meta and Google ad spend
  • Product liability insurance
  • 3PL fulfillment fees
  • Trade show booth fees
  • Listing photography and video
  • Card and marketplace fees
  • Warehouse racking and equipment
  • Crowdfunding site 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

A fitness equipment brand's year, kept every month.

January carries a season's worth of sales in a few weeks. Your team is on the books every month, not only during the rush. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Resolution rush

    The biggest sales month of the year lands here, right as last year's return needs to get moving. Gus keeps the surge visible on its own and the set-aside running so tax season stays calm.

  2. April

    Return filed and signed

    The business return is filed and signed. The set-aside has been building since January's rush, so the bill is already covered.

  3. July

    Restocking before fall

    Sales settle into their normal rhythm, and it is a common time to restock ahead of the holidays and next January's surge.

  4. October

    Gearing up for January

    Inventory orders for the resolution rush go out now, so equipment arrives on time. Gus keeps those payments as inventory on order, not a hit to the fall numbers.

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 fitness equipment brands. 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 fitness equipment brand owners ask first.

Is January's big spike going to mess up my average for the year?

No. Gus keeps a seasonal surge visible as its own thing, so the rest of the year gets judged against its own normal, not against your best month.

A big box retailer deducted money from our invoice. Does that count as a cost?

Yes. Deductions for late shipments or damaged freight are a real cost of that account, and Gus tracks them against the invoice so you see what the relationship actually nets you.

We raised money through a crowdfunding campaign for a new product. Is that all profit?

No. Part of it is still owed to the manufacturer to actually build the product. Gus keeps that production cost separate so the campaign is not spent like sales already earned.

Freight on our equipment costs almost as much as making it. How does that work in the books?

Gus ties shipping cost to the specific order it moved with, so a heavy item's margin reflects its real cost, not an average across everything you sell.

How does Gus handle warranty replacements for damaged equipment?

Each replacement gets tied back to the sale it came from, so damage and warranty costs show up as a real pattern instead of a one-off expense with no explanation.

My books are behind because we just added a big wholesale account.

Send the account's invoices and your bank statements. Gus sorts through the deductions and terms, 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.

More in DTC brands

We keep books for the business next door too.

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