Accounting, tax & financial pros

Books and taxes for fractional CFOs.

Monthly retainers from five different clients, hourly board prep, a one-time model build, and mileage between offices. 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
NovemberExample month
$13,000
what you made

November made $13,000. The Meridian model build project landed this month, I kept it apart from your five retainers so the recurring base still reads clean.

  • Retainer batch, 5 clientsMonthly retainers
  • Meridian model build feeProject fees
  • Jirav subscriptionForecasting software
  • Contract analyst, model buildContract labor
  • Fuel, client site visitsTravel and mileage
Money in$34,000
Money out$21,000
Set aside for taxes$3,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A fractional CFO's own books go wrong in a few predictable spots.

You build the financial model for five different companies and somehow never get to your own. The mix of retainers, hourly board work, and one-off projects that makes each client's picture clear is exactly what tangles yours.

  1. 1

    Retainers, hourly work, and projects blend into one number

    A monthly retainer from one client, hourly board prep for another, and a flat project fee for a model build all land in the same revenue account, so you cannot tell which kind of work is actually paying the bills.

    What we doKeeps retainer, hourly, and project income in separate lines, so the steady base is easy to tell from a good project month.
  2. 2

    A model-build project makes one month look huge

    A flat fee for building out a full forecast or raise model can be worth as much as two months of retainers, and if it is not flagged, it makes that month look like the business suddenly grew.

    What we doFlags large project fees separately, so a big month reads as a project payoff, not a jump in recurring revenue.
  3. 3

    Travel between client sites gets skipped

    Driving between three client offices in a week adds up fast, but without a habit of tracking it, mileage either gets forgotten entirely or estimated so roughly it is not worth much on the return.

    What we doKeeps mileage and travel costs in their own line every month, so the deduction is not a guess in April.
  4. 4

    Contract analysts hired for one client get mixed with your own tools

    Bringing in a contract analyst to help build a model for one client is a real cost tied to that engagement, but it often lands in a general contract labor account with no link to which client it supported.

    What we doKeeps contract labor tied to the project or client it supported, so you can see whether that engagement actually paid.
  5. 5

    Client-required software gets buried in your own tool costs

    When a client insists you work inside their forecasting tool instead of yours, that cost is really tied to serving them, but it usually gets lumped in with the software you use to run your own practice.

    What we doKeeps client-specific software costs visible against the engagement they support, separate from your own core tools.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a fractional CFO.

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

Money in

  • Monthly retainersRecurring fees from ongoing clients.
  • Hourly board and advisory workBilled beyond the base retainer for extra meetings or requests.
  • Project feesFlat fees for a model build, raise prep, or forecast overhaul.
  • Referral incomeClients sent over by accounting firms or investors.

Money out

  • Forecasting softwareFathom, Jirav, or LivePlan subscriptions.
  • Contract laborAnalysts brought in for a specific client project.
  • Travel and mileageGetting between client offices for board meetings and check-ins.
  • Co-working or office spaceWherever you actually work from between client visits.
  • Professional liability insuranceCoverage for advisory work across clients.
  • Continuing educationCourses and conferences to keep your modeling and advisory skills current.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer versus project split

    Recurring income against one-time project fees, so growth in your client base is measured honestly.

  • Revenue per client

    What each retainer is actually worth, so you know which clients to grow or let go.

  • Travel cost

    Mileage and travel against how many client sites you visit, so it does not quietly eat a retainer's margin.

  • Contract labor cost

    What project help costs against what the project actually paid.

Ask Gus

Things fractional CFOs 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.

This month looks great, but it was mostly the Meridian project. Is my retainer base actually growing?

Project fees stay in their own line. Your five retainers are steady this month, the project is what made the total look bigger.

I never track my mileage between client offices. Is that costing me?

Likely, yes. I started a travel line this month, so from here it builds into something real by April instead of a guess.

Should I be an S corp instead of a single-member LLC at this income level?

That one is above my pay grade to settle alone. I keep your income and draws clearly separated either way, and the accountant can run the comparison with your real numbers.

The tax side

The tax side of working as a fractional CFO.

Most of what trips up your own return is the same thing that trips up the clients you advise: mixing income types and missing deductions that come from working across several companies at once.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax and the S corp questionWorking across five clients does not change the basic math: net profit is subject to 15.3 percent self-employment tax up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Once retainer income climbs, electing S corp status by March 15 can shrink that bill.
  • Solo retirement plan limitsWorking alone across several clients still counts as an owner-only practice for retirement purposes, letting you defer up to $24,500 into a solo 401(k), plus $8,000 more at 50 and older.
  • Home office if you work between client sitesA room used regularly and only for your advisory work can usually be deducted based on its share of the home, even with frequent client travel.
  • 1099s for contract analystsA contract analyst brought in to help build a model, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if not on your payroll.

Deductions fractional CFOs miss

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

  • Forecasting and modeling software
  • Mileage between client sites
  • Co-working or office space
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Continuing education and conferences
  • Home office costs
  • Contract analyst payments
  • Business phone and internet
  • Client proposal and contract tools
  • Laptop and monitor upgrades
  • Industry publication subscriptions
  • Networking event costs

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 fractional CFO's year, kept every month.

Your clients each run on their own board calendar. Gus keeps your own numbers steady across all of them, no matter whose fiscal year is ending this month. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Retainers renew

    Retainer agreements renew for the year, last year's own return gets started, and a set-aside gets planned around your project pipeline.

  2. April

    Filed, between retainers

    Your own return is filed and signed, worked around whatever client board meetings and quarter closes are happening at the same time.

  3. July

    Midyear client check

    Where you stand across all your clients combined, and whether project fees or retainers are carrying the year.

  4. October

    Before year-end planning

    A look at equipment or software worth buying before December, and which clients are likely to need a year-end model.

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 fractional CFOs. 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 fractional CFOs ask first.

Can Gus keep each client's retainer separate in my own books?

Yes. Each retainer stays visible on its own, so you can see which clients are worth the most without digging through your bank statement.

We already use Jirav for one client's forecasting. Does anything change?

No. Keep working the way each client needs. Gus works from your own firm's bank statement and asks once if a deposit is unclear.

How does Gus handle a big one-time project fee?

It gets flagged and kept apart from your recurring retainers, so a strong project month does not get mistaken for your base client roster growing.

I drive to three client offices most weeks. Does that actually add up to much?

Often more than owners expect. Gus tracks it monthly instead of estimating it once in April, so the deduction reflects what you actually drove.

My own books have been an afterthought since I am always in someone else's numbers. Is that fixable?

Yes, and it is a common one in this line of work. Send the bank statements you have, and Gus will work through them between client calls, with the accountant checking behind him.

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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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