Consulting & business services
Books and taxes for franchise consultants.
A placement commission paid by a franchisor once a candidate signs, an installment that trickles in over the following months, the ad spend that brought the candidate to you, and the trip to a franchisor's Discovery Day. 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
July came in at $8,600. FitZone's commission arrived as an installment rather than all at once, so I logged it against the placement it belongs to instead of counting it as a new deal.
- Golden Crust Pizza commissionFranchisor placement commissions
- FitZone commission installmentFranchisor placement commissions
- Candidate lead generation adsCandidate lead generation
- FranchiseWire subscriptionFranchise portal subscriptions
- Discovery Day travelTravel to franchisor events
Why your books are different
A franchise consultant's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and ad spend. Your business gets paid by the franchisor, not the candidate, often in installments spread over months after a deal closes, and sometimes clawed back if a new franchisee backs out early. When the books do not know that, a single big placement can look like steady income it is not.
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1
A commission paid in installments looks like new deals
A franchisor pays your placement commission in pieces as a new franchisee completes onboarding steps, and if each installment gets logged as a fresh sale, your pipeline looks busier than it actually is.
What we doTies commission installments back to the original placement, so a staggered payout does not read as new business. -
2
A clawback risk goes untracked
Some franchisors claw back part of a commission if a new franchisee backs out or defaults shortly after signing, and without flagging that risk, a commission you already spent can turn into money you owe back.
What we doFlags commissions tied to a recent placement so a possible clawback does not catch you by surprise months later. -
3
Candidate lead costs and franchisor relationship costs blend together
Advertising to attract candidates looking for a franchise is a different cost than building relationships with new franchisor brands to represent, and lumped together, it is hard to see what is actually generating placements.
What we doKeeps candidate lead generation separate from franchisor relationship costs, so you can see what is actually driving placements. -
4
A candidate is mistaken for the paying client
You spend hours advising a candidate, and it is easy to slip into treating them like a fee-paying client, when your actual income comes from the franchisor once a match is made.
What we doKeeps every dollar of income tied to the franchisor that actually pays it, so the books never confuse a candidate with a client.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a franchise consulting practice.
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
- Franchisor placement commissionsCommissions paid by franchisors when a candidate signs, tracked through installments.
- Broker network referral incomeFees from a franchise consulting network you are part of.
- Consulting feesFlat fees for advisory work outside a placement, such as helping a franchisor build a recruiting process.
- Speaking and training feesFees for presenting at franchisor or broker network events.
Money out
- Candidate lead generationAdvertising and outreach to attract candidates looking for a franchise.
- Franchise portal subscriptionsFranchiseWire or similar research and directory tools.
- Travel to franchisor eventsDiscovery Days and franchisor conferences.
- CRM and pipeline softwareTools for tracking candidates through the matching process.
- Professional certification and duesFranchise consultant credentials and association membership.
What we watch for you
- Installment tracking
Whether commission installments are arriving on schedule against the placements they belong to.
- Clawback exposure
How much commission from recent placements could still be clawed back if a deal falls through.
- Lead cost per placement
What candidate lead generation costs against how many placements actually result.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things franchise consultants 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.
No. I tie each installment back to the original placement, so a staggered payout doesn't make your pipeline look busier than it is.
It happens sometimes. I flag commissions tied to recent placements so a possible clawback doesn't catch you off guard later.
Yes. Candidate lead generation and franchisor relationship costs are kept apart, so you can see what's actually driving your placements.
The tax side
The tax side of a franchise consulting practice.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing commission installments right and tracking clawback risk. 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.
- Commission income timingA commission paid in installments is usually recognized as it is received rather than all at once, and Gus ties each payment back to the placement it belongs to.
- Self-employment taxProfit paid to you as the owner rather than as wages carries a 15.3 percent self-employment tax up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- Quarterly estimated paymentsMost owners pay their own withholding in quarterly installments instead of a single spring bill, due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
- The pass-through deductionCommission income from placements can often qualify for up to a 20 percent deduction off taxable profit, confirmed by the accountant once the year's books are settled.
Deductions franchise consultants miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- FranchiseWire or portal subscriptions
- Candidate lead generation ads
- Discovery Day and conference travel
- CRM and pipeline software
- Professional certification and dues
- Laptop and phone for candidate calls
- Home office space
- Website and marketing costs
- Business cards and signage
- Continuing education courses
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 franchise consulting year, checked in four times.
Placements and their installment payouts land on their own timeline with no fixed season. Gus keeps your own taxes on schedule alongside them. 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, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, however placements and installments landed last year.
- April
Filed. Done.
Signed and filed. Because the set-aside started in January, there's no scramble for a payment now.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether placements this year are outpacing last year's.
- October
Before year end
A look at subscriptions and certification renewals worth doing 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 franchise consultants. 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 franchise consultants ask first.
I get paid by the franchisor, not the candidate. Does Gus know the difference?
Yes. Every dollar of income is tied to the franchisor that actually pays it, so the books never confuse a candidate you're advising with a paying client.
A commission is arriving in three installments over several months. Does each payment count as a separate deal?
No. Gus ties each installment back to the original placement, so a staggered payout doesn't make one deal look like several.
Could I end up owing a franchisor money back if a placement falls through?
It can happen with some franchisors. Gus flags commissions tied to recent placements so a possible clawback doesn't come as a surprise.
Are my candidate ads and my franchisor relationship costs tracked the same way?
No. They're kept in separate categories, so you can see what's actually driving your placements versus what's building your brand relationships.
My books are behind after a busy stretch of placements and installments. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have from your placements and commissions. 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