Golf
Books and taxes for golf course maintenance contractors.
Monthly service contracts with a handful of clubs, a fertilizer application job, diesel for the mower fleet, and a crew paid by the 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
May came in at $17,300. The aerification job at the second club got billed separately from the standing contract, so you can see which one is actually paying.
- Club invoice payment, Fairway GreensService contracts
- Aerification job invoicePer-job work
- Diesel fuel, mower fleetEquipment fuel
- Turf Products IncFertilizer and chemicals
- Crew payroll, MayLabor
Why your books are different
A maintenance contractor's books go wrong around contracts and equipment.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business runs on standing service contracts with a handful of clubs, one-off jobs like aerification or renovation work, and a fleet of mowers and sprayers that cost real money to run and replace. When the books do not separate those, you cannot tell which contract is actually profitable.
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1
Standing contracts and one-off jobs blend together
A monthly mowing and turf care contract with a club and a separate aerification job billed the same week can land in the bank on the same day, making it hard to tell recurring income from a one-time job.
What we doKeeps standing contract revenue separate from per-job work, so you can see which clubs are steady income and which jobs are extra. -
2
Fuel and chemical costs get buried in one supply line
Diesel for the mower fleet and fertilizer for the turf are very different costs with different drivers, but lumped together as supplies it is hard to tell if a bad month is fuel prices or a big chemical order.
What we doKeeps fuel and fertilizer and chemicals in separate categories so each cost is visible on its own. -
3
A new mower or sprayer looks like a repair bill
A replacement fairway mower or a new sprayer rig can run tens of thousands of dollars, and if it is filed the same way as an oil change, the month it was bought looks far worse than it really is.
What we doFlags major equipment purchases the month they happen and logs them as equipment for the accountant to depreciate. -
4
Subcontracted crews look like regular payroll
A crew brought in for a big renovation job might be subcontracted labor rather than your own employees, and mixing the two makes it hard to see your true labor cost on a given contract.
What we doKeeps subcontracted labor separate from payroll, so job costs reflect what a project actually took to complete. -
5
Slow winter months look like a loss
In colder climates, contract work drops off hard from November through February, and if the books are not built around that, the quiet months can look like the business is failing instead of just seasonal.
What we doTracks revenue against the season so a quiet winter reads as normal, and the set-aside already accounts for the swing.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a maintenance contractor.
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
- Standing service contractsMonthly or seasonal mowing and turf care agreements with clubs.
- Per-job workAerification, overseeding, and one-off renovation jobs.
- Equipment rental incomeAny equipment rented out to other contractors or clubs.
- Consulting or agronomy feesTurf advice billed separately from hands-on work.
Money out
- Equipment fuelDiesel and gas for the mower and truck fleet.
- Fertilizer and chemicalsTurf inputs bought from a supplier like Turf Products Inc.
- EquipmentMowers, aerators, and sprayers, logged so they get written off right.
- Crew payrollYour own employees, kept apart from subcontracted labor.
- Subcontracted laborOutside crews brought in for larger jobs.
- Truck and trailer maintenanceFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
- Applicator licensing and insuranceState pesticide applicator credentials and liability coverage.
What we watch for you
- Contract revenue versus job revenue
Shows how much of your income is steady contracts against one-off work.
- Labor cost per contract
Payroll and subcontractor cost against what each club contract actually pays.
- Fuel cost per acre serviced
Tracks whether fuel spend is keeping pace with the ground you cover.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things maintenance contractors 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 keep standing contract income and per-job work in separate lines, so you can see which clubs are steady income and which jobs are extra.
I logged it as equipment, not a repair, and flagged the purchase. The accountant will look at your whole year and decide how much of it to write off now.
If that crew is not on your payroll and you pay them $2,000 or more this year, they get a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep that list running as jobs come in.
The tax side
The tax side of a maintenance contractor.
Most of what trips up a maintenance business is equipment and classification: a mower filed as a repair, or a subcontracted crew that should have been payroll.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment depreciationMowers, aerators, and sprayers bought for the business can usually be written off up to $2,560,000 under Section 179, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Worker classificationA crew member who works your schedule with your equipment is usually an employee, not a contractor, even on a seasonal or per-job basis.
- Contractor 1099sA subcontracted crew or individual paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on your payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running all year.
- Self-employment taxAn owner-operator running the business as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, on the Social Security wage base up to $184,500.
Deductions golf course maintenance contractors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Diesel and equipment fuel
- Fertilizer and turf chemicals
- Mower blades and parts
- Truck and trailer repairs
- Applicator license renewal
- Uniforms and safety gear
- Liability insurance
- Tools that live on the truck
- Equipment storage or shop rent
- Phone and scheduling software
- Subcontractor payments
- Fuel cards and mileage tracking
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 maintenance contractor's year, kept every month.
Contract work follows the growing season, and winter often means fewer active jobs. Your taxes come on a fixed schedule regardless. 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 year
Last year's return gets started, the subcontractor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so a seasonal year does not surprise you in April.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed as the growing season ramps up and club contracts move into full swing.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at the peak of the season, what you will owe, and whether fuel and chemical costs are running ahead of last year.
- October
Before the slowdown
Aerification and overseeding jobs wrap up. Gus looks at equipment worth buying before winter and the quieter months ahead.
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 golf course maintenance contractors. 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 maintenance contractors ask first.
Can Gus keep our different club contracts separate?
Yes. Each contract's income can be tracked on its own, so you can see which clubs are the steadiest and which contracts are worth renewing.
We do both standing contracts and one-off jobs. Does that complicate the books?
No. Standing contract income and per-job work get their own categories, so you can see which kind of work is actually carrying the business.
How does Gus handle a big equipment purchase like a new sprayer?
It gets flagged and logged as equipment rather than a repair. The accountant looks at your whole year and decides how much to write off now versus over time.
We use subcontracted crews for bigger jobs. Does that change anything?
It changes how they get paid and reported, not how the job gets billed. Gus keeps subcontractor payments separate from payroll and tracks who needs a 1099 at year end.
Our books have been a mess since we started taking on more clubs. Can Gus fix that?
Yes. Send the bank statements and contract invoices you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, 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.
More in golf
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Footgolf & adventure golf
- Mini golf courses
- Par-3 & executive courses
- Golf driving ranges
- Golf instructors & teaching pros
- Indoor golf simulator venues
- Private country clubs
- Public golf courses
- Aerial adventure & ropes courses
- Archery ranges & pro shops
- ATV & off-road parks
- Bait & tackle shops
- Bike rentals & bike tours
- Cabin & cottage resorts
- Campground & RV park buyers / investors
- Campground developers (new builds)
- Disc golf courses & shops
- Farm stay & boondocking hosts
- Fishing guides (inshore / freshwater)
- Fly fishing guides & shops
- Glamping resorts
- Group camps & retreat centers
- Gun clubs & private shooting clubs
- Hiking & backpacking guide services
- Houseboat rentals
- Hunting land leasing
- Hunting outfitters & guides
- Hunting preserves & lodges
- Kayak & paddleboard rentals and tours
- Long-term & monthly RV parks
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