Performance marketing & lead gen

Books and taxes for growth operators.

A minimum guarantee, a percentage of revenue above an agreed baseline, and true-up clawbacks if a client's growth slips the next quarter. 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
JuneExample month
$8,600
what you made

June came in at $8,600. Vantage Outdoor's rev share stayed an estimate until their own books closed, so I held it out of income until they confirmed the number.

  • Minimum guarantee, Vantage OutdoorGuaranteed retainer
  • Rev share, Q1 confirmedRevenue share
  • CRO contractor, landing pagesContractor specialists
  • Klaviyo and HubSpot subscriptionsSoftware
  • True-up credit, prior quarterRevenue share adjustment
Money in$27,000
Money out$18,400
Set aside for taxes$2,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Growth operator books go wrong in the same four places.

A generalist sees one deposit a month and calls it revenue. Your income depends on a baseline you and a client agreed to, a percentage of growth above it, a floor that is guaranteed no matter what, and a clawback if next quarter's numbers slip after you were already paid.

  1. 1

    The baseline never gets written down anywhere

    A rev share deal only means something against an agreed starting revenue number, and if that baseline lives in an email thread instead of the books, a dispute over what counts as growth can leave a whole quarter's income unclear.

    What we doKeeps the agreed baseline on file for every client, so your rev share is always measured against a number everyone can point to.
  2. 2

    A guaranteed floor and contingent upside get blended

    When a contract pays a minimum guarantee plus a percentage of growth above it, mixing both into one deposit hides how much of your income is safe and how much depends on a client's month.

    What we doSplits the guaranteed floor from the contingent upside, so you always know what part of a month's income was never at risk.
  3. 3

    Rev share gets booked before the client's own books close

    A percentage of a client's growth cannot be confirmed until their own revenue is final, and booking an early estimate as income can leave a strong-looking quarter walked back once the real number lands.

    What we doHolds rev share out of income until the client's own numbers are confirmed, and flags any month that relied on an estimate.
  4. 4

    A true-up clawback shows up as a mystery deduction

    Some rev share deals true up at quarter end, and a client who grew less than the earlier estimate suggested can claw back part of a prior payment, which looks like an unexplained loss if it is not tied to the quarter it corrects.

    What we doLogs a true-up clawback against the quarter it corrects, so a correction reads as what it is instead of a mystery expense.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a growth operator.

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

  • Guaranteed retainerThe floor portion of a contract, paid regardless of how a client's revenue moves.
  • Revenue shareYour percentage of growth above the agreed baseline, booked once confirmed.
  • Onboarding and diagnostic feesOne-time charges for the initial audit before a rev share engagement starts.
  • True-up adjustments receivedAdditional payment when a quarter's actual growth beat the earlier estimate.

Money out

  • Contractor specialistsFreelance CRO, email, and paid media help brought in across a client's whole funnel.
  • Software across disciplinesKlaviyo, HubSpot, Optimizely, and similar tools spanning multiple channels.
  • True-up clawbacks paidAmounts returned to a client when actual growth came in under the earlier estimate.
  • Data and analytics subscriptionsDashboards and reporting tools used to track a client's baseline and growth.
  • Coworking or office costsDesk space or a home office share.
  • Payment processing feesWhat Stripe or PayPal keeps before a payment lands.

What we watch for you

  • Guaranteed versus contingent share

    What part of your income is safe every month against what depends on a client's growth.

  • Rev share collection lag

    How long it takes a client's own books to close and confirm your percentage.

  • Clawback exposure

    How much of a paid rev share could still be corrected once a quarter's real numbers land.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked against guaranteed pay and confirmed rev share every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things growth operators 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.

A client disputes what counts as our agreed baseline. What do the books say?

I have the baseline you both signed off on filed with the account, so whatever the dispute lands on, your books already show what was agreed.

Half my payment is guaranteed and half is rev share. Does that matter for the books?

Yes. I keep the guaranteed part and the contingent part in separate lines, so you always know how much of a month's income was never at risk.

A client's Q1 number came in lower than the estimate we were paid on. Now what?

I'll log the true-up clawback against Q1 specifically, so it reads as a correction to that quarter instead of a random loss this month.

The tax side

The tax side of a growth operator.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing income that depends on someone else's numbers. A rev share booked too early, a clawback with no home, and a guarantee mixed in with upside that was never certain.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Contingent income and timingRevenue share tied to a client's own results should be recognized once confirmed, not on an early estimate, so a quarter's tax picture matches what was actually earned.
  • Contractor 1099sAny US-based CRO, email, or paid media specialist not on payroll who you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list current all year.
  • Foreign contractorsA growth specialist working outside the US usually skips the 1099-NEC altogether. A signed W-8BEN is generally what stands in for it, and the accountant confirms exactly what your contractor mix requires.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when guaranteed pay, rev share, and clawbacks are all sorted correctly all year.

Deductions growth operators paid on revenue share miss

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

  • CRO and email software
  • Analytics and dashboard tools
  • Contractor specialists across disciplines
  • Home office or coworking desk
  • Laptop and monitors
  • Payment processing fees
  • Business phone and internet
  • Client call and reporting software
  • Continuing education and courses
  • Industry conference travel

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 growth operator year, kept every month.

Client growth cycles rarely follow a calendar, but taxes still do. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, your 1099 list for domestic contractors across disciplines is ready, and a monthly set-aside begins so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has tracked your guaranteed pay and confirmed rev share every month since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a Q1 true-up changed the number.

  4. October

    Before year-end true-ups

    Fourth-quarter results often settle final rev share numbers for the year. Before they land, Gus looks at what's worth buying or setting aside before December.

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 growth operators paid on revenue share. 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 growth operators ask first.

How does Gus know what counts as growth above our baseline?

He keeps the agreed baseline on file for each client, so your rev share is always measured against the number you both signed off on, not a guess pulled from a bank deposit.

Part of my deal is a guaranteed floor and part is upside. Does that get mixed together?

No. Gus keeps the guaranteed portion and the contingent rev share in separate lines, so you always know how much of a month's pay was never at risk.

A client clawed back part of a prior payment after their real numbers came in lower. How does that show up?

As a correction tied to the quarter it belongs to, not a random expense in the month it happened. That keeps the quarter's real story readable.

I'm paid a percentage of revenue I don't fully control. Do I owe tax on an estimate before it's confirmed?

No. Gus books rev share once the client's own numbers confirm it, so an early estimate that shifts later never gets counted as income twice or wrongly.

My contractors work across email, ads, and CRO for one client. Can Gus track cost against that one account?

Yes. Every contractor and tool cost gets tagged to the client it serves, so you can see your real margin on a rev share deal, not just a lump of expenses.

My books are behind because this client relationship only started paying rev share last quarter. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements and the agreed baseline you have. Gus sorts it, the accountant checks it, 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 performance marketing & lead gen

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