Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for handyman services.
A monthly maintenance plan customer, a hardware store run billed back to a client, five small jobs in one day, and a Thumbtack lead that turned into a regular. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September came in at $10,000. Three monthly maintenance plan customers renewed, so I kept that steady income visible apart from your one-off jobs.
- Maintenance plan renewalsRecurring maintenance plans
- Client payment, Dolan repairsOne-off job payments
- Home Depot run, billed to clientMaterials billed to clients
- Thumbtack lead feesLead fees
- Truck fuelTrucks and fuel
Why your books are different
Handyman books go wrong across a dozen small jobs a week, not one big one.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your day is five different jobs in five different homes, materials bought on the fly and billed back to the client, and a handful of customers on a monthly maintenance plan. When the books do not track each piece, a busy week can still feel like it went nowhere.
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1
Materials bought for a client look like a personal expense
Running to the hardware store mid-job and buying parts you bill back to the client is standard, but if that purchase and the reimbursement are not tied together, it looks like the business is spending money with nothing coming back.
What we doMatches material purchases to the client reimbursement that covers them, so you can see it net out instead of looking like a loss. -
2
Monthly maintenance plan income gets mixed with one-off jobs
A handful of clients who pay a flat monthly fee for a set number of hours are your steadiest income, but if that revenue is not tracked apart from one-off repair jobs, you cannot see how much of the business depends on that recurring base.
What we doKeeps recurring maintenance plans in their own category, so your steady income is visible apart from project work. -
3
A day of five small jobs makes one underpriced job easy to miss
When your day is a string of quick tasks across different homes, a single job that took longer than it should have or was priced too low for the drive time can get lost in a week that still felt busy and full.
What we doTracks time and material cost against revenue every month, so an underpriced job type gets caught early, not at year end. -
4
A wide range of skills means materials come from everywhere
Plumbing fittings, electrical parts, and carpentry supplies all come from different aisles and sometimes different stores, and if they are not grouped sensibly, your material spending looks scattered instead of showing what kind of work is actually costing you the most.
What we doGroups material purchases by the kind of job they supported, so you can see where your money is really going.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a handyman business.
Set up once for how your jobs get paid and what they cost. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Recurring maintenance plansMonthly flat-fee customers, your steadiest income.
- One-off job paymentsSingle repairs and small projects, paid on completion.
- Materials billed to clientsReimbursement for parts and supplies bought on a client's behalf.
- Property manager and rental jobsRecurring or one-off work for landlords and property managers.
Money out
- Materials bought for clientsMatched against the reimbursement so it nets out correctly.
- Tools and small equipmentHand tools and small power tools that support the wide range of jobs.
- Truck and fuelThe vehicle that carries tools and materials between homes.
- Lead feesThumbtack, Angi, and other paid leads that turn into signed jobs.
- Liability insuranceCoverage that protects you across the wide range of work you take on.
What we watch for you
- Recurring plan share
How much of your income comes from steady maintenance plans versus one-off jobs.
- Job margin by type
Whether certain kinds of jobs, like drywall or plumbing fixes, are worth more than others for your time.
- Material reimbursement gap
Whether client-billed materials are actually getting collected, not just spent.
- Jobs per week
Volume against income, so a busy-feeling week that is not actually more profitable gets noticed.
Ask Gus
Things handyman 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.
I matched that purchase to the client's reimbursement, so it nets out instead of looking like money you spent with nothing coming back.
Yes, I kept that income in its own line, and it is now covering a solid chunk of your fixed costs every month before any one-off job even happens.
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I have been keeping that list all year so it is ready.
The tax side
The tax side of a handyman business.
Most of what trips up this business is matching material reimbursements correctly and knowing who works for you.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Helper and subcontractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a helper you bring in for a bigger job, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
- Employee or subcontractorA helper who works your schedule and uses your tools usually looks like an employee, not a sub, no matter what the invoice says. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Tools and equipmentLarger power tools and equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right only when the books track material reimbursements correctly all year.
Deductions handyman services miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Hand tools and small power tools
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Thumbtack and Angi lead fees
- Liability insurance
- Small tool replacement
- Continuing education and certifications
- Branded uniforms
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Mileage between jobs
- Toolbox and vehicle organization systems
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 handyman year, kept every month.
Maintenance plans keep a floor under the year while one-off jobs come and go. Gus keeps taxes on their own schedule through 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 helper 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether maintenance plans or one-off jobs are carrying the year.
- October
Before the holiday push
Homeowners want small projects done before guests arrive. Gus looks at any equipment worth buying before December and where the year is landing.
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 handyman services. 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 handyman owners ask first.
I buy materials for jobs and bill clients back for them. Does that mess up my books?
No. Gus matches the purchase to the reimbursement, so it nets out correctly instead of looking like a business expense with nothing coming back.
Should my monthly maintenance plan customers be tracked differently from one-off jobs?
Yes, and Gus does it for you. Recurring plan income stays in its own line, so you can see how much of the business depends on that steady base.
I run a lot of small jobs in a day. Can Gus still catch a bad one?
Yes. Every job gets tracked, so an underpriced job type gets caught in the monthly numbers instead of getting lost in a week that felt busy.
Do I write off my tools all at once?
Often you can. Tools and equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted the year you buy them, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are a few months behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand within a week.
I do some work for property managers too. Can that stay separate from residential jobs?
Yes. Property manager and rental work gets its own category, so you can see which side of the business is driving your income.
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 remodeling & interiors
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Custom built-ins & trim carpenters
- Historic home restoration contractors
- Popcorn ceiling removal
- Stair & railing contractors
- Wallpaper installers
- Aging-in-place remodelers
- Blinds, shutters & window treatments
- Cabinet refacing & cabinet painting
- Closet & garage organization systems
- Countertop fabricators (granite, quartz)
- Drywall repair specialists
- Hardwood floor refinishing
- Home elevator & stairlift installers
- Shower door & glass installers
- Tile installers
- Basement finishing
- Custom home builders
- Flooring installers
- Home addition contractors
- Interior painters
- Walk-in tub & accessible bath installers
- Bathroom remodelers
- Garage door installation & repair
- Kitchen remodelers
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
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