Hard goods, dealers & local stores
Books and taxes for hearth and patio stores.
Fireplace sales in the fall, patio furniture in the spring, subcontracted gas line installers, and special orders paid for months before delivery. 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
October came in at $20,700. Fireplace season is starting to pick up, so I kept installer payments apart from the stove sales to show what installation is actually costing you.
- Floor stock and grill salesRetail sales
- Stove order depositCustomer deposits
- Hearth & Home Tech invoiceInventory purchase
- Delgado Gas Install pmtInstaller payments
- Delivery truck fuelDelivery and fleet
Why your books are different
Hearth and patio store books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and vendor bills. Your business runs two very different seasons, patio furniture ordered months out, gas line work done by subcontracted installers, and floor models that need their own accounting. When the books do not know that, the monthly number lies.
-
1
A deposit on a special order reads as money already earned
A customer puts $600 down on a patio set or a gas insert that has not shipped from the manufacturer yet. Counted as income the day it is collected, the month looks bigger than it really is and the store still owes a delivered, sometimes installed, item.
What we doKeeps deposits as money owed against the order until the item is delivered or installed, so the sale only counts once it is real. -
2
Gas line installers get booked like a plain expense
A subcontracted installer running a gas line for a new fireplace insert is paid per job, and if that payment is not separated from inventory cost, there is no way to see what installation actually costs against what it earns, or who needs a 1099 at year end.
What we doKeeps installer payments in their own line apart from inventory cost, so labor is visible and the 1099 list stays accurate. -
3
Two selling seasons get read as one uneven year
Fireplace and stove sales peak in fall and winter while patio furniture peaks in spring and summer, and a store that does not track the two separately can mistake a normal seasonal lull for a real drop in business.
What we doTracks hearth and patio sales as their own lines, so each season's real performance stays visible instead of blending into one confusing year. -
4
Floor models and display units muddy real inventory value
A working display stove or a floor set of patio furniture eventually sells at a discount, but while it sits on the showroom floor it is easy to lose track of what it actually cost and what condition it is in.
What we doTracks each floor and display unit's original cost separately, so its eventual discounted sale does not distort what full-price retail is really earning.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a hearth and patio store.
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
- Retail salesIn-stock stoves, grills, and patio furniture sold at the time of purchase.
- Customer depositsDown payments on special orders not yet delivered.
- Installation feesGas line and hearth installation billed apart from the unit.
- Floor model salesDiscounted sales of display and demo units, kept apart from full-price retail.
Money out
- Hearth inventory purchaseStoves, inserts, and fireplace units bought from manufacturers.
- Patio inventory purchaseOutdoor furniture, grills, and fire pits, tracked apart from hearth stock.
- Installer paymentsPayments to subcontracted gas line and hearth installers.
- Delivery and fleetFuel and repairs for delivery trucks and trailers.
- Showroom payrollSales staff and appointment schedulers.
- Rent and utilitiesShowroom lease and warehouse storage.
- Card and financing feesWhat a financing partner or card processor kept before the sale hit the bank.
What we watch for you
- Open deposits outstanding
Money collected on special orders not yet delivered, so it is never counted twice.
- Seasonal split
Hearth versus patio sales by season, so a normal seasonal lull is not mistaken for a real drop.
- Installer payments owed
What your gas line crew is still owed, tracked separately so their year-end paperwork is never a scramble.
- The set-aside
What the store will owe, built up across both seasons so filing season is never a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things hearth and patio store 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.
Not yet. I keep it as money owed against the order until the stove is delivered and installed, so the sale only counts once it is real.
Anyone you pay $2,000 or more this year outside of payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I track his payments all year so the paperwork is ready when the date comes.
Fireplace season is starting, which runs opposite to patio. I track the two apart so you can see each season for what it actually is.
The tax side
The tax side of a hearth and patio store.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and worker classification. A deposit counted too early, an installer treated the wrong way, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and cost of goods soldWhat was actually paid for the stoves, grills, and furniture sold during the year, not just what was spent restocking, is what counts against sales. Both hearth and patio stock on hand at year end need a fair value on the books.
- Employee or contractor installersAn installer who works your schedule, uses your trucks, and takes only your jobs is usually an employee, even if paid per job. One who sets their own hours and works for multiple stores is more likely a genuine contractor. Getting it wrong gets expensive, so Gus asks before it becomes a habit.
- Contractor 1099sA gas line installer paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on your payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus tracks installer payments all year so the list is ready.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of qualified business income off their taxable income. It only comes out right when both selling seasons are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions hearth and patio stores miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Delivery truck fuel and repairs
- Showroom display and demo units
- Financing and card processing fees
- Local advertising and signage
- Business liability insurance
- Floor model damage write-downs
- Installer tools kept in-house
- Point of sale and job scheduling software
- Warehouse racking and storage
- Seasonal signage swaps
- Uniforms with your logo
- Trade show and vendor 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 hearth and patio year, kept every month.
Two seasons, one set of books, kept every month, not just at tax time. 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, gas installer payments for the year are totaled for 1099s, and a monthly set-aside is planned before patio season begins.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed as patio season ramps up, with the running set-aside already covering what the store owes.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how patio season changed the number.
- October
Before fireplace season
Before the fall stove and fireplace rush, Gus looks at equipment you might buy and anything worth doing before December.
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 hearth and patio stores. 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 hearth and patio store owners ask first.
How does Gus handle deposits on special order patio sets or stoves?
He keeps a deposit as money owed against the order until the item is delivered or installed, so your sales are not overstated before the job is done.
We use subcontracted gas line installers. Does that complicate things?
No. Gus keeps installer payments in their own line apart from inventory cost, and tracks what each one is paid so the 1099 paperwork is ready if you cross $2,000 for the year.
Our sales look completely different in spring versus fall. Is that a problem?
No. Gus tracks hearth and patio sales as their own lines, so each season's real performance stays visible instead of one looking like trouble compared to the other.
We keep floor models on display for months. Does that mess up inventory?
Gus tracks each floor unit's original cost apart from new stock, so its eventual discounted sale does not distort what your full-price retail is actually earning.
Our books are behind from the last busy season. Is that fixable?
Usually, yes. Hand over whatever bank statements you have, and Gus works through the backlog with the accountant checking behind him, so you know where the store stands within 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 hard goods, dealers & local stores
We keep books for the business next door too.
- BBQ & grill stores
- Farm & ranch supply stores
- Independent discount & dollar stores
- Lumber yards
- Mobility scooter & wheelchair dealers
- Outdoor power equipment dealers (mowers, chainsaws)
- Piano dealers
- Safe & gun safe dealers
- Sewing machine & vacuum dealers
- Tractor & compact equipment dealers
- Trailer & cargo trailer dealers
- Boat dealers
- Flooring showrooms
- Independent appliance stores
- Independent convenience stores
- Independent gas stations
- Independent hardware stores
- Pool & spa supply stores
- Antique shops & antique malls
- Art supply stores
- Baby boutiques
- Candle stores
- Christian & gift bookstores
- Comic book & collectibles shops
- Craft & fabric stores
- Crystal & metaphysical shops
- Estate sale companies
- Fireworks stores
- Flea markets
- Hobby shops (RC, model trains)
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