HVAC, insulation & chimney

Books and taxes for heating oil and propane delivery companies.

Budget payment plans, leased propane tanks, a fuel inventory that swings in price, and a winter that carries nearly the whole year. 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
DecemberExample month
$18,300
what you made

December came in at $18,300. Budget plan payments carried more of the month than COD deliveries, so I kept that steady income visible against the price swings on fuel itself.

  • Budget plan withdrawalsBudget payment plans
  • COD delivery paymentsCOD deliveries
  • Fuel terminal purchaseFuel inventory
  • Propane tank supplierTank leasing and equipment
  • Diesel, delivery truck 1Trucks and fuel
Money in$96,500
Money out$78,200
Set aside for taxes$5,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Heating oil and propane books go wrong around inventory and payment plans.

You buy fuel by the tanker load, sell it back out by the gallon at a price that moves week to week, and a lot of customers pay through a budget plan spread over months instead of per delivery. When the books cannot follow fuel as inventory or payments as a plan, the year is nearly impossible to read.

  1. 1

    A budget plan payment is not this delivery's income

    A customer pays a flat amount every month on a budget plan, but deliveries happen unevenly, heavy in winter and light in summer. Booking each payment as income for whatever month it lands mismatches cash from the fuel actually delivered.

    What we doTracks budget plan payments against the fuel delivered over the year, so income lines up with deliveries, not just deposits.
  2. 2

    Fuel bought in bulk is inventory, not a monthly expense

    A tanker load of oil or propane bought in October to fill the tanks for winter is a large cost that gets sold off gallon by gallon over months. Booked entirely as an expense the month it is bought, it makes that month look like a disaster.

    What we doTracks bulk fuel as inventory and matches the cost to the gallons actually delivered, so no single month absorbs the whole purchase.
  3. 3

    Fuel price swings eat margin without anyone noticing

    The price you pay per gallon can jump between purchases, and if delivery pricing does not move with it, a season can look profitable on paper while margin per gallon quietly shrinks.

    What we doTracks fuel cost against delivery income by the gallon, so a shrinking margin shows up before the season ends.
  4. 4

    Leased propane tanks are not the same as owned equipment

    Tanks leased to customers, tanks the company owns on customer property, and tanks the company owns in its own yard all have different costs and different ownership, and lumped together they hide what the fleet of tanks is actually costing.

    What we doKeeps leased and owned tank costs in separate categories, tied to how they are actually used.
  5. 5

    Winter carries nearly the whole year's cash

    A slow July compared to a packed January can look alarming, when it is simply the season for a business this dependent on cold weather.

    What we doTracks the calendar with your heating season in view, so a quiet month is read against the right month, not your busiest one.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a heating oil and propane delivery company.

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

  • Budget payment plansFlat monthly payments, tracked against fuel delivered over the year.
  • COD deliveriesPay-on-delivery customers, billed per gallon at the time of the drop.
  • Tank rental feesMonthly or annual fees for leased propane tanks.
  • Equipment service callsFurnace and tank repair visits, kept apart from fuel sales.

Money out

  • Fuel inventoryBulk oil or propane bought by the tanker load, matched to gallons delivered.
  • Tank leasing and equipmentLeased and owned propane tanks, tracked separately.
  • Trucks and fuelDiesel, repairs, and insurance for the delivery fleet.
  • Driver wagesDelivery driver pay, kept apart from office staff.
  • Storage and terminal feesCosts to hold fuel before it is delivered.
  • Licensing and complianceState fuel dealer licensing and safety inspection fees.

What we watch for you

  • Margin per gallon

    What you clear on fuel after the cost you paid, so a price swing gets caught fast.

  • Budget plan balance

    How budget plan payments compare to fuel actually delivered, so no customer is over or under their plan for long.

  • Winter concentration

    How much of the year lands in the coldest months, so cash gets planned for the quiet ones.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things heating oil and propane 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 bought a full tanker load in October. Why did that not wreck the month like I expected?

Because I track it as inventory, not a one-time expense. The cost gets matched to the gallons as they actually get delivered, so it spreads across the season instead of hitting one month.

Fuel prices jumped last month. Would I even know if that hurt margin?

You would, because I track cost against delivery income by the gallon. If margin starts shrinking, it shows up before the season is over.

Some customers pay a flat budget amount every month even though I deliver more in winter. Does that cause a problem?

No, I track those payments against the fuel actually delivered over the year, so it evens out instead of making one season look wrong.

The tax side

The tax side of a heating oil and propane delivery business.

Most of what goes wrong here is inventory and timing. Bulk fuel booked wrong, and a delivery driver paid like a contractor who works like an employee.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Trucks and delivery equipmentDelivery trucks and metering equipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025. A heavy delivery truck over 6,000 pounds has its own Section 179 cap of $32,000.
  • Driver classificationA delivery driver who runs your route, drives your truck, and works your schedule is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
  • Contractor 1099sA subcontracted mechanic or helper you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, outside of payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions heating oil and propane delivery companies miss

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

  • Truck fuel and maintenance
  • Delivery hose and metering equipment
  • Tank leasing costs
  • Storage and terminal fees
  • Driver uniforms and safety gear
  • State fuel dealer licensing
  • Liability and cargo insurance
  • Phone and tablet for dispatch
  • Winter emergency answering service
  • Card and payment plan processing fees
  • CDL renewal and driver training
  • Tools that live on the truck

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 heating oil and propane year, kept every month.

Winter carries nearly this whole business. Your team keeps you ahead of that swing and the return. 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, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, right in your busiest stretch.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, right as deliveries slow for the warmer months.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and how much fuel inventory to plan buying before prices climb for winter.

  4. October

    Before the freeze

    Tanks need filling before the cold hits. Before that rush, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing 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 heating oil and propane delivery companies. 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 heating oil and propane owners ask first.

How does Gus handle bulk fuel bought before the winter rush?

It is tracked as inventory, not a one-time expense. The cost gets matched to the gallons as they are actually delivered, so it does not wreck the month you bought it.

My customers on budget plans pay the same every month even though deliveries are seasonal. Does that confuse the books?

No. Gus tracks budget plan payments against fuel actually delivered over the year, so income lines up with the deliveries, not just the deposits.

Would I know if a fuel price jump was eating my margin?

Yes. Cost is tracked against delivery income by the gallon, so a shrinking margin shows up before the season is over.

I lease some tanks and own others. Should those be tracked differently?

Yes, and Gus does it automatically. Leased and owned tank costs stay in separate categories, tied to how each one is actually used.

Is it normal that my summer months look so quiet next to winter?

Yes, for this trade. Gus tracks the calendar with your heating season in view, so a slow summer month is read against your other slow months, not against January.

My books have never separated fuel inventory from regular expenses. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts fuel inventory from other costs, the accountant checks it, and most people 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 HVAC, insulation & chimney

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