Faith-based, nonprofit & membership orgs
Books and taxes for homeowners and civic associations.
Monthly dues, a reserve fund set aside for the roof and roads years from now, a special assessment for a broken irrigation main, and a management company invoice. Your own bookkeeper keeps it sorted, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August came in at $6,700 after expenses. The irrigation main repair is coming out of the special assessment fund, kept apart from regular operating dues.
- Homeowner dues batchRegular dues
- Irrigation repair special assessmentSpecial assessments
- Green Valley LandscapingCommon area maintenance
- Community management companyManagement fees
- Reserve fund transferReserve fund
Why your books are different
An HOA's books go wrong in the same recurring places.
A generalist sees dues coming in and bills going out and calls it simple. Your association has to keep a reserve fund separate from operating cash for repairs years away, collect special assessments for surprises the regular budget cannot cover, and chase delinquent accounts without losing track of who owes what. Miss that mix and the board cannot plan for the community's future.
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1
Reserve fund money gets spent on this month's landscaping bill
Money set aside for a future roof replacement or road repaving sits in the same account as regular dues, and without a clear line, it can quietly get spent on routine costs, leaving the reserve short when the real project comes due.
What we doKeeps reserve fund contributions and balances separate from operating cash, so the board always knows what is actually set aside for future capital projects. -
2
A special assessment blends into regular dues
A one-time special assessment collected for an emergency repair, like a broken irrigation main or storm damage, is a different kind of money than ongoing monthly dues, and mixed together, it is hard to prove the assessment was spent on what it was collected for.
What we doTags special assessment collections and tracks spending against them separately, so the association can show homeowners exactly where that money went. -
3
Delinquent dues get lost in the shuffle
A homeowner who falls behind on dues can slip through the cracks if delinquent accounts are not tracked clearly apart from paid ones, delaying the collection process the association's rules require.
What we doKeeps a running list of delinquent accounts separate from current dues, so the board can act on collections before it becomes a bigger problem. -
4
Clubhouse rentals to outsiders get treated like dues
Income from renting the clubhouse or amenities to nonmembers, like a homeowner's outside family event, is often treated differently for tax purposes than dues collected from members, and mixed together, the association cannot tell the accountant which income might be taxable.
What we doKeeps outside rental income in its own category, separate from dues, so the accountant has what is needed to sort out any taxable portion. -
5
A capital project gets filed as routine maintenance
Repaving the community's roads or replacing the pool deck is a much larger capital project than a routine landscaping bill, and filed the same way, it distorts the month and misses how it should be treated on the books.
What we doFlags large capital projects separately from routine maintenance and gets the accountant's read on how they should be handled.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a homeowners or civic association.
Set up once for how dues, assessments, and reserves flow through the association. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Regular duesMonthly or annual dues collected from homeowners.
- Special assessmentsOne-time charges collected for a specific unbudgeted repair or project.
- Reserve fund contributionsThe portion of dues designated toward the long-term reserve fund.
- Outside rental incomeFees from renting the clubhouse or amenities to nonmembers.
Money out
- Common area maintenanceLandscaping, pool service, and upkeep of shared spaces.
- Reserve fundMoney set aside and spent on major long-term capital projects.
- Management feesFees paid to an outside community management company.
- Utilities for common areasElectricity, water, and other utilities for shared amenities.
- InsuranceLiability and property coverage for common areas and amenities.
- Legal and collection costsCosts of pursuing delinquent accounts and association legal matters.
What we watch for you
- Reserve fund balance
What is actually set aside for future capital projects, apart from operating cash.
- Delinquent dues total
How much is owed by homeowners behind on dues, tracked so collections do not slip.
- Special assessment spending
Whether assessment money is being spent on the project it was collected for.
- Common area cost per home
What shared maintenance actually costs per household, useful before setting next year's dues.
Ask Gus
Things HOA board members 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 without the board approving a transfer. I keep the reserve fund separate from operating cash, so you always see what is actually set aside for future projects before touching it.
I am tracking every dollar spent against that assessment specifically, so you can show homeowners exactly where their special assessment went if anyone asks.
I keep a running list of delinquent accounts separate from paid ones, so the board can act on collections before it becomes a bigger balance to chase.
The tax side
The tax side of running a homeowners or civic association.
Most of what matters here is understanding how the association can elect to be taxed and keeping outside income separate from dues.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Special tax election for homeowners associationsA residential homeowners association can often elect a simplified tax treatment for its exempt-purpose activities, such as common area maintenance funded by member dues, though the accountant determines which approach fits your association.
- Nonexempt function incomeIncome like interest earned on reserves, or fees from renting amenities to nonmembers, can be taxable at the association level even when regular member dues are not.
- Worker classification for maintenance staffA groundskeeper or maintenance worker who works your schedule and uses association equipment is an employee, not a contractor, even if hired seasonally.
- Contractor 1099sA landscaper, repair contractor, or management company not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions homeowners and civic associations miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Landscaping and grounds maintenance
- Pool and amenity upkeep
- Community management fees
- Legal and collection costs
- Liability and property insurance
- Common area utilities
- Road and sidewalk repairs
- Reserve study fees
- Security and gate system costs
- Signage and community mailers
- Bank and payment processing fees
- Office supplies for board administration
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
An HOA's year, kept every month.
Dues, assessments, and reserves run on their own calendar, and the books track every one of them. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Reconcile the reserve fund
Last year's records are wrapped up, the reserve fund balance is confirmed against the association's long-term plan, and the contractor 1099 list is finalized.
- April
Reserve records finalized
Whatever filing and election applies to the association's structure is ready to hand off, with dues, assessments, and reserve activity already sorted for the year.
- July
Budget season halfway mark
Where the reserve fund and any special assessment spending stand at the year's midpoint, ahead of budget planning for next year.
- October
Before annual budget season
Many associations set next year's dues in the fall. Gus pulls together this year's actual costs so the board can budget from real numbers, not a guess.
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 homeowners and civic associations. 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 HOA board members ask first.
Can Gus keep our reserve fund separate from operating dues?
Yes. Reserve contributions and balances are tracked apart from operating cash, so the board always knows what is actually available for future capital projects.
How do you track a special assessment for a specific repair?
It is tagged the day it is collected and tracked against spending on that specific project, so the association can show homeowners exactly where the money went.
We rent our clubhouse to nonmembers for events. Does that get taxed differently than dues?
It can. Outside rental income is kept in its own category, and the accountant looks at whether it counts as taxable income separate from member dues.
Do you prepare our association's annual filing with the IRS?
No, that election and filing sit outside this subscription. Reserve fund activity, special assessments, and dues stay separated all year, so whoever handles the association's filing has real numbers instead of a stack of bank statements to sort through.
Can Gus help us keep track of homeowners who are behind on dues?
Gus keeps a running list of delinquent accounts separate from current dues, so the board can see who is behind and act on collections before the balance grows.
Our books have not been reconciled since our last board turned over. Can you catch us up?
Yes. Send the bank and dues records you have. Gus works through the backlog and the accountant checks it, and most associations know where they stand within a couple of weeks.
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 faith-based, nonprofit & membership orgs
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Animal rescues & shelters
- Arts nonprofits
- Chambers of commerce
- Christian camps & retreat centers
- Church plants
- Community foundations
- Food banks & pantries
- Fraternal lodges & clubs
- Ministries & mission organizations
- Nonprofit thrift stores
- Private family foundations
- Private social clubs
- Trade & industry associations
- Veterans organizations
- Youth sports nonprofits
- Charter schools
- Christian schools
- Small & mid-size churches
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