Equine
Books and taxes for horse transport companies.
Hauling fees, fuel surcharges, a backhaul load picked up on the way home, and an overnight layover for the horses on board. Gus sorts every payment as it lands, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number each month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
May came in at $17,000. Diesel ran higher than usual, so I checked your fuel surcharges against what you actually spent at the pump, and they kept pace this month.
- Hauling fee payoutsHauling fees
- Backhaul pickup, Ohio runReturn-trip loads
- Pilot Flying J dieselFuel
- Overnight layover, TennesseeHorse layover and stabling
- Owner-operator settlementOwner-operator payments
Why your books are different
A horse transport company's books go wrong somewhere between the fuel pump and the return trip.
A generalist sees a load and calls it a job. Your business runs on fuel costs that swing hard, backhaul loads that fill an otherwise empty trailer, overnight layovers for live cargo, and drivers who are sometimes employees and sometimes contractors. When the books do not know the difference, pricing decisions get made on guesses instead of real numbers.
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1
Fuel swings the month more than anything else
Diesel prices can shift a hauling trip's real cost by hundreds of dollars between one week and the next, and if fuel surcharges billed to customers do not get tracked against actual fuel spent, you cannot tell if your pricing is keeping up with the road.
What we doKeeps fuel costs and any fuel surcharge income in their own lines, so you can see whether your pricing covers what the road actually costs. -
2
A return-trip load looks the same as the outbound job
Picking up a second client's horse on the way back to avoid an empty trailer is real income, but if it lands in the same category as the outbound haul, you cannot see how much of your business really comes from filling empty return legs.
What we doKeeps return-trip and backhaul loads in their own category, so you can see what that work actually adds to a trip. -
3
Overnight layover costs get mixed into fuel and food
A long haul often means stabling horses overnight at a rest stop facility, and that cost is different from a driver's own meals or a fuel stop, but it is easy to let all three blur into one road expense.
What we doKeeps horse layover and stabling costs in their own category, separate from driver expenses and fuel. -
4
Cargo insurance on live horses gets lumped into general coverage
Insuring horses in transit is a different, often pricier kind of coverage than general liability or truck insurance, and if it disappears into one insurance line you cannot see what protecting your cargo actually costs.
What we doKeeps cargo and mortality insurance for horses in transit in its own line, separate from truck and general liability coverage. -
5
A driver with their own truck looks like an employee
An owner-operator who drives their own rig for you under a contract is a different kind of worker than a driver on your payroll driving your truck, and mixing the two up on the books can create a worker classification problem.
What we doKeeps contracted owner-operators separate from payroll drivers and flags the arrangement so classification gets a real look.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a horse transport company.
Set up once for how loads, fuel, and drivers move through your business. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Hauling feesPer-mile or flat-rate charges for moving horses.
- Fuel surchargesAdded charges tied to diesel price swings.
- Layover and overnight feesCharged when a trip requires an overnight stop.
- Return-trip loadsA second client's horse picked up on the way back.
- Expedited and rush feesCharged for last-minute or urgent hauls.
Money out
- FuelDiesel for the truck and trailer.
- Truck and trailer maintenanceRepairs, tires, and inspections for the fleet.
- Driver wagesPay for payroll drivers, kept apart from contracted owner-operators.
- Owner-operator paymentsContracted drivers who haul under their own authority or yours.
- Horse layover and stablingOvernight care for horses during a multi-day haul.
- Cargo and mortality insuranceCoverage for horses while in transit.
- Tolls and permitsRoad tolls and interstate hauling permits.
What we watch for you
- Fuel cost per mile
What the road actually costs against what you charge, so fuel surcharges keep pace with diesel prices.
- Backhaul share
How much of your income comes from return-trip loads, so an empty trailer on the way back becomes a real opportunity, not a guess.
- Layover cost per trip
What overnight stops actually add to a long haul, so pricing on multi-day trips reflects the real cost.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.
Ask Gus
Things horse transport company 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 keep fuel costs and surcharge income in their own lines, so you can see the real answer instead of guessing from the total.
As its own category, separate from the outbound job. That way you can see how much backhaul work is really adding to your bottom line.
It might. I keep his pay separate from payroll drivers and flag the arrangement, since a contracted owner-operator and an employee get treated differently.
The tax side
The tax side of a horse transport company.
Most of what goes wrong here is fuel cost tracking and telling apart a payroll driver from a contracted owner-operator.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vehicle and fuel deductionsFuel, maintenance, and other actual costs for a hauling truck and trailer are usually deducted based on real expenses rather than a flat mileage rate, since heavy commercial vehicles do not typically qualify for the standard mileage rate.
- Depreciation on trucks and trailersA hauling truck or horse trailer is a business asset. Section 179 can often write off qualifying equipment up to $2,560,000 in the year of purchase, though heavy vehicles over 6,000 pounds carry their own rules, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Employee or contractor for driversA driver on your payroll driving your truck is an employee. An owner-operator hauling under their own authority in their own truck is usually a contractor. Mixing the two up gets expensive, so Gus keeps them separate.
- Contractor 1099s for owner-operatorsAny owner-operator paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions horse transport companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Diesel fuel
- Truck and trailer maintenance
- Tires and repairs
- Cargo and mortality insurance
- Tolls and permits
- Horse layover and stabling costs
- Driver wages
- Truck and trailer registration
- Dispatch and load board fees
- Cleaning and disinfecting the trailer
- Phone and routing software
- Liability insurance
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 horse transport company's year, kept every month.
Show season and sale season drive when the phone rings most. Gus keeps fuel costs and driver pay straight through every trip. 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 1099 list for owner-operators gets built, and a monthly set-aside is planned.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering it.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at midyear, and whether spring show and sale season hauling changed what you will owe.
- October
Before winter route changes
A look at fleet maintenance and equipment worth buying before winter road conditions change your routes.
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 horse transport 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 horse transport company owners ask first.
Diesel prices jumped this quarter. Can Gus tell me if my fuel surcharges are actually covering it?
Yes. He keeps fuel costs and surcharge income in their own categories, so you can see the real relationship instead of guessing from your total expenses.
I picked up a second client's horse on a return trip to avoid an empty trailer. Does that mess up my numbers?
No. Gus keeps return-trip and backhaul loads in their own category, so you can see exactly how much that kind of work adds to a trip.
One of my drivers hauls under his own authority with his own truck. Is he an employee or a contractor?
Usually a contractor, since he is not driving your truck under your control. Gus keeps his pay separate from payroll drivers and flags it so the accountant can confirm the classification.
Do you handle DOT compliance or interstate health certificate paperwork?
No. That stays with you, your drivers, and the shippers you work with. Gus keeps your income and costs visible in the books, nothing more.
A long haul means an overnight stop to stable the horses. Is that just a travel expense?
Gus keeps horse layover and stabling costs in their own category, separate from driver meals and fuel, so you can see what overnight stops really add to a trip's cost.
My books are behind by a full year of hauling. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send whatever bank and settlement records you have. Gus works through them, the accountant checks the results, and most owners see where they stand 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.
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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