Consulting & business services
Books and taxes for import and export consultants.
A monthly retainer for a client's trade compliance program, a classification review that decides what tariff code a product ships under, a wire fee to pay an overseas partner, and the exchange rate that shifts what a foreign invoice is actually worth. 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
December came in at $9,500. The exchange rate on Alderbrook's invoice shifted between billing and payment, so I booked that small gap as its own line instead of folding it into your service fee.
- Alderbrook Imports retainerRetainer income
- Solstice Apparel classification reviewClassification review fees
- Duty database subscriptionTariff research subscriptions
- Wire transfer, overseas partnerInternational wire fees
- Customs specialist, subcontractedSubcontracted specialists
Why your books are different
An import and export consultant's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and wire fees. Your business is a retainer for ongoing compliance work, a one-time classification review that carries real tariff risk if it is wrong, and invoices in foreign currency that are worth a different amount by the time they get paid. When the books do not know that, your real earnings get lost in exchange rate noise.
-
1
Currency conversion gets folded into the service fee
A foreign client's invoice is worth a slightly different amount in dollars by the time it actually gets paid, and blended into your service income, that shift makes your real fee look like it changed for no reason.
What we doBooks currency conversion gains or losses on their own line, apart from your service fee, so your real earnings stay clear. -
2
A classification review looks like ordinary consulting time
Determining the correct tariff classification for a product carries real duty and penalty risk if it is wrong, and billed the same as general advisory time, you cannot see how much of your income comes from this higher-stakes work.
What we doKeeps classification review fees in their own line, separate from general retainer or advisory work. -
3
Retainers and per-shipment fees blur together
An ongoing monthly retainer for trade compliance support is a different kind of income than a one-time fee for consulting on a specific shipment, and mixed together, it is hard to see which part of the practice is the steady base.
What we doKeeps retainer income and per-shipment fees in separate lines, so the steady base of the practice is visible on its own. -
4
International wire fees quietly eat into margin
Paying an overseas partner or subcontractor by wire carries fees that a domestic payment would not, and buried in general costs, it is easy to lose track of how much those transfers actually cost you.
What we doKeeps international wire fees in their own line, so you can see what moving money overseas actually costs.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an import and export consulting practice.
Set up once for how you bill and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Retainer incomeOngoing monthly trade compliance advisory for a client.
- Classification review feesOne-time reviews determining a product's correct tariff code.
- Per-shipment consulting feesAdvisory work tied to a specific shipment or transaction.
- Currency conversion adjustmentsGains or losses from exchange rate shifts on foreign invoices.
Money out
- Tariff research subscriptionsDuty rate and trade compliance database access.
- Subcontracted specialistsOutside customs or trade experts brought in for specific engagements.
- International wire feesCosts of paying overseas partners and subcontractors.
- Trade compliance certificationRenewal of your own professional credentials.
- Travel for supply chain auditsMileage and airfare for on-site client visits.
What we watch for you
- Retainer versus per-shipment mix
How much of the practice is steady retainer work versus one-time shipment consulting.
- Currency conversion impact
How much exchange rate shifts are affecting what foreign invoices are actually worth.
- Classification review share
How much of your income comes from the higher-stakes classification work versus general advisory time.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things import and export consultants 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.
No, I keep that exchange rate shift as its own line apart from your service fee, so your real earnings stay clear no matter what the rate did.
Yes. Classification review fees are kept separate from general retainer work, so you can see how much of your income comes from that higher-stakes work.
Yes. International wire fees are kept in their own line, so that cost is visible instead of getting lost in general expenses.
The tax side
The tax side of an import and export consulting practice.
Most of what goes wrong here is keeping currency shifts and higher-stakes classification work visible on their own. Handled right, the year does not surprise you.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Contractor 1099sA US-based subcontracted specialist paid $2,000 or more over the year, off payroll, needs a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that tally current.
- Foreign contractor paperworkSpecialists working from outside the country are usually reported differently than domestic contractors. Gus flags which is which so the accountant applies the right form.
- Self-employment taxOwner draw rather than a paycheck means 15.3 percent self-employment tax applies, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- The pass-through deductionTrade consulting profit can often qualify for up to a 20 percent deduction off what gets taxed, with the exact figure confirmed by the accountant at filing time.
Deductions import and export consultants miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Tariff and duty research subscriptions
- Trade compliance certification renewal
- International wire transfer fees
- Subcontracted specialist fees
- Travel for client site audits
- Professional liability insurance
- Laptop and reference materials
- Home office space
- Trade association dues
- Marketing to importers and exporters
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 import and export consulting year, checked in four times.
Shipping seasons and tariff changes shift on their own timing across different countries and clients. Gus keeps your own taxes on schedule alongside it. 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, 1099s go out to domestic subcontractors, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Filed, signed, and done. The set-aside covered it, since it started back in January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether foreign currency swings are affecting your real earnings.
- October
Before year end
A look at research subscriptions and certification renewals worth doing before December closes out the year.
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 import and export consultants. 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 import and export consultants ask first.
My foreign clients pay in their own currency, and the dollar amount shifts by the time it's converted. Does that distort my income?
No. Gus books that shift as its own line, apart from your service fee, so your real earnings stay clear regardless of what the exchange rate did.
Does a tariff classification review get billed the same as a regular consulting call?
Gus keeps it separate instead, since that work carries more risk if it's wrong, so you can see how much of your income depends on it.
Some of my subcontractors work overseas. Does that change anything?
It changes the paperwork. Gus flags which specialists are domestic and which are overseas, so the accountant applies the right forms at tax time.
I bill some clients a retainer and others per shipment. Can Gus keep that straight?
Yes. Retainer income and per-shipment fees are kept in separate lines, so you can see which part of your practice is the steady base.
My books are behind after juggling clients across several countries. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank and invoice records you have. Gus sorts them out, 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.
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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