HVAC, insulation & chimney
Books and taxes for indoor air quality specialists.
UV light and whole-home purifier installs, recurring filter replacement plans, and a spring allergy season that doubles your calls. 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
April came in at $9,600. Allergy season calls doubled our purifier installs, so I kept those separate from filter subscription income to show what drove the jump.
- Stripe payoutsPurifier and UV installs
- Recurring filter club chargesFilter subscriptions
- Aprilaire distributorEquipment
- Google local servicesLead fees
- Chevron fuel, van 1Van and fuel
Why your books are different
Air quality books go wrong around subscriptions and seasons.
You sell a purifier install once and a filter replacement plan for years after. When a subscription and a one-time install sit in the same category, or spring's rush gets compared to a flat October, you cannot tell what is actually growing.
-
1
Filter subscriptions get mixed with installs
A homeowner pays $180 upfront for a UV light install and signs up for a $15 monthly filter replacement plan. Booked as one lump number, you cannot tell how much of your income is a one-time sale versus the steady plan.
What we doKeeps installs and subscription income in separate categories, so recurring revenue is visible on its own. -
2
A subscription paid a year in advance is not this month's income
Some customers prepay a full year of filter changes. Booked entirely as income the month it is paid, that month looks unusually strong and the months the filters actually get replaced look like they earned nothing.
What we doHolds the prepaid balance and recognizes it as each filter change happens, so the year reads the way the work actually happened. -
3
Allergy season swings look like a fluke
Spring and early fall bring a spike in purifier and UV light calls tied to pollen and mold, while a flat month like December can look like something went wrong by comparison.
What we doTracks the calendar with allergy season in view, so a slow month is read against the right month, not your busiest one. -
4
Equipment and filter parts blur together
A whole-home purifier costing several hundred dollars and a $12 replacement filter both get bought from the same distributor. Filed the same way, you lose track of what is a real capital purchase and what is a recurring supply cost.
What we doFlags larger equipment buys separately from routine filter and part restocks.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an air quality business.
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
- Purifier and UV light installsThe one-time equipment sale and install.
- Filter subscription plansRecurring monthly or annual filter replacement income, recognized as service happens.
- Duct and system testingStandalone air quality assessments, kept apart from installs.
- Commercial contractsRecurring air quality service for offices and small facilities.
Money out
- EquipmentWhole-home purifiers and UV lights, logged so they get written off right.
- Replacement filters and partsRoutine restock supplies for subscription customers.
- Lead fees and marketingGoogle local services and seasonal allergy campaign ads.
- Van and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the install vehicle.
- Manufacturer certificationAprilaire, Reme Halo, or similar brand training and licensing.
- Card and processing feesWhat Stripe or Square keep before you get paid.
What we watch for you
- Subscription revenue share
How much of the month comes from filter plans versus one-time installs, since one is steadier than the other.
- Subscriber count
How many active filter plans you are running, tracked straight from deposits.
- Seasonal swing
How much allergy season drives installs, so a flat month is not mistaken for a problem.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things air quality 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.
It is steadier money. I have it tracked apart from installs, so you can see subscription revenue on its own, not blended with the bigger sales.
No, and I do not book it that way. It gets recognized as each filter change happens, so it does not make this month look bigger than it is.
Allergy season. Spring calls for purifiers and UV lights run higher every year, and I track the calendar with that pattern in view.
The tax side
The tax side of an air quality business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and mixing categories. A prepaid subscription booked too early, and equipment filed the same as a $12 filter.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vans and equipmentVehicles and testing 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.
- Contractor 1099sA helper or install crew you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, outside of payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- Employee or contractorAn installer who drives your van, works your schedule, and installs on your jobs is usually an employee, not a contractor, whatever he is called on paper.
- 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 indoor air quality specialists miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Replacement filters and parts
- Manufacturer certification classes
- Van fuel and repairs
- Google local services ads
- Seasonal allergy marketing
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tools that live in the van
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Card processing fees
- Liability insurance
- Business license renewal
- Testing equipment calibration
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 air quality year, kept every month.
Allergy season drives your installs, filter plans keep the year steady. Your team keeps you ahead of both and of the return. 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 is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, right as spring allergy season drives your busiest install calls.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring's rush changed the number.
- October
Before the fall swing
Mold and ragweed bring a second seasonal push. Before it hits, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 indoor air quality specialists. 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 air quality owners ask first.
Can Gus separate my filter subscription income from install sales?
Yes. They stay in their own categories, so you can see how much of your revenue is steady subscription money versus one-time installs.
A customer prepaid a year of filter service. How does that get booked?
It is held and recognized as each filter change happens through the year, not counted as income all at once the month it was paid.
Does Gus expect my income to be flat month to month?
No. Air quality work runs on allergy season. Gus tracks the calendar with that swing in view, so a slower month is not mistaken for a problem.
How does Gus handle equipment like whole-home purifiers versus cheap filters?
Bigger equipment purchases get flagged and logged separately, so a real capital buy does not get mixed in with routine filter restocks.
My books have never separated subscriptions from installs. Can Gus fix that going forward?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them into the right categories, the accountant checks them, 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