Performance marketing & lead gen

Books and taxes for media buying agencies.

Prepaid balances loaded across Taboola, Outbrain, and RevContent, the spread between wholesale cost and what a client is billed, and invalid traffic clawbacks that land weeks late. 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
AugustExample month
$9,800
what you made

August came in at $9,800. The $14,000 loaded onto RevContent this month stayed a balance, not a cost, until it actually ran, so your real spread showed through.

  • Client billing, Northline MediaClient billing
  • Taboola prepay reloadNetwork prepaid balances
  • RevContent prepay reloadNetwork prepaid balances
  • Invalid traffic credit, OutbrainTraffic clawback adjustment
  • Contractor media buyer, hourlyContractor buyers
Money in$61,000
Money out$51,200
Set aside for taxes$2,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Media buying agency books go wrong in the same four places.

A generalist sees a pile of network invoices and one client deposit. Your business runs on prepaid balances loaded across half a dozen networks, a spread between wholesale cost and client billing that is your real income, and traffic clawbacks that arrive after the campaign already closed.

  1. 1

    Prepaid network balances get booked as spent the day they're loaded

    Loading $14,000 onto a network like Taboola to cover the next two weeks of buys is not yet spent, and booking the whole reload as an expense the day it moves overstates that month's cost and understates the next one.

    What we doTracks prepaid network balances separately from spend that has actually run, so the month a dollar was truly spent is the month it counts.
  2. 2

    Gross client billing hides the real spread

    Billing a client the full media cost plus your markup and booking the whole invoice as revenue makes a big client look like your best account, when the spread you actually kept might be thin.

    What we doSeparates wholesale network cost from your markup, so the real spread on every client is visible on its own.
  3. 3

    Invalid traffic clawbacks land after the campaign closes

    A network crediting back invalid or bot traffic weeks after a campaign ran means a month that looked profitable can shrink after the fact, and if that credit is not matched to the campaign it corrects, the numbers never quite make sense.

    What we doMatches traffic clawback credits back to the campaign and month they correct, so the real margin on a buy is what shows up.
  4. 4

    Network float creates a cash crunch that looks like a loss

    Paying networks upfront while a client pays net 30 or net 60 means cash can run tight in a growing month even though the business is profitable on paper, and reading the bank balance alone tells the wrong story.

    What we doTracks what clients owe against what is loaded on networks, so a tight cash month reads as a timing gap, not a loss.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a media buying agency.

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

  • Client billingInvoices covering wholesale media cost plus your markup.
  • Management or setup feesFlat fees for campaign strategy and account setup.
  • Traffic clawback creditsRefunds from a network for invalid or bot traffic, matched to the campaign they correct.
  • Arbitrage marginThe profit kept on owned placements bought wholesale and monetized directly.

Money out

  • Network prepaid balancesMoney loaded onto Taboola, Outbrain, RevContent, or MGID before it runs.
  • Contractor media buyersFreelance buyers and strategists paid outside of payroll.
  • Creative and copy contractorsFreelance writers and designers for ad units and landing pages.
  • Tracking and attribution softwareVoluum, RedTrack, or similar tools used to measure buys.
  • Data and research subscriptionsCompetitor and placement research tools.
  • Payment processing feesWhat a card processor or wire fee keeps before a payment lands.

What we watch for you

  • Spread margin

    Your markup against wholesale network cost, so a big client is not quietly thin on real profit.

  • Cash float gap

    What networks are owed against what clients still owe you, so a tight month reads as timing, not trouble.

  • Clawback rate

    How much of a month's billing gets credited back for invalid traffic, tracked as its own number.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked against your real spread margin every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things media buying agency 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 just loaded $14,000 onto RevContent for next week's buys. Is that already an expense?

Not yet. I'm keeping it as a balance until it actually runs, so this month's costs only reflect what was truly spent.

My biggest client bills $40,000 a month, but I'm not sure how much of that I actually keep.

I separated your markup from the wholesale network cost on that account, so you can see your real spread instead of just the size of the invoice.

Outbrain credited back $900 for invalid traffic from a campaign that ended two months ago.

I matched that credit to the original campaign, so it corrects the month it belongs to instead of just showing up as a random gain now.

The tax side

The tax side of a media buying agency.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and what a number actually represents. Prepaid balances counted as spent, gross billing mistaken for margin, and clawbacks with no home.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Prepaid balances are not yet an expenseMoney loaded onto a network is a balance until it runs as an actual buy. Booking it as spent the day it is loaded overstates costs in the wrong month.
  • Contractor 1099sAny US-based buyer, strategist, or creative contractor not on payroll who you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list current all year.
  • Foreign contractorsA buyer or creative contractor working outside the US usually does not get a 1099-NEC. A signed W-8BEN is generally the paperwork instead, and the accountant confirms exactly what applies.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when spread margin, not gross billing, is what the books actually track.

Deductions media buying agencies miss

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

  • Voluum or RedTrack tracking software
  • Competitor and placement research tools
  • Contractor media buyers
  • Creative and copywriting contractors
  • Home office or coworking desk
  • Laptop and monitors
  • Payment processing fees
  • Business phone and internet
  • Wire transfer fees
  • Industry conference travel

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 media buying agency year, kept every month.

Buy volume swings with client campaigns more than the season, but taxes still run on a calendar. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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, your 1099 list for domestic media buyers is ready, and a monthly set-aside begins so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has tracked your real spread margin every month since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether cash float has been tight or easy this year.

  4. October

    Before Q4 buy volume peaks

    Client billing and network prepay volume typically climb fast heading into the holiday shopping season. Before that peak hits, Gus looks at what's worth setting aside 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 media buying agencies. 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 media buying agency owners ask first.

I load money onto ad networks days or weeks before it actually runs. When does that count as an expense?

Only once it actually runs as a buy. Gus tracks prepaid network balances separately, so a reload does not overstate the month it was loaded in.

My client invoices are big, but I'm not sure what I actually keep. Can Gus show that?

Yes. He separates the wholesale network cost from your markup on every client, so you can see your real spread instead of just the total on the invoice.

A network clawed back money for invalid traffic from a campaign that already closed. How does that get handled?

It gets matched back to the campaign and month it corrects, so your real margin on that buy is what shows up instead of a random adjustment now.

I pay networks upfront but clients pay me net 30. My bank balance looks tight even in a good month. Is that normal?

It can be. Gus tracks what clients owe against what is loaded on networks, so a tight cash month reads as a timing gap rather than a sign something is wrong.

My media buyer works from Argentina. Does she get a 1099?

Probably not a 1099-NEC, since she is not a US person. Gus flags overseas contractors separately so the accountant can confirm the right paperwork, usually a W-8BEN.

My books are a mess from running six different ad networks at once. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank and network statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners 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