Advisors, lenders & money services
Books and taxes for merchant cash advance brokers.
Points paid by a dozen funders on funded deals, a smaller renewal commission on a repeat merchant, a clawback when a deal defaults early. Your own bookkeeper sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
February brought in $16,400. A funder clawed back part of last month's commission on a deal that defaulted early, so I netted it against that specific file, not this month's fundings.
- Funder commission, closed dealFunding commissions
- Renewal commission, repeat merchantRenewal commissions
- Sub-agent split, closed fileAgent splits paid
- Merchant lead list purchaseLead costs
- Deal submission softwareSubmission software
Why your books are different
An MCA broker's books go wrong in a few particular spots.
A generalist bookkeeper sees a commission deposit and calls it a closed deal. Your commission is not earned until a funder actually funds the file, part of it can get clawed back months later, and a chunk of every payout often gets split with the agent who brought the deal in.
-
1
Submitting a file to ten funders pays nothing until one funds it
The same merchant file often goes out to several funders at once, and only the one that actually funds pays a commission, so counting a submission as a sale before it funds overstates the pipeline and confuses which deals actually closed.
What we doOnly books commission income once a specific funder confirms the deal funded, so the numbers reflect closed business, not submissions. -
2
A clawback lands months after the original commission
When a merchant defaults inside a funder's early default window, the funder often takes back part or all of the broker commission it already paid, sometimes long after the original deal, and if it is not tied to that file it just looks like a random loss.
What we doTies every clawback back to the original deal and commission, so it reads as a reversal, not an unexplained hit to revenue. -
3
Sub-agent splits get lumped in with ordinary payroll
A cut paid to the agent who sourced a deal is a direct cost of that specific commission, and when it gets mixed into general payroll or contract labor, there is no way to see what each closed deal actually nets the broker after the split.
What we doKeeps agent splits tied to the deal they came from, so you can see what the brokerage actually keeps per file after every split. -
4
Renewal commissions look identical to new deal commissions
A repeat merchant taking a second or third advance usually pays a smaller renewal commission than a brand new file, and blending the two hides how much of the month's income came from fresh business versus existing relationships.
What we doKeeps renewal commissions in their own line apart from new deal commissions, so growth and repeat business are both visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an MCA brokerage.
Set up once for how funders pay and what the brokerage spends to source and close deals. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Funding commissionsPoints paid by a funder once a new merchant's deal actually funds.
- Renewal commissionsSmaller points paid when an existing merchant takes another advance.
- Processing feesFlat fees charged to merchants for file preparation, where charged.
- Referral incomeFees received for sending a merchant to another lender or broker.
Money out
- Agent splits paidCommission shares paid to the sub-agent who sourced a specific deal.
- Lead costsMerchant lead lists and data purchased to source new files.
- ClawbacksCommission taken back by a funder when a deal defaults early.
- Submission softwareTools used to prepare and submit merchant files to funders.
- Dialer and CRM costsSystems used to manage merchant leads and follow-up calls.
- Licensing and registrationState broker registration where required.
What we watch for you
- Fund rate
How many submitted files actually fund, against how many go out.
- Clawback rate
How much commission gets taken back against what was paid, a sign of deal quality.
- Renewal share
How much of income comes from repeat merchants versus brand new business.
- The set-aside
What the brokerage will owe once clawbacks are netted against commissions.
Ask Gus
Things MCA brokers 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 yet. It only becomes income once one funder actually funds it. I book the commission the day that confirmation comes through, not the day the file went out.
Straight to a clawbacks line, tied to that specific deal. It reads as a reversal, not a mystery loss in this month's numbers.
Yes. His split gets tied to each deal, so you can always see what the brokerage nets after paying him, not just the gross commission.
The tax side
The tax side of an MCA brokerage.
Most of what matters here is timing commissions to when a deal actually funds and keeping clawbacks and splits visible, since the underlying tax rules are otherwise routine.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Commission income is counted when a deal fundsA commission is generally taxable when the funder confirms the deal and pays, not when a file is merely submitted. Gus tracks the funding date so the accountant applies the right timing.
- Clawbacks reduce commission income, not a separate expenseA commission taken back by a funder generally lowers the income it was originally counted as. Gus ties each clawback to its original deal so the return reflects it correctly.
- Net commission profit and the S corp questionOnce clawbacks and agent splits are subtracted, what remains is a broker's real profit, taxed at 15.3 percent for self-employment tax up to the $184,500 wage base for 2026, worth weighing against an S corp election due March 15.
- 1099s for sub-agentsA sub-agent paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31, whether they are paid per deal or on a schedule.
Deductions merchant cash advance brokers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Merchant lead lists and data
- Deal submission software
- Dialer and CRM systems
- State broker registration fees
- Agent splits paid out
- Continuing education courses
- Office rent
- Phone and data plans
- Marketing and website costs
- Errors and omissions insurance
- Background checks for agents
- Laptop and office equipment
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 MCA brokerage's year, kept every month.
Files fund all year on their own schedule, and clawbacks can land whenever a merchant defaults early. Your team keeps the brokerage's own books current through all of it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Year planned
Deal activity often picks up as merchants look to fund new equipment or inventory for the year, 1099s go out for sub-agents, and last year's return gets started.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, with every clawback already netted against its original deal, so the number due is accurate.
- July
Halfway check
Where the brokerage stands, what it will owe, and whether the fund rate and clawback rate are holding steady.
- October
Before year end
A look at lead sources still worth their cost, and software or equipment worth buying 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 merchant cash advance brokers. 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 MCA brokers ask first.
I submit files to a dozen funders and only one usually pays. When does Gus count that as income?
Only once a specific funder confirms the deal funded and pays commission. Submissions that go nowhere never get booked as revenue.
A merchant defaulted early and the funder clawed back my commission. How does that get tracked?
The clawback ties back to that original deal, so it reads as a reversal on your books, not a random loss this month.
My sub-agents each get a different split percentage. Can Gus keep that straight?
Yes. Each agent's split gets tracked against the deals they actually sourced, so you can see what the brokerage keeps after every split, agent by agent.
Does Gus help me find funders or underwrite deals for merchants?
No. Gus and your bookkeeper only keep the brokerage's own books, what it makes and spends. Sourcing deals and matching funders stays entirely with you.
Renewal commissions are smaller than new deal commissions. Does that mess up my monthly number?
No. Renewals stay in their own line apart from new business, so you can always tell how much of a month's income is fresh deals versus repeat merchants.
My commission statements from different funders never match my bank deposits cleanly. Can Gus untangle that?
Yes. Send what you have from each funder along with your bank statements, and Gus sorts out which deposit belongs to which deal.
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