Consulting & business services
Books and taxes for mobile notaries.
A signing referred through Snapdocs at their cut, a direct client paying cash for a power of attorney, the mileage fee that covers the drive, and the bond renewal that keeps you working. 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
July came in at $3,700. Direct clients paid cash for two hospital signings, so I made sure those deposits matched what you told me before they went into the books.
- Snapdocs referral, netMarketplace signings
- Direct client, POA signingDirect signing fees
- NNA background screeningCertification and background checks
- Notary bond renewalBond and E&O insurance
- Shell gas, mobile routeMileage and travel
Why your books are different
A mobile notary's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and gas receipts. Your business is a signing referred through a marketplace at a cut rate, a direct client paying cash at the door, and a travel fee meant to cover the drive. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell if the fee you charge actually covers your time and gas.
-
1
Marketplace signings and direct clients pay different net amounts
A signing booked through Snapdocs or 123notary pays you less than the client was actually charged, since the marketplace keeps a cut. Blended with direct client fees, it is hard to see your true rate per job.
What we doKeeps marketplace and direct signing income separate, so you can see your real take from each source of work. -
2
The travel fee gets folded into the signing fee
A $15 travel charge tacked onto a $75 signing fee looks the same as a flat $90 fee, but that hides whether the travel charge actually covers a long drive to a rural client.
What we doKeeps mileage and travel fees in their own line, so you can see whether they cover what a long drive really costs you. -
3
Cash jobs go unreconciled
A hospital or jail signing paid in cash is easy to undercount if it never gets matched against a deposit, and it disappears from the books entirely if it is not written down.
What we doReconciles cash signings against what you report, so walk-up and cash income shows up complete. -
4
The bond renewal is a small line that is easy to miss
A notary bond and errors and omissions policy are cheap enough to overlook, but skipping the renewal date can mean a lapse that stops you from working.
What we doKeeps bond and E&O renewal in its own line and flags it before it lapses.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a mobile notary 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
- Marketplace signingsJobs referred through Snapdocs, 123notary, or NotaryCafe, at their net rate.
- Direct signing feesClients who book and pay you directly, cash or card.
- Mileage and travel feesCharges tied to the drive, kept apart from the signing fee itself.
- After-hours and rush feesPremiums for late-night, hospital, or same-day requests.
Money out
- Bond and E&O insuranceYour notary bond and errors and omissions coverage.
- Certification and background checksNNA background screening and certification renewal.
- Notary suppliesStamps, seals, journals, and thumbprint pads.
- Mileage and travelFuel and vehicle costs for getting to signings.
- Marketplace membership feesProfile and listing fees for signing referral marketplaces.
What we watch for you
- Marketplace versus direct mix
How much of your income comes from lower-net marketplace jobs versus full-rate direct clients.
- Travel fee coverage
Whether what you charge for mileage actually covers your fuel and drive time.
- Cash reconciliation
Whether cash jobs are matching what actually got deposited or reported.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things mobile notaries 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.
Yes. Marketplace and direct signings are kept in separate categories, so you can see your real take-home rate from each source of work.
It does. I keep travel fees apart from the signing fee itself, so you can tell whether that charge is actually covering the drive.
Tell me what you collected and I match it against your deposits, so cash signings show up complete instead of disappearing from the picture.
The tax side
The tax side of a mobile notary business.
Most of what goes wrong here is small amounts that are easy to lose track of, and mileage that has to be tracked to count. 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.
- Mileage deductionThe drive between signings adds up, and it can usually be written off at the IRS standard rate: 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026, then 76 cents for the rest of the year, as long as the trips are logged.
- Marketplace 1099-K formsA signing marketplace that pays you $20,000 and 200 transactions or more in a year may issue a 1099-K, but all your signing income is taxable whether or not a form arrives.
- Self-employment tax and estimatesNotary income you keep as the owner carries a 15.3 percent self-employment tax up to the $184,500 wage base, and it's usually paid quarterly instead of in one spring bill.
- The pass-through deductionMost notary businesses can deduct up to 20 percent of profit from taxable income, and getting the full benefit depends on accurate books all year, cash signings included.
Deductions mobile notaries miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Notary bond and E&O premium
- NNA certification and background checks
- Stamps, seals, and journals
- Mileage between signings
- Marketplace membership fees
- Phone and scheduling app
- Printer and scanner for documents
- Vehicle maintenance and insurance
- Business cards and signage
- Continuing education courses
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 mobile notary's year, checked in on four times.
Real estate closings and estate signings run on their own calendar all year, and your own taxes follow a separate one. Gus keeps up with both. 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, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, right as signing volume settles after the holidays.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return gets filed and signed, and the bill isn't a surprise, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether your marketplace and direct client mix is working for you.
- October
Before bond renewal season
Notary bonds and certifications often renew around year end. Gus flags what is coming due 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 mobile notaries. 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 mobile notaries ask first.
I get jobs from Snapdocs and from clients who call me directly. Can Gus tell the difference?
Yes. Marketplace signings and direct client fees are kept in separate categories, so you can see your real rate from each kind of work.
Do I need to track my mileage separately for the books?
It helps a lot. Gus keeps travel fees apart from signing fees, and tracked mileage can usually be deducted at the standard rate the IRS sets each year.
I get paid cash for a lot of hospital and jail signings. Is that a problem?
No. Tell Gus what you collected and he matches it against your deposits, so cash income shows up complete rather than disappearing from the picture.
Is my notary bond a business expense?
Yes, it is an ordinary cost of staying in business, along with your errors and omissions coverage, and Gus keeps both in their own line so the renewal never sneaks up on you.
My books are behind because I've been focused on getting signings booked. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank and marketplace payout statements you have. Gus sorts 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.
More in consulting & business services
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Answering services
- Apostille services
- Background check companies
- Document shredding & records management
- DOT compliance consultants
- Drug testing centers
- Exit planning advisors
- Government contracting consultants
- Grant writers
- Import & export consultants
- ISO certification consultants
- Lean & operations consultants
- Loan signing agents
- Mail & package centers
- OSHA safety consultants
- Proposal & RFP writers
- Transcription services
- Translation & interpretation services
- Virtual office providers
- Call centers
- Coworking spaces
- Executive coaches
- Franchise consultants
- HR consultants
- Management consultants
- Registered agent services
- Sales training firms
- Virtual assistant agencies
- Business coaches
- Banner & large-format printers
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