Hard goods, dealers & local stores

Books and taxes for mobility scooter and wheelchair dealers.

Cash sales, insurance-billed equipment that pays out weeks later, rentals for short-term need, and a repair bench that keeps units running. 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
SeptemberExample month
$14,100
what you made

September came in at $14,100. Two insurance reimbursements from July finally landed, so I moved them from owed-out to earned once the payment cleared.

  • Cash sale, power wheelchairCash and card sales
  • Insurance reimbursement pmtInsurance-billed sales
  • Rental fees, monthlyRental income
  • Invacare distributor invoiceInventory purchase
  • Setup van fuel and tollsDelivery and setup
Money in$58,200
Money out$44,100
Set aside for taxes$2,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Mobility equipment dealer books go wrong in the same four places.

A generalist sees deposits and vendor bills. Your business is equipment billed to insurance that pays out on its own schedule, cash sales that settle the same day, rentals for customers who need a unit short term, and a repair bench that keeps used equipment sellable. When the books do not know that, the monthly number lies.

  1. 1

    Insurance-billed sales get counted as earned before they pay

    A power wheelchair billed to Medicare or a private insurer can take weeks or months to actually pay out, and sometimes pays less than billed. Counted as full income the day the equipment goes out the door, the books show money that has not actually arrived.

    What we doKeeps insurance-billed sales as money owed until the reimbursement actually lands, so the books reflect real cash, not just what was billed.
  2. 2

    Rentals get mixed in with straight sales

    A scooter rented for a few weeks for a trip or a recovery period brings in money differently than a sale, and if rental income is not tracked apart from sales, it is hard to see how much of the fleet is actually earning its keep versus sitting idle.

    What we doKeeps rental income in its own line apart from sales, so you can see what the rental fleet is actually earning.
  3. 3

    Repaired trade-ins get treated like scrap instead of resale stock

    A used scooter or wheelchair taken in for repair or as a partial trade often gets fixed up and resold, but if the repair cost and eventual sale are not tied together, it is hard to tell whether reconditioning used equipment is worth the shop time it takes.

    What we doTracks repair cost against the eventual resale of reconditioned units, so you can see whether that side of the business is paying for itself.
  4. 4

    Delivery and setup labor disappears into the equipment price

    In-home delivery, setup, and a fitting appointment for a new wheelchair or scooter get rung up as part of the equipment price, so there is no way to see how much of a sale's price actually came from the visit versus the unit itself.

    What we doKeeps delivery and setup fees in their own line, so you can see what that part of the business is worth on its own.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a mobility equipment dealer.

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

  • Cash and card salesEquipment paid for directly by the customer at the time of sale.
  • Insurance-billed salesEquipment billed to Medicare or a private insurer, tracked until it pays.
  • Rental incomeShort-term scooter and wheelchair rentals, kept apart from sales.
  • Delivery and setup feesIn-home delivery and fitting appointments billed apart from equipment.

Money out

  • Inventory purchaseNew scooters, wheelchairs, and lift equipment from distributors.
  • Repair partsBatteries, tires, and parts for the repair bench and rental fleet upkeep.
  • Delivery and fleetFuel and repairs for delivery and fitting vans.
  • Store and repair payrollSales staff and repair technicians.
  • Rent and utilitiesShowroom and repair shop space.
  • Rental fleet maintenanceUpkeep on units kept specifically for rental.
  • Card processing feesWhat the processor kept before the sale hit the bank.

What we watch for you

  • Insurance receivables outstanding

    What has been billed to insurance but not yet paid, so it is never mistaken for cash on hand.

  • Rental fleet earnings

    What the rental fleet actually brings in against its upkeep cost.

  • Repair margin

    What reconditioned trade-ins earn after repair cost, so that side of the business shows its real worth.

  • The set-aside

    What the shop will owe, tracked every month regardless of when insurance actually pays.

Ask Gus

Things mobility equipment dealers 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.

We billed insurance for a power chair in July and just got paid in September. How does that get counted?

I kept it as money owed until the reimbursement actually landed, so your books reflect real cash instead of just what was billed months ago.

Our rental scooters bring in steady money. Should that look different from a regular sale?

Yes, I keep rental income in its own line apart from sales, so you can see what the fleet is actually earning on its own.

We fix up trade-ins and resell them. Is that worth doing?

I track repair cost against what the reconditioned units eventually sell for, so you can see whether that side of the shop is paying for itself.

The tax side

The tax side of a mobility equipment dealer.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing. Insurance-billed sales counted too early, rental income blended with regular sales, and a set-aside nobody started until April.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Inventory and cost of goods soldWhat was actually paid for the equipment sold during the year, not just what was spent restocking, is what counts against sales. Rental fleet units and reconditioned trade-ins on hand at year end need a fair value on the books.
  • Section 179 on delivery and shop equipmentDelivery vans, lift equipment, and repair shop tools can usually be written off in the year you buy them, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, such as a part-time repair technician, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of qualified business income off their taxable income. It only lands right when insurance-billed sales are tracked as real cash, not just what was billed.

Deductions mobility scooter and wheelchair dealers miss

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

  • Delivery van fuel and repairs
  • Repair parts and batteries
  • Rental fleet maintenance
  • Card processing fees
  • Local advertising and signage
  • Business liability insurance
  • Damaged or unrepairable equipment write-offs
  • Uniforms for delivery and repair staff
  • Point of sale and rental scheduling software
  • Showroom accessibility upgrades
  • Continuing education for repair certification
  • Trade show and vendor 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 mobility equipment dealer year, kept every month.

Insurance payments land on their own schedule, and rentals run all year long. 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, the repair technician 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, with nothing owed that the running set-aside had not already covered.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether insurance reimbursements are keeping pace with what got billed.

  4. October

    Before winter demand

    Before winter weather increases demand for mobility equipment, Gus looks at equipment you might buy and anything worth doing 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 mobility scooter and wheelchair dealers. 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 mobility equipment dealer owners ask first.

We bill a lot of sales to insurance. Does Gus handle the reimbursement timing?

Gus keeps insurance-billed sales as money owed until the reimbursement actually lands in your bank account, so your books reflect real cash rather than just what was billed.

Does Gus file our insurance claims or handle billing codes?

No. Gus works from your bank statement to book what comes in and what goes out. Insurance billing and coding stay with your existing process.

How does rental income get handled differently from sales?

Gus keeps rental income in its own line apart from equipment sales, so you can see what the rental fleet is actually earning on its own.

We recondition trade-ins and resell them. Can Gus track whether that is worth it?

Yes. He tracks repair cost against the eventual resale price, so you can see whether reconditioning used equipment is paying for the shop time it takes.

Our books are behind from a few busy months. Is that fixable?

Yes. Send over the bank statements you have on hand, including whatever insurance payments have landed, and Gus sorts through the backlog with the accountant checking his work.

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