IT & tech services

Books and taxes for no-code workflow agencies.

A flat monthly retainer for a client's connected workflows, a one-time build fee, a Zapier or Make plan that jumps a tier when task usage grows, and a client who pays for the tools themselves. Your own bookkeeper sorts 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
OctoberExample month
$9,500
what you made

October came in at $9,500. Your Make account jumped a pricing tier this month because two clients' workflows ran more tasks than usual, so I flagged the tool cost bump apart from your steady retainer income.

  • Monthly workflow retainers x10Retainer income
  • New client build feeOne-time build fees
  • Make plan, higher tierConnector tool costs
  • Zapier plan renewalConnector tool costs
  • Airtable subscriptionClient-facing software
Money in$24,800
Money out$15,300
Set aside for taxes$2,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

No-code workflow agency books go wrong at the retainer and the tier jump.

A generalist sees a subscription and a bill. Your business runs on flat monthly retainers for workflows you built once and now maintain, connector tools that jump price tiers as task usage grows, and one-time build fees for new clients. When the books blend those, a tool bill spike looks like your costs got out of control.

  1. 1

    A connector tool tier jump looks like runaway costs

    When a client's workflows run more tasks in a busy month, your Zapier or Make bill can jump to the next pricing tier without warning, and if that jump is not tied to which client caused it, it looks like your overhead suddenly grew for no reason.

    What we doFlags connector tool tier changes the month they happen and keeps them apart from steady retainer income, so a jump reads as usage, not runaway cost.
  2. 2

    A one-time build fee gets counted like ongoing retainer income

    A flat fee for building a new client's workflows from scratch is a one-time project, but if it lands in the same line as your monthly retainers, it inflates what looks like your steady recurring income.

    What we doKeeps one-time build fees separate from monthly retainers, so your real recurring floor stays honest.
  3. 3

    Client-owned software subscriptions get paid through your account

    Some clients ask you to manage a shared Airtable or similar subscription under your own account and reimburse you for it, and if that pass-through cost is not tracked apart from your own tools, your real overhead looks higher than it is.

    What we doKeeps client-facing software you pay for and get reimbursed for separate from the tools that run your own business.
  4. 4

    A workflow that breaks costs hours nobody bills for

    When a connected app changes its programming interface and breaks a client's workflow, the hours spent fixing it for free under a flat retainer are real cost with no matching income, and untracked, they quietly eat into what that retainer is actually worth.

    What we doKeeps retainer income visible against tool costs each month, so a retainer that stops covering the time it takes stands out.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a no-code workflow 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

  • Retainer incomeFlat monthly fees for maintaining a client's connected workflows.
  • One-time build feesNew client onboarding and initial workflow builds.
  • Consulting hoursStandalone strategy or troubleshooting billed by the hour.
  • Reimbursed client costsTool subscriptions paid on a client's behalf and repaid.

Money out

  • Connector tool costsZapier and Make subscriptions, tracked as task usage changes tiers.
  • Client-facing softwareAirtable, spreadsheet, or database tools used inside client builds.
  • Business insuranceGeneral liability and technology errors-and-omissions coverage.
  • Business phone and internetKept separate from personal use.
  • Continuing educationCourses and community memberships to stay current on new tools.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer floor

    Monthly retainer income against total income, the base that holds without a new build sold.

  • Tool cost per client

    Connector tool spend against retainer income, so a retainer's price still covers what it costs to run.

  • Reimbursed cost gap

    What clients owe back for pass-through tools, so nothing sits unpaid too long.

  • The set-aside

    The set-aside builds from retainer income and build fees both, so a quiet month does not leave April underfunded.

Ask Gus

Things no-code workflow 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.

My Make bill jumped a whole pricing tier this month. Does that mean I am losing money?

Not necessarily. I flagged which client's workflows drove the extra task usage, so you can see if that client's retainer still covers it.

A client pays me back for an Airtable subscription I hold under my account. Does that count as my income?

No, I keep reimbursed client costs separate from your own tool spend, so it does not inflate what your business actually earned.

One client's workflow broke when an app changed its programming interface, and I spent hours fixing it for free. Does that show up?

It shows up as a quieter month against that retainer's cost, since I track tool costs and retainer income together. Worth a look if it keeps happening.

The tax side

The tax side of a no-code workflow agency.

Most of what goes wrong here is a one-time build fee blended into ongoing retainers, and reimbursed client costs mistaken for your own income.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax for solo ownersA one-person workflow agency pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, so the set-aside has to cover both.
  • The pass-through deductionMost solo owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income when retainer and build fee income are tracked cleanly all year.
  • Reimbursed costs are not incomeMoney collected from a client to cover a tool subscription paid on their behalf generally is not counted as your income, since it is simply passed through.
  • Home office deductionA solo builder working from a dedicated space at home can usually deduct a portion of home costs tied to that space.

Deductions no-code workflow agencies miss

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

  • Connector tool subscriptions
  • Client-facing software tools
  • Continuing education courses
  • Home office costs
  • Business insurance
  • Technology errors-and-omissions coverage
  • Business phone and internet
  • Community and forum memberships
  • Laptop and equipment upgrades
  • Payment processor fees
  • Contract and proposal tools
  • Portfolio site hosting

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 no-code workflow agency year, kept every month.

Task usage and tool tiers shift with client activity, not the calendar. Your team stays on the books every month, not just at tax time. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Workflows, reset

    Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned around retainer and build fee income so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed, retainers steady

    Your return is filed and signed, with retainer and build fee income already sorted apart.

  3. July

    Midyear workflow check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether tool costs are still covered by what each retainer brings in.

  4. October

    Before the year wraps

    Gus looks at tools worth buying before December and flags any retainer whose tool cost has crept up on it.

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 no-code workflow 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 no-code workflow agency owners ask first.

My connector tool bill jumped a pricing tier out of nowhere. Can Gus tell me why?

Gus flags which month a tier change happened and keeps it apart from retainer income, so you can look at which client's usage drove it.

A client reimburses me for a shared software subscription. Does that count as my income?

No. Gus keeps reimbursed client costs separate from your own income, so your real earnings are not overstated.

I charge a flat build fee for new clients and a separate monthly retainer after that. Can Gus tell those apart?

Yes. One-time build fees and ongoing retainers get their own lines, so your recurring income stays honest.

Does Gus track the free hours I spend fixing a broken workflow under a flat retainer?

Gus tracks tool costs against retainer income each month, so a retainer that stops covering the time it takes will show up, even without a separate line for unpaid hours.

My books are behind because retainers and build fees were never separated. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send what you have. Gus sorts retainer income from one-time fees, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand within 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