Restoration & remediation

Books and taxes for odor removal specialists.

Pet odor jobs, real estate listing prep, subcontract work for other restoration companies, and equipment that runs a job for days. 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
NovemberExample month
$7,000
what you made

November made $7,000. The subcontract job for the water damage company that hired you for a smoke odor add-on got booked as subcontractor income, not a direct customer job, so you can see how much of the month came from your own bookings.

  • Homeowner payment, SquareDirect jobs
  • Restoration company subcontractSubcontract income
  • Ozone generator rentalEquipment
  • Enzyme treatment suppliesSupplies
  • Real estate agent referral adMarketing
Money in$19,000
Money out$12,000
Set aside for taxes$1,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Odor removal books go wrong when direct jobs and subcontract work blur together.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is repeat relationships with agents and dealerships, one-off subcontract jobs for bigger restoration companies, and equipment that earns money one treatment at a time. When the books do not separate those pieces, you cannot tell where your revenue actually comes from.

  1. 1

    Subcontract jobs for other restoration companies hide

    A water or fire damage company that hires you for the odor treatment portion of their job pays you directly, not through the homeowner's insurance claim, and if that payment lands in the same category as your own direct customer jobs, there is no way to tell how much of your revenue actually comes from your own marketing.

    What we doKeeps subcontract income from other restoration companies in its own line, separate from jobs you booked directly.
  2. 2

    Ozone and hydroxyl equipment reads as a supply cost

    An ozone generator or a hydroxyl machine can cost several thousand dollars, and rented or bought alongside enzyme sprays and air fresheners, it gets expensed the same way and throws off equipment depreciation.

    What we doFlags equipment purchases and rentals over a set size and logs them separately for the accountant.
  3. 3

    Vehicle and real estate jobs get lost in general service revenue

    A car dealership paying to deodorize trade-ins and a real estate agent paying to prep a listing are steady, repeat sources of work that look nothing like a one-time homeowner call, and lumped together there is no way to see which relationships are actually worth cultivating.

    What we doKeeps repeat commercial relationships in their own category so you can see which ones are carrying the business.
  4. 4

    A tough job runs longer than the quote

    A heavy smoke or hoarding job can need two or three treatment visits before the odor is actually gone, and if only the final invoice gets counted, the real equipment time and labor on that job disappears.

    What we doTracks a job's full run of visits and equipment days so its true cost shows, not just the closing invoice.
  5. 5

    Cash and card tips blend into service revenue

    Smaller cash and card jobs, especially quick vehicle treatments, sometimes come with a tip or a rounded-up payment, and mixed straight into service revenue, it is hard to see what the base service is actually worth.

    What we doKeeps the service charge and any extra separate so pricing decisions are based on the real number.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an odor removal company.

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

  • Direct homeowner and business jobsJobs booked and priced by you, paid directly by the customer.
  • Subcontract incomeWork performed for other restoration companies at their rate.
  • Real estate listing prep jobsOdor treatment ordered before a home goes on the market.
  • Vehicle and dealership contractsRecurring trade-in and rental car deodorizing.
  • Commercial and restaurant contractsRecurring odor issues in shared or food service spaces.

Money out

  • EquipmentOzone and hydroxyl generators, logged so they depreciate right.
  • Enzyme and cleaning suppliesSprays, foggers, and deodorizing chemicals.
  • Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the service vehicle.
  • Marketing and lead feesReal estate agent relationships and local advertising.
  • Insurance and licensingGeneral liability and any local licensing fees.

What we watch for you

  • Direct versus subcontract income

    How much revenue comes from your own bookings versus subcontract rates from other companies.

  • Job margin

    What a job actually made after equipment time, supplies, and travel.

  • Repeat visit cost

    What a job that needed extra treatments actually cost against the invoice.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things odor removal 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.

Why does this month look smaller than the number of jobs I did?

Two of those were subcontract jobs for a water damage company, and they paid a set rate lower than your direct pricing. I kept them in their own category so you can see the difference.

Just bought a $3,800 hydroxyl generator. Does that come off this year?

Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.

A hoarding job took three visits before the smell was gone. Does that hurt my numbers?

No, I tracked the full run of visits and equipment time against that job, so its true cost shows, not just what you invoiced when it closed.

The tax side

The tax side of an odor removal business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Equipment filed as supplies, subcontract income mixed with direct jobs, 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.

  • Ozone and hydroxyl equipmentEquipment bought for the business, like ozone generators and hydroxyl machines, can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
  • Subcontract income reportingMoney earned working as a sub for another restoration company is still your business income, even if it comes through their invoice and not the homeowner's insurance claim. Gus keeps it visible either way.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions odor removal specialists miss

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

  • Truck fuel and repairs
  • Ozone and hydroxyl generator repairs
  • Enzyme treatment supplies
  • Thermal fogger maintenance
  • Deodorizing stock
  • Marketing to real estate agents
  • Website and online booking fees
  • Tools that live on the truck
  • Phone and tablet for job photos
  • Licenses and bonding
  • Uniforms with your logo
  • Storage for equipment and supplies

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 odor removal year, kept every month.

Jobs come from homeowners, dealerships, and other restoration companies all year round. Your taxes come on a schedule. 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 1099 list is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer vehicle and real estate work changed the number.

  4. October

    Before listing season

    Before real estate listings pick up for the year-end market, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 odor removal specialists. 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 odor removal owners ask first.

Can Gus tell subcontract income apart from my own direct jobs?

Yes. He keeps subcontract work for other restoration companies in its own category, separate from jobs you booked directly, so you know where your revenue is really coming from.

I work with a few real estate agents and a car dealership regularly. Does that need special handling?

Gus keeps those repeat relationships in their own category so you can see which ones are steady and worth the marketing spend.

A hoarding job needed three visits before it was done. Does that mess up the numbers?

No. Gus tracks the full run of visits and equipment time on a job, so its true cost shows up, not just the final invoice.

Do I write off an ozone generator all at once?

Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.

Do I owe taxes on subcontract work paid by another company?

Yes, it is still business income even though it did not come from the homeowner directly. Gus keeps it visible in the books either way.

My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?

No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks 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 restoration & remediation

We keep books for the business next door too.

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