Outdoor living & structures
Books and taxes for outdoor audio and TV installers.
Deposits, weatherproof speakers and TV enclosures, low-voltage wiring runs, and remote or app-based control systems. 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
June came in at $10,600. The Sonance speaker package for the Trevino patio went in as materials for that job, not general electronics cost.
- Deposit, Trevino patio audioJob deposits
- Final payment, Osman outdoor TVFinal payments
- Sonance speaker packageSpeakers and audio gear
- SunBriteTV enclosure orderOutdoor TV and enclosures
- Low-voltage wiring subWiring and low-voltage subs
Why your books are different
Outdoor audio and TV books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and equipment bills. Your business runs low-voltage wiring to weatherproof speakers and TVs, and the equipment itself costs far more than the labor to mount it. When the books do not separate hardware from wiring labor, you cannot tell what part of a job actually earns its keep.
-
1
Speakers and TV enclosures outweigh labor in the books
A weatherproof speaker package or an outdoor-rated TV enclosure can cost several times what the mounting labor does, but when it is filed as one general installation line, the owner cannot see where the job's cost and markup really sit.
What we doKeeps speaker and TV hardware on their own line against the job, so equipment cost and labor cost are both visible. -
2
Low-voltage wiring subs blend into general install labor
Running low-voltage wiring underground or through existing structure sometimes needs a licensed low-voltage sub, and paying them out of the same account as your own install crew hides how much of the job's cost is licensed wiring work.
What we doKeeps low-voltage subcontractor costs in their own category, tagged to the job, separate from your crew's wages. -
3
Control system upgrades disappear into equipment costs
A remote or app-based control system for outdoor speakers and TVs costs more than a basic setup, and when it is bundled with general equipment, the owner cannot see how much of the price the upgrade actually earned.
What we doKeeps control system upgrades on their own line against the job, so the upgrade's real cost and markup are visible. -
4
A deposit looks like profit before the equipment even ships
Some speaker and TV enclosure orders take a couple of weeks to arrive after the deposit is collected, so the deposit sits as income on the books before a single wire is run.
What we doTracks the deposit against its job and recognizes the income as the work gets done, so a short wait for equipment does not distort the month.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an outdoor audio and TV installer.
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
- Job depositsCollected at contract signing, tracked against the job it belongs to.
- Final paymentsPayment collected once the system is installed and tested.
- Financed jobsThe full job amount, with the lender's cut booked as a fee.
- Change ordersAdded zones or a control system upgrade billed separately.
Money out
- Speakers and audio gearSonance or similar weatherproof speaker packages.
- Outdoor TV and enclosuresSunBriteTV or similar outdoor-rated TVs and protective enclosures.
- Control systemsRemote and app-based control hubs, kept apart from basic equipment.
- Wiring and low-voltage subsLicensed low-voltage subcontractors for underground or in-wall runs.
- Vehicle and fuelTruck fuel and maintenance for job site travel.
- Lead fees and marketingHouzz, Angi, and Google local services ads.
What we watch for you
- Equipment cost share
Speaker and TV hardware against money in, so pricing keeps up with equipment costs.
- Wiring sub cost share
Low-voltage sub pay against money in, tracked apart from your own crew's labor.
- Jobs in progress
Deposits collected for systems not yet installed, so a short equipment wait does not look like a loss.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things outdoor audio installers 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.
No. I booked the hub as a change order on the same job, so the upgrade and what it added to the bill are both visible.
The Sonance package for the Trevino job landed this month before the install was billed. I tagged it to that job, so it is not really a loss, it is a job still in progress.
If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running.
The tax side
The tax side of an outdoor audio and TV business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A deposit counted before equipment ships, wiring sub costs blended with your own crew, 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.
- Equipment write-offsA service van outfitted for the business, or shop test equipment, can usually be written off in the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a low-voltage wiring sub, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Self-employment taxAn owner not on payroll pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on profit, up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base.
- 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 outdoor audio and TV installers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Test and wiring tools
- Speaker and TV demo units
- Truck fuel and maintenance
- Houzz and Angi lead fees
- Uniforms with your logo
- Tools that live on the truck
- Phone and tablet for job sites
- Trade licenses and bonding
- Card and financing fees
- Job photo software
- Wiring and connector stock
- Truck signage
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 outdoor audio and TV year, kept every month.
Deposits start landing as patios and yards get used again in spring and stay steady through fall. Your taxes come on a schedule either way. Your team keeps you ahead of 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, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed before spring deposits start coming in for the season ahead.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how equipment and wiring sub costs compared to what you priced.
- October
Before the season slows
A look at any equipment worth buying before winter, and anything worth doing 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 outdoor audio and TV installers. 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 outdoor audio installers ask first.
Can Gus handle jobs paid through financing companies?
Yes. He books the full job as money in and the lender's fee as a cost, so your sales are not understated and the fee still counts against your taxes.
I run estimates in Jobber. Do I have to change how I work?
No. Keep running jobs the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement, and when a deposit or payout is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
Do I write off test equipment or a service van all at once?
Often, yes. Business equipment can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, though sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are behind from last season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
How does Gus keep wiring sub costs from blending with my crew's pay?
He tags subcontractor payments to the job, separate from your crew's wages, so you can see how much of an install's cost is licensed low-voltage work.
Do you handle sales tax on the equipment I buy?
No. Sales tax on equipment and contracts varies by state and Gus does not file it. He keeps your books clean so whoever files your sales tax has accurate numbers to work from.
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