Performance, custom & powersports
Books and taxes for performance and tuning shops.
Dyno pulls, custom tunes, turbo builds, and the sponsor parts that show up free. 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
August made $15,000. The injector and turbo order from Summit Racing looked huge on its own, so I kept it in parts and materials where it belongs instead of letting it drag down the profit line.
- Lightspeed payoutDyno and tune jobs
- RaceGear sponsor payoutSponsorship income
- Summit Racing invoiceParts and materials
- HP Tuners renewalTuning software
- Shell fuel, tow rigTrucks and fuel
Why your books are different
A tuning shop's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is dyno hours, custom tunes, turbo builds, and parts that come with a core charge attached. When the books do not know the difference, you cannot tell if the dyno bay or the install bay is what pays.
-
1
The dyno pull and the tune get billed as one number
A customer pays $600 for a dyno session and a custom tune, and it lands as one deposit. Booked as a single line, you cannot tell whether the dyno cell or the tuning labor is what actually earns money.
What we doSplits dyno time and tuning labor into their own categories, so you can see what each side of the shop brings in. -
2
A turbo core charge looks like a parts bill
A refundable core charge on a turbocharger or injector set gets paid to the supplier up front. Booked as a straight parts expense, it inflates that month's cost and the refund later looks like random income.
What we doTracks core charges as a deposit until the core ships back, so the month it was paid and the month it was returned both stay clean. -
3
A comeback after a bad tune is not free
When a remap needs a redo, the shop burns dyno time and tech hours with no new invoice. Filed like nothing happened, comeback hours hide inside the good jobs and the real cost never shows up.
What we doFlags comeback and warranty tune time separately, so tech hours and cash collected tell the truth about each other. -
4
One big injector and turbo order wrecks the month
Stocking up on injectors, wastegates, and turbos for the next few builds in one purchase order makes that month look terrible and the months you sell through it look artificially good.
What we doKeeps parts and materials in one steady line and tells you when a stock-up is the reason a month looks thin. -
5
Sponsor parts on the build car are not a discount
When a sponsor ships free turbos or wheels for the shop's show car, it is tempting to book it as a discount on the build. It is neither income nor an expense, and getting that wrong skews both.
What we doKeeps sponsor product off the books as a sale or a cost, and tracks any cash sponsorship payouts as their own line.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a performance shop.
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
- Dyno tuning sessionsDyno bay time, billed apart from the tune itself.
- Custom ECU tunesThe tuning labor, kept separate from dyno hours.
- Turbo and supercharger installsFull forced induction builds, parts and labor together.
- Exhaust and intake packagesBolt-on jobs, usually a same-day ticket.
- Parts counter salesWalk-in and online sales that are not tied to an install.
- Sponsorship and event payoutsCash from sponsors and event appearances, kept apart from parts they send free.
Money out
- Tech wages and commissionsKept apart so you can see labor against the work it paid for.
- Parts and materialsTurbos, injectors, wastegates, and wiring from Summit Racing and Jegs.
- Tuning software licensesHP Tuners, EFI Live, and similar subscriptions.
- Dyno cell maintenanceCalibration and repair on the dyno itself.
- Shop rent and utilitiesThe bay, the office, and the power a dyno cell draws.
- Marketing and event feesCar show booths, online ads, and track day sponsorships.
- Card and financing feesWhat the processor or lender kept before you got paid.
- Freight on parts ordersShipping on turbos, injectors, and anything oversized.
What we watch for you
- Dyno hours booked
Hours on the dyno against hours available. Shows if the bay is the bottleneck or the slow spot.
- Tune comeback rate
How often a tune needs a redo. Rising numbers point to a process or parts issue worth a look.
- Parts margin
What turbos and injectors are marked up against what they cost, tracked apart from labor.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things performance shop 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.
Usually it can. I logged it as equipment and flagged it, so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
That injector and turbo order you placed this month was big. It is sitting in parts and materials, not lost, and it will even out as you sell through it.
Yes, once you've paid him $2,000 or more for the year and he isn't on payroll. I keep a running tally so the form is ready by January 31.
The tax side
The tax side of a performance shop.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Equipment filed the wrong way, inventory counted the day it was bought instead of the day it sold, 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.
- The dyno and shop equipmentA dyno cell, alignment rack, or diagnostic scanner can usually be written off the year you buy it, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Turbo and injector inventoryTurbos, injectors, and kits held for sale are inventory, not an expense the day they are bought. What actually sold during the month is what counts.
- A tuner paid on commissionA tuner who uses your dyno, your hours, and your shop is usually an employee, even if paid per car. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus asks before it becomes a habit.
- 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 performance and tuning shops miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Dyno cell calibration
- Wideband O2 sensors
- HP Tuners and EFI Live licenses
- Diagnostic scan tools
- Tow vehicle fuel and repairs
- Track day entry fees
- Car show booth costs
- Freight on oversized parts
- Shop rags and cleaners
- Fire suits for dyno testing
- Liability insurance for events
- Uniforms with your shop logo
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 performance shop's year, kept every month.
Track season and show season come every spring and summer. 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for your outside tuner or fabricator is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether track season changed the number more than expected.
- October
Before the winter build slate
Before winter build season fills the bay, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 performance and tuning shops. 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 performance shop owners ask first.
Can Gus keep dyno time and tuning labor separate?
Yes. He splits the dyno session from the tune itself so you can see which side of the shop is actually earning, instead of one lump deposit that hides both.
How does Gus handle core charges on turbos and injectors?
He tracks the core charge as a deposit, not a parts expense, until the core ships back or gets forfeited. That keeps your parts cost honest both months.
A sponsor sends free parts for my build car. Does that count as income?
No. Product a sponsor ships for free is not a sale or a cost. Any cash sponsorship payouts get their own line so you can see that money apart from parts sales.
My outside tuner works on commission per car. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money is tracked, not what you do. If he works your hours on your dyno, he is usually an employee for tax purposes, and Gus flags that so it gets handled right.
Do you handle sales tax on the parts I install?
No. Gus keeps parts and labor sorted so a preparer or your state filing has clean numbers to work from, but he does not file sales tax.
My books are a mess after a busy track 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.
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