Pet products & breeding
Books and taxes for pet supply boutiques.
Register sales, a big distributor order, wash bay cash, and a wholesale account with the groomer next door. 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
November came in at $13,000. The Phillips order for the holiday rush landed this month, so I logged it as inventory, not a straight cost.
- Square register payoutRegister sales
- Wash bay card swipesDog wash bay
- Phillips Pet Food orderInventory restock
- Strip mall rentRent and utilities
- Instagram ad spendLocal ads
Why your books are different
A pet boutique's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees register deposits and vendor bills. Your store is a distributor account, a wash bay, a loyalty program, and a wholesale deal with the groomer next door. When the books do not know that, the shelf margin and the real cost of a big order both get lost.
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1
A holiday stock-up swallows one month
Before the winter rush, a boutique places one big order with a distributor like Phillips Pet Food & Supplies that can run $8,000 or more. Booked as a straight cost, that single order makes the month look like a loss even though the stock will sell for weeks.
What we doBooks the order as inventory, not a straight expense, so the shop's real month is not hidden behind one big buy. -
2
The wash bay cash mixes with the register
A self-serve dog wash bay in the back throws off cash and card swipes that land in the same batch as pet food and toy sales, so nobody can tell whether the bay actually pays for the water and soap it uses.
What we doSplits wash bay income into its own line, so you can see what it earns on its own. -
3
Vendor credits for damaged stock disappear
A case of food that arrives dented or near expiration gets credited back by the distributor weeks later, and if that credit lands unlabeled it just looks like a random deposit instead of a correction to a past order.
What we doMatches vendor credits back to the original order, so damaged stock does not quietly eat into the month's cost of goods. -
4
Loyalty discounts blur the real sale price
A frequent buyer punch card or a member discount means the register total is not what a bag of food actually sold for, and without tracking that, the margin on food looks better on paper than it really is.
What we doTracks loyalty and member discounts as their own line, so the real margin on what leaves the shelf is visible. -
5
Wholesale to the groomer next door gets lost
Selling food at a discount to the groomer or trainer sharing your strip mall is invoiced instead of paid at the register, and it is easy to lose track of who still owes for last month's order.
What we doKeeps wholesale invoices separate from register sales and flags anything still unpaid.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a pet boutique.
Set up once for how the shop gets paid and what it spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Register salesFood, toys, collars, and gear paid in the store.
- Dog wash baySelf-serve wash bay cash and card swipes, kept apart from register sales.
- Wholesale accountsDiscounted invoices to the groomer, trainer, or sitter down the row.
- Online ordersSales through the shop's own website, when there is one.
Money out
- Inventory restockDistributor orders from suppliers like Phillips Pet Food & Supplies.
- Rent and utilitiesThe storefront lease, water, and power for the wash bay.
- PayrollSales staff and wash bay attendants.
- Local adsInstagram spend, local sponsorships, and flyers.
- Card and POS feesWhat Square or the card network keeps before the deposit lands.
- Wash bay suppliesShampoo, towels, and drain maintenance.
- Shrink and write-offsDamaged, expired, or stolen stock that never sold.
What we watch for you
- Gross margin
Register sales against inventory cost. A slipping margin usually means pricing or a supplier needs a look.
- Wash bay revenue
What the bay brings in against soap, towels, and water, so you know if it earns its space.
- Shrink rate
Damaged and stolen stock as a share of what was bought, tracked so it does not creep.
- Wholesale receivables
What the groomer or trainer next door still owes on invoice, so nothing gets forgotten.
Ask Gus
Things pet boutique 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.
No. That's inventory, not a straight cost. It only counts against a month as it sells, so November won't look like a loss because of one big order.
I keep it separate. That way you can see what the bay earns on its own against what soap and towels cost you.
If they work your hours on your floor, that's usually payroll, not a contractor. That call gets expensive to get wrong, so I flag it and the accountant looks before it becomes a habit.
The tax side
The tax side of a pet supply boutique.
Most of what trips up a boutique's return is timing. Stock bought is not a deduction until it sells, and a seasonal helper on the wrong side of the payroll line gets expensive.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and cost of goodsFood, toys, and gear bought to resell are not deductible the day they are bought. They become a cost when they sell, which is why an accurate count of what is still on the shelf matters at tax time.
- Contractor or employeeA seasonal helper who works your hours on your sales floor is usually an employee, not a contractor. Getting that wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- 1099s for contract helpAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a fill-in wash bay attendant, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated boutiques 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 pet supply boutiques miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Distributor freight charges
- POS and card fees
- Wash bay soap and towels
- Store signage
- Loyalty card printing
- Shelving and fixtures
- Local pet expo booth fees
- Business liability insurance
- Delivery mileage
- Staff uniforms
- Security cameras
- Damaged stock write-offs
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 pet boutique year, kept every month.
The shelves stay full year round, but the register tells a different story every season. Your team keeps you ahead of both the rush and the return. 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, any contractor 1099s go out, 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 how the wash bay and wholesale accounts are pulling their weight.
- October
Before the rush
Gus looks at the shelves with you before the big holiday order lands, so the stock-up does not surprise the month it hits.
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 pet supply boutiques. 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 pet boutique owners ask first.
Can Gus track the wash bay separate from the rest of the shop?
Yes. Wash bay cash and card swipes get their own line, so you can see what it earns against soap, towels, and water without it blending into register sales.
How does Gus handle a distributor credit for damaged food?
He matches the credit back to the order it came from, so a dented case or an expired batch does not quietly eat into that month's cost of goods.
Do I need to track my loyalty program discounts?
It helps. Gus keeps discounts in their own line so the real sale price, not the sticker price, is what shows up in your margin.
What about the wholesale account I run for the groomer next door?
Those invoices stay separate from register sales, and Gus flags anything that has gone unpaid past its terms.
My biggest order of the year lands right before Black Friday. Will that make my books look off?
No. That order is inventory, not a straight cost, so it only counts against a month as the stock actually sells.
My books have never been separated from my personal account. Can Gus still help?
Yes. Send the bank and Square statements you have. Gus sorts out what belongs to the shop and what doesn't, the accountant checks it, 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.
More in pet products & breeding
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Aquarium & tropical fish stores
- Bird shops & aviaries
- Cat breeders
- Freeze-dried pet treat makers
- Licensed dog breeders
- Pet treat bakeries
- Raw pet food brands & stores
- Reptile shops & breeders
- Custom pet portrait businesses
- Pet apparel brands
- Canine fitness & dog swimming pools
- Canine massage & rehab
- Cat groomers
- Dog agility & sport training facilities
- Dog behaviorists
- Invisible & electric dog fence installers
- Off-leash dog parks with bars
- Pet cremation & aftercare
- Pet photographers
- Pet relocation services (international)
- Pet taxi & pet transport
- Protection dog trainers
- Service dog trainers
- Exotic animal vets
- Holistic & integrative vets
- In-home pet euthanasia services
- Low-cost spay/neuter & vaccine clinics
- Veterinary dental specialists
- Veterinary rehab & hydrotherapy
- Board-and-train programs
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