IT & tech services

Books and taxes for POS system resellers and installers.

A terminal sold to a new restaurant client, an install fee for wiring it into the register stand, a small residual paid every month on the card processing it runs, and a support call when the printer jams. 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
AprilExample month
$10,600
what you made

April came in at $10,600. Your processor residual payout was higher than usual because two new restaurant clients from January are now running full volume, so I flagged the increase against those accounts.

  • Terminal and hardware salesHardware sales
  • Processor residual payoutProcessing residuals
  • Install and setup feesInstallation fees
  • Terminal distributor invoiceHardware and parts
  • Field technician wagesWages
Money in$36,400
Money out$25,800
Set aside for taxes$2,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

POS reseller books go wrong at the residual and the install fee.

A generalist sees a hardware sale and a bill. Your business runs on a one-time hardware sale, an install fee for the setup work, and a small residual that pays out every month for as long as a client keeps processing cards through your system. When the books blend those, you cannot tell what is steady income and what was a one-time sale.

  1. 1

    Processing residuals look like ordinary hardware sales

    A monthly residual paid on a client's card processing volume is recurring income that grows or shrinks with their business, but if it is lumped in with one-time terminal sales, you cannot tell how much of your income is actually steady.

    What we doKeeps processing residuals in their own line, separate from hardware sales, so your recurring floor is visible.
  2. 2

    An install fee gets buried inside the hardware price

    A terminal sale that includes free installation on the invoice hides what the labor actually costs you to deliver, and without separating it, you cannot tell if install work is priced right.

    What we doSplits install and setup fees from hardware sales, so you can see whether the labor is priced to cover the time it takes.
  3. 3

    A hardware stock-up wrecks the monthly number

    A bulk terminal order from a distributor ahead of a busy sales season can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, and booked as an ordinary expense it makes that month look like a loss and the next look unusually strong.

    What we doFlags large distributor orders the day they land and ties them to the client sales they are meant to cover.
  4. 4

    A field technician looks like a plain payroll cost

    A technician who installs systems and also answers support calls for jammed printers and offline terminals mixes install labor with ongoing support labor, hiding what each side of the work actually costs.

    What we doKeeps install labor and support labor visible against the income each one supports, so pricing reflects the real cost of both.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a POS system reseller and 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

  • Hardware salesTerminals, registers, and peripherals sold to clients.
  • Installation feesSetup and wiring work billed apart from the hardware itself.
  • Processing residualsMonthly payouts tied to a client's card processing volume.
  • Support call feesOne-off service calls outside any support contract.

Money out

  • Hardware and partsDistributor invoices for terminals, printers, and cables.
  • WagesPay for field technicians, split between install and support work.
  • Vehicle costsFuel and repairs for techs driving to client sites.
  • Business insuranceGeneral liability and technology errors-and-omissions coverage.
  • Software licensingPOS software fees resold or maintained for clients.

What we watch for you

  • Residual floor

    Monthly processing residual income against total income, the base that holds without a new sale.

  • Hardware margin

    What is left after distributor cost on sold terminals, separate from install labor.

  • Install labor cost

    What install work costs against what it is billed for, so pricing still covers the time it takes.

  • The set-aside

    The set-aside builds from hardware sales and residual income together, so April reflects the whole business, not just one stream.

Ask Gus

Things POS reseller 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 residual payout was bigger than usual this month. Is that from new clients or something else?

I flagged it against two clients from January who are now running full processing volume. It is not a fluke, it is those accounts maturing.

I sell terminals with free installation included in the price. Does Gus know what the install actually costs me?

I split the install labor from the hardware price on the books, so you can see whether that free install is priced to cover the time it takes.

I placed a big distributor order ahead of a sales push. Why does this month look thin?

I flagged that order as a stock-up tied to upcoming sales, not a bad month, so it will not read as a loss.

The tax side

The tax side of a POS system reseller and installer.

Most of what goes wrong here is a residual counted like a hardware sale, and install labor that never gets separated from the price of the terminal.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Equipment write-offsDemo terminals and install tools bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy them.
  • Contractor 1099sAny subcontracted technician not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income when hardware, residual, and install income are tracked apart all year.
  • State sales tax on hardwareSelling POS terminals and hardware can trigger sales tax obligations that vary by state, worth confirming directly rather than assuming either way.

Deductions POS system resellers and installers miss

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

  • Demo and loaner terminals
  • Install tools and cabling supplies
  • Technician vehicle mileage
  • Errors-and-omissions insurance
  • Certification and training fees
  • Software licensing for resale
  • Business phone and mobile data
  • Trade show travel
  • Diagnostic and repair tools
  • Shop or office rent
  • Contractor and referral payments
  • Local advertising

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 POS reseller year, kept every month.

New restaurants and shops open on their own schedule, and residuals build behind every sale. 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

    Residuals, reset

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

  2. April

    Filed, residuals steady

    Your return is filed and signed, with hardware sales and residual income already sorted apart.

  3. July

    Midyear residual check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether your residual floor is growing behind this year's new sales.

  4. October

    Before the next rollout

    Gus looks at demo hardware worth buying before December and flags any stock-ups worth timing around sales.

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 POS system resellers and 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 POS reseller owners ask first.

Can Gus tell my processing residuals apart from my hardware sales?

Yes. Residual income gets its own line, separate from terminal sales, so you can see your real recurring floor.

I include free installation in some terminal sales. Does Gus know that labor has a real cost?

Yes. Gus splits install labor from the hardware price, so you can see if bundled installs are priced to cover the time they take.

I placed a big distributor order before a sales push. Why does that month look thin?

It should not read as thin. Gus flags a hardware stock-up so it shows as inventory tied to upcoming sales, not a loss.

Does Gus handle sales tax on the terminals I sell?

Gus flags hardware sales so you and the accountant can confirm what your state requires, but collecting and filing sales tax is not part of the subscription.

My books are behind because residuals and hardware sales were never separated. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send what you have. Gus sorts residual income from hardware sales, 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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  • $197 a month to start
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever