Funeral, memorial & aftercare
Books and taxes for preneed insurance agents.
First-year and renewal commissions from carriers, chargebacks when a policy lapses, and the leads you pay for to find new families. Your own bookkeeper stays on the books all year, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
March made $9,300. The chargeback on the Delacroix policy that lapsed came out of this month's commission, not last month's.
- Homesteaders commissionFirst-year commission
- Forethought commissionRenewal commission
- Policy chargeback, DelacroixCommission chargebacks
- State license renewalLicensing and dues
- Lead vendor feeLead costs
Why your books are different
A preneed insurance agent's books go wrong in a few particular spots.
A generalist sees a commission deposit and calls it earned. Your income comes from more than one carrier, some of it gets clawed back when a policy lapses, and you pay for leads before you know which ones turn into a sale. When the books miss that, your real income and your real cost per client both disappear.
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1
Chargebacks get missed or blamed on the wrong month
A policy you sold in January lapses in March, and the carrier takes back part of your commission. If that chargeback is not tracked as its own event, it looks like March was just a weak month instead of showing the real pattern.
What we doBooks each chargeback against the month it happens and flags which policies are generating them, so the pattern is visible. -
2
First-year and renewal commissions blend together
A large first-year commission on a new policy looks the same as a small renewal payment on a policy sold years ago. Blended into one number, you cannot tell how much of your income is new sales versus a steady, recurring base.
What we doKeeps first-year and renewal commissions in their own categories, so your recurring income base stays visible. -
3
Lead costs are not tracked against what they actually produce
Paying a lead vendor $40 a lead adds up fast, and without tying that cost to which leads became policies, you cannot tell if the leads are worth what you are paying.
What we doKeeps lead costs in their own category so you and the accountant can look at cost per lead against commission earned. -
4
Commission statements from different carriers get reconciled inconsistently
Homesteaders, Forethought, and NGL each send their own statement on their own schedule, and it is easy to miss a payment or record one twice when they land in different formats.
What we doReconciles every carrier statement against your bank deposits, so each commission is counted once, and only once.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a preneed insurance agent.
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
- First-year commissionCommission earned on a newly written preneed policy.
- Renewal commissionSmaller ongoing commission on policies sold in prior years.
- Bonus and incentive payProduction bonuses paid by a carrier for hitting a volume target.
- Referral feesFees paid by a funeral home for referring a family who becomes a client.
Money out
- Commission chargebacksAmounts clawed back by a carrier when a policy lapses or cancels early.
- Lead costsWhat you pay a lead vendor or referral source for new prospects.
- Licensing and duesState insurance license renewal and any professional association dues.
- Errors and omissions insuranceRequired liability coverage for licensed producers.
- Continuing educationRequired CE courses to keep your license current.
- Mileage and travelDriving to meet families at home or at a funeral home.
What we watch for you
- Chargeback rate
How much commission gets clawed back against what you earned, tracked so a pattern shows early.
- First-year vs renewal mix
How much of your income is new sales versus your steady renewal base.
- Cost per lead
What you pay for leads against how many turn into a written policy.
- The set-aside
What self-employment tax will cost on commissions, net of chargebacks, so April never catches you short.
Ask Gus
Things preneed insurance agents 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.
As a chargeback against this month, kept in its own category. That way one lapsed policy does not just make the month look weak with no explanation.
I keep the cost in its own line so you and the accountant can weigh it against what those leads turn into. I do not make the call, but I make sure the number is there.
No. One set of books works fine. I just keep each carrier's commission visible in the categories, so you can see where your income actually comes from.
The tax side
The tax side of a preneed insurance agent's business.
Most of what matters here is commission timing, chargebacks, and self-employment tax if you are not on a carrier's payroll.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Commission income is usually reported when earnedA commission is income when the policy is issued and paid for. If it lapses and the carrier charges it back, that reduces income in the period the chargeback happens, not the original sale.
- Self-employment tax applies to independent agentsAs an independent producer, you pay 15.3 percent self-employment tax on net profit, on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
- Mileage adds up on client visitsThe standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026 and 76 cents after that, worth tracking on drives to meet families or visit funeral homes.
- The pass-through deductionMost independent agents can take up to 20 percent of business profit off taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions preneed insurance agents miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- State license renewal
- Errors and omissions insurance
- Continuing education courses
- Carrier appointment fees
- Lead vendor costs
- Mileage to client meetings
- Phone and CRM software
- Marketing materials
- Business cards and mailers
- Professional association dues
- Office supplies
- Home workspace 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
A preneed insurance agent's year, kept every month.
Commissions and chargebacks land on their own schedule all year, tied to when families sign and when policies lapse. Your team keeps the books current through all of it. 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, licensing renewals are noted, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Return signed
Your return is filed and signed by the accountant. Since the set-aside has been building from every commission since January, nothing about the bill surprises you.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether chargebacks have been eating into commission more than usual.
- October
Before year end
A look at continuing education deadlines and any marketing spend worth making 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 preneed insurance agents. 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 preneed insurance agents ask first.
How does Gus handle a chargeback from a carrier?
It gets booked against the month it happens, in its own category, so you can see the pattern of chargebacks over time instead of a month just looking unexplainably weak.
I work with more than one insurance carrier. Does that complicate my books?
No. Each carrier's commission gets its own category within one set of books, so you can see where your income actually comes from without keeping separate ledgers.
Do I owe self-employment tax on my commissions?
If you are an independent producer, yes, usually 15.3 percent on your net profit, on top of income tax. Gus keeps the books that make that number accurate.
Can Gus tell me if my lead spending is worth it?
He keeps lead costs in their own category so the number is there for you and the accountant to weigh against what those leads turn into. He does not make marketing decisions for you.
I get paid on different schedules by different carriers. Is that hard to track?
No. Gus reconciles every carrier statement against your bank deposits, so each commission is counted once, whatever schedule it arrives on.
My books are behind by several months. Can you catch up?
Send whatever carrier statements and bank records you have. Gus works through the backlog and the accountant checks it, usually 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.
More in funeral, memorial & aftercare
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Casket & urn retailers
- Celebration-of-life planners
- Crematories
- Death doulas & end-of-life planners
- Estate cleanout companies
- Funeral removal & transport services
- Green & natural burial grounds
- Independent funeral homes
- Memorial jewelry & keepsake makers
- Monument & headstone dealers
- Private cemeteries
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