Pet products & breeding
Books and taxes for reptile shops and breeders.
A weekend expo table, a high-dollar morph specimen sold on Venmo, a bulk feeder rodent order, and a clutch of eggs that took a year to plan. 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
September came in at $8,000. The Repticon table and the morph specimen you sold there are both booked, so you can see what the expo actually earned you.
- Repticon card salesExpo sales
- Morph specimen, VenmoSpecimen sales
- RodentPro feeder orderFeeder rodents
- Incubator and thermostatIncubation equipment
- Expo table and travelExpo costs
Why your books are different
A reptile shop's books go wrong in a handful of specific spots.
A generalist sees register deposits and feeder bills. Your business runs on a weekend expo circuit, morph breeding projects that take years to pay off, and feeder rodents bought by the case. When the books miss that, you cannot tell which projects are worth repeating.
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1
Expo sales get mixed with store sales
A weekend at Repticon or a regional reptile expo brings in cash and card sales away from the shop, and if that income lands in the same place as everyday counter sales, it is hard to tell whether the expo circuit is actually worth the table fee and the drive.
What we doKeeps expo sales in their own line, tied to the show they came from. -
2
A morph project spans years, not months
Proving out a rare color or pattern combination can mean holding a breeding pair for three years or more before the first clutch of that specific morph hatches, and if the cost of feeding and housing that pair is not tracked across the whole project, no single hatch ever looks profitable.
What we doTracks a breeding project's costs over time, so you can see what a morph combination actually cost to prove out once it finally sells. -
3
Feeder rodents get treated like generic supplies
Frozen mice and rats bought by the case from a feeder supplier are a real, recurring cost tied directly to how many animals are in the collection, and lumped into general supplies, it is impossible to see if feeder costs are climbing with the collection or with prices.
What we doKeeps feeder rodent costs in their own line, separate from enclosure and general supplies. -
4
A failed clutch of eggs disappears from the books
Incubator power, thermostat failures, and a clutch that does not hatch are a real cost of breeding reptiles, and if that loss is not recorded, the ones that do hatch and sell look more profitable than the breeding program actually is.
What we doBooks failed clutches as a real cost, so the breeding program's true numbers are visible. -
5
Permit costs for regulated species get missed
Certain species carry state permitting requirements or protection status that can mean extra paperwork and fees, and those costs are easy to lose in a general licensing line instead of being tied to the specific animals that require them.
What we doFlags permit and licensing costs by species, so nothing gets missed when a new animal joins the collection.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a reptile shop.
Set up once for how the business gets paid and what it spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Store salesReptiles, enclosures, and supplies sold at the shop.
- Expo salesCash and card sales from weekend reptile expos.
- Specimen salesIndividual high-value morphs sold direct to other keepers.
- Wholesale accountsBulk sales to other breeders or reptile stores.
Money out
- Feeder rodentsFrozen mice and rats bought by the case.
- Incubation equipmentIncubators, thermostats, and hygrometers.
- Enclosure suppliesTubs, tanks, substrate, and heat sources.
- Breeding stockAnimals bought to add new genetics to the collection.
- Expo costsTable fees, travel, and lodging for the show circuit.
- Permits and licensingState and species-specific permitting fees.
- UtilitiesHeat lamps, UVB bulbs, and climate control power.
What we watch for you
- Expo profit
What a show actually brought in against the table fee and travel, so the circuit stays worth running.
- Feeder cost per animal
Feeder spending against collection size, so it is clear when costs are climbing with prices.
- Clutch success rate
Hatched clutches against attempted ones, so a breeding project's real odds are visible.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things reptile 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.
I keep expo sales tied to the show they came from, table fee and travel included. A few months of that and you'll know the real return.
I track the feeding and housing cost for that pair the whole time. When the clutch finally hatches and sells, you'll see what the project actually cost to prove out.
That depends on your state and the species, so I'd rather the accountant look at your permits directly than guess. I'll flag it and get their eyes on it.
The tax side
The tax side of a reptile shop or breeding operation.
Most of what matters here is inventory, equipment, and proving a long breeding project is a business, not a hobby.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and cost of goodsAnimals, enclosures, and supplies bought to resell are not deductible when purchased. They become a cost when they sell, which is why an accurate count of the collection matters at tax time.
- Hobby loss rulesA breeding program that does not run or record itself like a business risks being treated as a hobby, which limits what losses can be deducted. Tracking each project's real costs is the best protection.
- Equipment write-offsIncubators, rack systems, and climate control equipment can often be written off in the year bought. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for equipment acquired after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionA profitable shop or breeding business run as a sole proprietor, partnership, or S corp can often take up to 20 percent of business profit off taxable income.
Deductions reptile shops and breeders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Feeder rodent orders
- Incubators and thermostats
- Heat lamps and UVB bulbs
- Expo table and travel costs
- Enclosure substrate and decor
- Permit and licensing fees
- Rack systems and tubs
- Business liability insurance
- Shipping boxes for live animals
- Humidity and temperature monitors
- Website and listing fees
- Veterinary care for the collection
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 reptile shop year, kept every month.
Breeding season and the expo circuit both move on their own calendar. Your team keeps you ahead of the year's costs 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, 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 this year's clutches and expo sales are tracking.
- October
Before the fall expo season
Ahead of the busy fall show circuit, Gus looks at feeder and equipment costs worth handling before year end.
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 reptile shops and breeders. 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 reptile shop and breeder owners ask first.
Can Gus tell me if doing the expo circuit is actually worth it?
Yes. He tracks each show's sales against its table fee and travel cost, so after a few events you can see whether the circuit is paying for itself.
I've held a breeding pair for years working toward one specific morph. How do the books handle that?
Gus tracks the feeding and housing costs for that project the whole time it runs, so when the right clutch finally hatches and sells, you can see what it actually cost to get there.
Do feeder rodent costs get tracked differently than other supplies?
Yes. They stay in their own line, so you can see whether feeder costs are rising because the collection is growing or because prices are.
What happens on the books when a clutch of eggs does not hatch?
It gets booked as a real cost, so the clutches that do hatch and sell are not made to look more profitable than the breeding program really is.
I keep a few species that need state permits. Does that change my taxes?
It can, depending on your state and species. Gus flags permit and licensing costs so the accountant can look at what applies to your collection specifically.
My records are just receipts from feeder orders and expo tables. Can Gus start from there?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus will sort feeder and expo costs from your everyday store sales. Most keepers see a clear picture within a cycle.
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