Brokerage, lending & investing

Books and taxes for residential appraisers.

A flat fee for a single-family appraisal, an appraisal management company's cut taken before you ever see the payment, mileage across a wide territory, and a rush fee for a tight closing deadline. Gus sorts all of 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
MayExample month
$8,100
what you made

May cleared $8,100 across 22 assignments. Three of them came in through an AMC that already took its cut before paying you, so I logged only what actually landed.

  • AMC payout, 3 assignmentsAMC-assigned fee income
  • Direct lender paymentDirect assignment fee income
  • Fuel, territory drivingVehicle and mileage
  • Comp data subscriptionData and research tools
  • E and O insurance premiumInsurance and licensing
Money in$14,200
Money out$6,100
Set aside for taxes$1,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Appraiser books go wrong at the fee an AMC already took its cut from.

An appraisal fee rarely arrives whole. An appraisal management company often takes its cut before you ever see the payment, and a wide territory means real mileage on every single assignment. When the books do not separate what an AMC kept from what landed in your account, your real per-file earnings disappear.

  1. 1

    An AMC's cut looks like a missing payment instead of a fee split

    When an appraisal management company assigns you a file, it typically pays you a portion of what the lender paid, keeping the rest as its own fee, and if the full lender-side amount is expected as income, the difference looks like a shortfall rather than a normal fee split.

    What we doBooks only what actually lands in your account as AMC-assigned income, so there is no mystery about a payment that looks smaller than expected.
  2. 2

    Direct-client fees and AMC fees get mixed into one number

    A fee paid directly by a lender or private client is usually higher than the same work assigned through an AMC, and blending the two hides which type of work is actually more valuable to your business.

    What we doKeeps direct assignment income separate from AMC-assigned income, so you can see which source is actually paying you more per file.
  3. 3

    Territory mileage never gets weighed against what a file actually paid

    A rural or spread-out territory can mean real fuel and drive time on a file that pays the same flat fee as a five-minute drive across town, and without tracking mileage, a string of far-flung assignments can quietly cost more than they earn.

    What we doKeeps mileage and vehicle costs in their own line so you can see, over time, whether your territory's driving costs are eating into what each assignment actually nets you.
  4. 4

    A rush fee gets treated the same as a normal assignment fee

    A rush fee for a tight closing deadline is extra pay for extra pressure, and if it is not tracked apart from the base fee, you lose the ability to see whether rush work is actually worth the trouble.

    What we doFlags rush fees as their own category, so you can weigh whether the premium is worth the faster turnaround it requires.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a residential appraiser.

Set up once for how an assignment actually pays you. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Direct assignment fee incomeFees paid straight from a lender or private client without an AMC in between.
  • AMC-assigned fee incomeWhat actually lands after an appraisal management company takes its cut.
  • Rush fee incomeExtra pay for a fast turnaround on a tight deadline.
  • Review and consulting feesFees for reviewing another appraiser's report or a private consulting assignment.

Money out

  • Vehicle and mileageFuel and mileage across a territory that can span a wide area.
  • Data and research toolsComp data, MLS access, and mapping subscriptions used on every file.
  • Insurance and licensingE and O insurance, state license renewal, and USPAP continuing education.
  • Report softwareAppraisal report writing and form software subscriptions.
  • EquipmentMeasuring tools, cameras, and a laptop used for field work.

What we watch for you

  • AMC fee split

    What an AMC kept against what you actually earned, so you can see the real value of that work.

  • Revenue per assignment

    The average fee net of mileage and time, comparing direct work against AMC work.

  • Mileage per assignment

    How much a spread-out territory is actually costing against a flat per-file fee.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe across direct and AMC fee income, tracked every month so April holds no surprise.

Ask Gus

Things appraisers 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.

An AMC paid me less than I expected for a file this month. Is something wrong?

Probably not. AMCs typically keep a portion of what the lender pays before passing the rest to you. I book only what actually lands, so what you see is the real number, not a shortfall.

I drove ninety minutes each way for one appraisal this week. Is that kind of assignment actually worth it?

I track mileage against each assignment's fee, so over time you will be able to see whether the far-flung ones are actually paying for the drive.

Should I set up an LLC now that I am getting more direct client work?

That is above my pay grade. A real accountant looks at your actual numbers and tells you if a different setup makes sense.

The tax side

The tax side of an appraisal business.

Most of what matters here is that fee income can arrive through very different channels, and territory mileage is a real, trackable cost.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax on fee incomeAppraisal fee income, whether from a direct client or an AMC, carries self-employment tax at 15.3 percent up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, for appraisers working as independent contractors.
  • Quarterly estimated paymentsWith no withholding on fee income, estimated payments due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15 need a real look at expected assignment volume.
  • Vehicle expenses across a territoryMileage between assignments is usually deductible, using either the standard mileage rate or actual vehicle costs, whichever the accountant finds works better for a territory with a lot of driving.
  • The pass-through deductionMost independent appraisers can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when direct and AMC fee income are booked correctly all year.

Deductions residential appraisers miss

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

  • E and O insurance premiums
  • State license renewal and USPAP courses
  • Comp data and MLS access subscriptions
  • Appraisal report software
  • Mileage across your territory
  • Measuring tools and cameras
  • Laptop and mobile devices for field work
  • Home office for a dedicated workspace
  • Phone and data plan
  • Professional association dues
  • Vehicle maintenance and insurance
  • Continuing education beyond USPAP requirements

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

An appraiser's year, kept every month.

Assignment volume shifts with the local lending market. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax side no matter how many files come through. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned around expected assignment volume for the year.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring home-buying volume changed the number.

  4. October

    Before lending volume slows

    Purchase appraisal orders typically ease heading into winter as fewer homes change hands. Gus looks at equipment or report software worth buying before assignment volume dips.

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 residential appraisers. 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 appraisers ask first.

How does Gus handle a fee that came through an AMC instead of directly from a lender?

Only what actually lands in your account is booked as income. The AMC's cut is never expected as your revenue, so there is no confusion about a payment that looks smaller than the lender's total fee.

Can Gus tell me if AMC work or direct client work is actually worth more to me?

Yes. Direct assignment income and AMC-assigned income are tracked in separate categories, so you can compare what each is actually paying you per file.

I drive a lot for this job across a rural territory. Does that mileage actually help my taxes?

Usually, yes. Mileage between assignments is typically deductible, and Gus keeps it tracked against each file so the accountant can apply whichever method works better for your year.

I do a handful of appraisal review assignments for other appraisers' reports. Does that get tracked differently?

Yes, it is kept in its own category from your standard appraisal fee income, since it is a different kind of work.

Rush fees pay more but are more stressful. Can Gus show me if they are actually worth it?

He tracks rush fee income separately from your standard fees, so you can see over time whether the premium justifies the faster turnaround.

My records are a mix of AMC portals and direct client invoices that do not match my bank deposits. Can Gus untangle that?

Yes. Send the bank statements and whatever assignment records you have. Gus sorts fee income by source, and most appraisers know where they stand within a couple of weeks.

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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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