Accounting, tax & financial pros

Books and taxes for sales tax consulting firms.

Monthly compliance retainers across dozens of states, a one-time nexus study fee, filing costs you pass through for clients, and your own consulting fees that a few states tax too. 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
JulyExample month
$18,000
what you made

July made $18,000. The nexus study fee for your new client is on its own line, kept apart from your monthly compliance retainers, so a good project month does not look like your recurring base suddenly grew.

  • Monthly compliance retainersCompliance retainers
  • Nexus study fee, new clientNexus study fees
  • Avalara subscriptionSales tax software
  • Contract preparer, filingsContract labor
  • State filing fees, client returnsClient filing fees passthrough
Money in$51,000
Money out$33,000
Set aside for taxes$4,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A sales tax consulting firm's own books go wrong in a few predictable spots.

You spend your days telling other businesses which states they owe. Your own firm's books hide the same kind of question, since a few states tax the consulting services you sell, and your own filing fees can look like client costs if nobody separates them.

  1. 1

    Client filing fees get mixed with your own state obligations

    Small transaction and filing fees paid to states on a client's behalf are a passthrough cost of doing the work, but if they land in the same account as fees the firm owes for its own multi-state filings, neither number is accurate.

    What we doKeeps client filing fees separate from the firm's own state filing obligations, so both are easy to track on their own.
  2. 2

    Nexus study fees blend into monthly compliance retainers

    A one-time nexus study for a new client and the ongoing monthly retainer for filing returns across states often land in the same revenue line, hiding whether new project work or steady compliance clients are driving the firm.

    What we doKeeps nexus study fees separate from recurring compliance retainers, so growth in the steady client base is easy to see.
  3. 3

    Sales tax software costs get billed to clients inconsistently

    Software used to track and file client returns is sometimes billed through to clients and sometimes absorbed as overhead, and when both happen without a clear line, the real cost of serving each client gets muddled.

    What we doKeeps sales tax software costs visible against what is actually billed through to clients, so the real overhead is clear.
  4. 4

    Audit and notice defense fees get folded into routine work

    Responding to a state audit or a nexus questionnaire is usually billed differently than routine monthly filing, but the fee often lands in the same account as everyday compliance work, hiding how much of a strong month came from one urgent case.

    What we doKeeps audit and notice defense fees in their own line, so an unusual month reads as one case, not a shift in regular business.
  5. 5

    The firm's own multi-state exposure gets missed

    A handful of states tax consulting or data services themselves, and a firm that spends all day tracking other businesses' nexus can still miss that its own consulting fees might be taxable in one of those states.

    What we doFlags where the firm itself takes on clients, so the accountant can check whether the firm's own services create an obligation in that state.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a sales tax consulting firm.

Set up once for how your firm bills and spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Compliance retainersMonthly fees for ongoing multi-state filing work.
  • Nexus study feesOne-time fees for a new client's nexus review.
  • Audit and notice defense feesBilled when a client faces a state audit or notice.
  • Referral incomeClients sent over by accounting firms or attorneys.

Money out

  • Sales tax softwareAvalara, TaxJar, or similar tools used to serve clients.
  • Contract laborPreparers brought in to handle filing volume.
  • Client filing fees passthroughState transaction and filing fees paid on a client's behalf.
  • The firm's own state filingsMulti-state obligations tied to the firm's own consulting fees.
  • Professional liability insuranceCoverage sized for multi-state exposure.
  • Continuing educationCourses tracking fast-changing state tax rules.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer versus project split

    Recurring compliance income against one-time nexus study fees, so growth is measured honestly.

  • Software cost per client

    Sales tax software costs against what is actually billed through, so overhead per client is clear.

  • Audit fee share

    How much of a strong month depends on one urgent audit case rather than steady compliance work.

  • State filing exposure

    Where the firm's own consulting fees might create a filing obligation, so nothing gets missed.

Ask Gus

Things sales tax consulting firm 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.

Is my recurring client base actually growing, or was that just the nexus study I sold?

Nexus study fees stay in their own line. Your compliance retainers held steady this month, the study is what made the total look bigger.

I paid a chunk of state filing fees this month. Is that my cost or the client's?

I kept it in its own passthrough line, since those fees were paid on the client's behalf, not out of your own pocket in the end.

Do I actually owe sales tax on my own consulting fees in any states?

That one is above my pay grade to settle alone, it depends on the state and exactly what you sold. I flag where your clients sit so the accountant can check it properly.

The tax side

The tax side of running a sales tax consulting firm.

Most of what trips up your own return is the same question you answer for clients every day, just aimed at your own consulting fees instead.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Your own services might be taxable somewhereA handful of states tax consulting or data-related services, so it is worth checking whether the firm's own fees create a filing obligation in a state where a client sits, not just theirs.
  • 1099s for contract preparersA contract preparer brought in to handle filing volume, paid $2,000 or more in 2026 and not on payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Self-employment tax and the S corp questionCompliance fees from dozens of states still add up to one net profit number, taxed at 15.3 percent self-employment tax up to the $184,500 Social Security wage base. Electing S corp status by March 15 can change how much of it gets taxed that way.
  • Section 179 on firm equipmentComputers and filing software licenses bought for the firm can usually be written off in the year purchased, up to $2,560,000.

Deductions sales tax consulting firms miss

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

  • Sales tax software subscriptions
  • Continuing education on state tax rules
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Contract preparer payments
  • Home office costs
  • Computer and workstation upgrades
  • Secure client data storage
  • Conference travel
  • Industry publication subscriptions
  • The firm's own state registration fees
  • Client portal and file-sharing tools
  • Document preparation costs

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 sales tax consulting firm's year, kept every month.

State filing deadlines land all year on their own schedules. Gus keeps your own numbers steady underneath all of them. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    New year, new nexus questions

    New clients come in with fresh nexus questions, last year's own return gets started, and a set-aside gets planned around your compliance retainer base.

  2. April

    Filed, nexus and all

    Your own return is filed and signed, timed around whatever state filing deadlines are active for clients.

  3. July

    Midyear compliance check

    Where the firm stands, how the compliance retainer base is trending, and whether any audit cases are worth the time they take.

  4. October

    Before Q4 state deadlines

    A look at software and staffing worth adding before the fourth quarter, when many states run their own filing pushes.

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 sales tax consulting firms. 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 sales tax consulting firm owners ask first.

Can Gus keep nexus study fees separate from my monthly retainers?

Yes. They stay in separate lines, so a good project month does not get mistaken for your recurring client base growing.

We already use Avalara to manage client filings. Does anything change?

No. Keep serving clients the way you do. Gus works from your firm's bank statement and asks once if a charge is unclear.

I pay state filing fees on behalf of clients. How does that get tracked?

As a passthrough cost, kept separate from the firm's own state filing obligations, so both numbers stay accurate.

Could my own consulting fees actually be taxable in some states?

It happens more than people expect. Gus flags where your clients sit, and the accountant can check whether that creates an obligation for the firm itself.

My own books have been behind since I am buried in client deadlines. Is that fixable?

Yes. Client deadlines come first, understandably. Send the statements you have, and Gus will work through the gap while the accountant checks behind him.

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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We keep books for the business next door too.

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