Electrical, energy & home tech

Books and taxes for security camera and alarm installers.

Install jobs, the spread on monitoring you resell, dealer program payments tied to a commitment period, and false alarm fines. 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
$10,500
what you made

May came in at $10,500. The Castillo install's dealer program payment posted, tied to their three-year monitoring commitment.

  • Dealer program buyout, Castillo installDealer program payments
  • Monitoring spread, May billingMonitoring revenue
  • Housecall Pro payoutService calls
  • ADI Global Distribution invoiceCameras and alarm hardware
  • Central station wholesale feeMonitoring costs
Money in$41,000
Money out$30,500
Set aside for taxes$2,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A security and alarm installer's books go wrong around what kind of money it is.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business mixes one-time installs with recurring monitoring money, dealer program payments tied to commitments, and fines that may or may not be yours to pay. When the books do not know that, you cannot see the real shape of the business.

  1. 1

    Monitoring revenue and install revenue tell different stories

    A monthly monitoring fee kept at a spread over the wholesale cost is a completely different kind of money than a one-time camera install, and if the two are lumped together, you cannot tell how much of the business depends on new installs versus the recurring monitoring base already in place.

    What we doKeeps monitoring spread in its own recurring category apart from install jobs, so the health of the recurring base is visible on its own.
  2. 2

    A dealer program buyout comes with a string attached

    Signing a new monitored customer under an authorized dealer program can trigger a lump sum payment up front, but if that customer cancels within the commitment period, some of the payment can come back out as a chargeback. Booked as plain income, the payment looks safer than it is.

    What we doFlags dealer program payments as tied to a commitment period, so a later chargeback is recognized as a return of that specific payment, not a random loss.
  3. 3

    False alarm fines land on whoever the city decides

    A city fines a repeat false alarm at an address, and whether that cost falls on the company or gets passed to the customer varies by contract and by city, so an untracked fine can quietly become the company's problem.

    What we doTracks false alarm fines separately from normal service costs, so it is clear whether a fine was absorbed or passed through.
  4. 4

    Tech licensing is overhead, not a job cost

    State alarm installer licensing and fingerprinting for each tech is a real, recurring cost that has nothing to do with any one job, and if it gets buried inside a random service call, it disappears from view entirely.

    What we doKeeps licensing and background check costs in their own line, so the real cost of staffing a licensed crew stays visible.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a security and alarm 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

  • Install jobsCamera and alarm system installs, billed on completion.
  • Monitoring revenueThe spread kept between what a customer pays and the wholesale monitoring cost.
  • Dealer program paymentsLump sum payments from an authorized dealer program, tied to a monitoring commitment.
  • Service callsRepairs and troubleshooting visits, paid on the spot.

Money out

  • Crew wagesKept apart from licensing costs so labor cost stays clear.
  • Cameras and alarm hardwarePanels, cameras, and sensors from ADI or a similar distributor.
  • Monitoring costsWholesale fees paid to the central station that actually monitors the system.
  • Licensing and background checksState alarm installer licensing and fingerprinting for each tech.
  • Permits and false alarm finesMunicipal alarm permits and fines, tracked apart from normal service costs.
  • Truck and fuelFuel, repairs, insurance, and loan payments for the service truck.
  • Lead fees and marketingGoogle local services and Angi leads.

What we watch for you

  • Monitoring spread

    What you keep after the wholesale monitoring cost, tracked apart from install jobs.

  • Chargeback exposure

    Dealer program payments still inside their commitment period, so a cancellation is not a surprise.

  • False alarm cost

    Fines absorbed by the company versus passed through to the customer.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things security and alarm installers 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 get a lump sum from the dealer program for signing a new monitored customer. Does that count as regular income?

I track it as tied to their commitment period, so if they cancel early and some of it comes back as a chargeback, that shows up as a return on that specific payment, not a random loss.

How much of my business is actually the recurring monitoring money versus new installs?

I keep the monitoring spread in its own line, apart from install jobs, so you can see the health of your recurring base on its own.

The city fined us for a customer's repeat false alarms. Do we eat that or bill them?

Above my pay grade on your specific contract terms, so I flagged it. What I do know is the fine is tracked separately, so it's clear either way once you decide.

The tax side

The tax side of a security and alarm install business.

Most of what goes wrong here is mixing money that behaves differently. A dealer payment treated like a normal sale, a fine that gets lost, and a set-aside nobody started until April.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Cameras and alarm equipmentPanels, cameras, and testing tools can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • Employee or contractorA tech who uses your tools and works your schedule is usually an employee, not a subcontractor, no matter how the pay is set up.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions security camera and alarm installers miss

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

  • Alarm technician licensing fees
  • Background check and fingerprinting fees
  • Camera and sensor testers
  • Truck signage and wraps
  • Liability and bonding insurance
  • Alarm permit fees
  • Phone for site photos
  • Dump fees for old panels
  • Home office for scheduling
  • Vehicle registration

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 security and alarm installer's year, kept every month.

New installs and the recurring monitoring base do not move together. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  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 the recurring monitoring base grew or shrank this year.

  4. October

    Before the holidays

    Break-in worries rise before the holidays and bring a wave of new install calls. Before it hits, Gus looks at equipment you might buy and anything worth doing before December.

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 security camera and alarm 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 security and alarm installers ask first.

I get a lump sum from a dealer program for signing a new monitored customer. Does Gus treat that like a normal sale?

No. It is tracked as tied to the customer's commitment period, so if they cancel early and part of it comes back as a chargeback, that shows up as a return on that specific payment.

How do I know how much of my business is recurring monitoring versus new installs?

Gus keeps the monitoring spread in its own line, separate from install jobs, so the health of your recurring base is visible on its own.

The city fined us for a customer's false alarms. Does that get tracked?

Yes. False alarm fines are kept separate from normal service costs, so it is clear whether a fine was absorbed by the company or passed through to the customer.

My techs need state licensing and background checks. Is that a real deduction?

Yes. Licensing and background check costs are ordinary costs of running a licensed crew, and Gus keeps them in their own line so they are never lost inside a random job.

Do I write off my camera and alarm testing equipment all at once?

Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.

My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?

No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people know where they stand inside 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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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