Senior care & aging services
Books and taxes for senior living placement advisors.
Placement commissions that land after move-in, a clawback window that can pull some of it back, lead costs, and mileage across a wide territory. Your own bookkeeper keeps it straight, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one clear number each month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August netted $8,300. One commission is still inside its clawback window, so I flagged it rather than counting it as fully final yet.
- Community placement commissionPlacement commission
- Referral fee, discharge plannerReferral income
- Google ads spendLead generation
- CRM software subscriptionCRM software
- Shell fuel, touring communitiesVehicle and mileage
Why your books are different
A placement advisor's books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and ad spend. Your business is commissions that can be clawed back, marketing that pays off months after you spend it, and mileage racked up touring communities. When the books do not know that, a good month can look worse than it is, or a risky one better.
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1
Commissions get counted before the clawback window closes
A community pays its full commission the day a family moves in, but many contracts allow the community to claw part of it back if the resident leaves within a set window, so booking the whole commission as final income can overstate a month that gets adjusted later.
What we doBooks the commission when paid and flags the clawback window, so a later refund does not come as a surprise on the books. -
2
Lead costs and closed placements land in different months
Money spent on a lead service or ad campaign this month might not turn into a placement commission for two or three months, so comparing this month's marketing spend to this month's income makes the business look worse than it is.
What we doKeeps marketing spend and placement income visible over a few months at a time, not just the calendar month, so you can see whether spend is actually paying off. -
3
Mileage across a wide territory disappears
Touring several communities with a family in one afternoon racks up real miles, and if that driving never gets logged separately from other errands, a legitimate deduction quietly goes unclaimed.
What we doKeeps business mileage for tours and family visits in its own line, so it is tracked and ready when the return is prepared. -
4
1099 income makes the tax bill sneak up
Commissions come in as gross payments with nothing withheld, and an advisor who does not set anything aside along the way can be surprised by how much is owed come spring.
What we doSets aside a share of every commission as it lands, so the tax bill is never a surprise.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a placement advisor.
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
- Placement commissionsPaid by a community after a family moves in, typically a share of the first month's rate.
- Referral fees from other professionalsA fee shared with another advisor or professional who sent the family.
- Family consultation feesA flat fee some advisors charge directly to families for guidance, separate from any community commission.
- Vendor referral feesA fee for referring families to movers, estate sale companies, or other senior service providers.
Money out
- Lead generation and marketingGoogle ads, a lead service, or referral partnerships.
- Mileage for community toursDriving to visit communities and meet families.
- CRM or lead-tracking softwareKeeping families, communities, and follow-ups organized.
- Phone and communication toolsStaying in touch with families and communities.
- Professional liability insuranceCoverage for the advice and referrals you give.
- Continuing education and certificationTraining that keeps your credentials current.
What we watch for you
- Commission pipeline
Placements in progress against what has actually been paid, since the timing lag here is real.
- Cost per placement
What marketing and lead costs run against each completed placement.
- Clawback exposure
How much of recent commission income is still inside a community's clawback window.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so a 1099 income spring surprise never happens.
Ask Gus
Things senior living placement advisors 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 book it as income now but flag the clawback window, so if a refund happens later, it is already expected and not a surprise on the books.
Maybe not. Placements from this month's leads can take a couple months to close. I track spend against income over a few months, not just this one.
Yes, that is a real business cost. Keep noting where you drive and I will keep it in its own line so it is ready when the accountant prepares your return.
The tax side
The tax side of a placement advisor.
Most of what goes wrong here is setting aside enough from gross commissions and keeping mileage tracked as it happens.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- 1099 income and self-employment taxCommissions arrive as gross payments with nothing withheld, and most solo advisors owe 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, so a running set-aside matters more here than in a salaried job.
- Mileage for tours and family visitsBusiness miles driven to tour communities or meet families can be deducted at 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026 and 76 cents after.
- 1099-NEC for referral partnersA fee shared with another advisor or professional who sent you the family, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- The pass-through deductionMost solo advisors can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit, though the deduction can be limited once taxable income passes $201,750 single or $403,500 joint.
Deductions senior living placement advisors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Lead service subscriptions
- Mileage for community tours
- CRM or lead-tracking software
- Professional liability insurance
- Continuing education and certification
- Marketing materials
- Phone plan for client calls
- Business cards and signage
- Meals with referral partners
- Website hosting
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 placement advisor's year, kept every month.
Families call any week of the year. Your taxes and your marketing budget 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.
- January
Pipeline and spend planned
A new year of marketing budget and lead sources gets planned, along with this year's set-aside from your commissions.
- April
Filed as commissions land
Your return is filed and signed while placements keep closing. The set-aside built from your commissions since January already covers it.
- July
Halfway on cost per placement
A look at what your lead sources are actually paying off against what they cost, so the second half of the year spends smarter.
- October
Before the holiday decision season
Families often decide on a move for a parent before the holidays. The team looks at whether marketing spend matches that seasonal demand.
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 senior living placement advisors. 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 senior living placement advisors ask first.
How does Gus handle a commission that might get clawed back?
He books it as income when paid but flags the clawback window, so if a community claws part of it back later, it is already expected instead of a surprise adjustment.
I spent a lot on leads this month with nothing to show yet. Is that a loss?
Not necessarily. Placements from this month's leads can take months to close. Gus tracks spend and income over a few months so you see the real picture.
Do I need to track my mileage for touring communities?
Yes, it is a real deduction. Keep a note of where you drove, and Gus keeps it in its own line so it is ready when your return is prepared.
I get paid as a 1099 with nothing withheld. How do I avoid a big tax surprise?
Gus sets aside a share of every commission as it lands, based on your situation, so April is a number you already know is coming.
Some months I have no placements at all. Is that normal for this business?
It is common given how long placements take to close. Gus keeps your pipeline visible so a quiet month reads as timing, not a sign something is wrong.
My books are a mess from doing this on my own for years. Can you still help?
Yes. Send whatever bank statements you have. Gus works out which deposits were commissions, referral fees, or reimbursements, and most advisors see where they stand 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.
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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