Hard goods, dealers & local stores
Books and taxes for sewing machine and vacuum dealers.
Machine sales, a repair bench running all year, trade-ins toward a new Bernina or Miele, and quilting classes that fill the back room. 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
February came in at $10,600. Repair tickets ran heavy this month, so I kept that income apart from machine sales to show what the service bench is really earning.
- Machine sale, BerninaRetail sales
- Quilting class feesClass income
- Repair ticket paymentsRepair and service income
- Bernina distributor invoiceInventory purchase
- Vacuum parts orderRepair parts
Why your books are different
Sewing machine and vacuum dealer books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees deposits and vendor bills. Your business is a repair bench that runs all year, trade-ins toward a new machine, extended service plans sold alongside a purchase, and classes that bring in their own kind of money. When the books do not know that, the monthly number lies.
-
1
Repair income disappears into machine sales
A repair ticket for a jammed serger or a vacuum motor swap gets rung up the same way as a new machine sale, so there is no way to see whether the repair bench is actually worth staffing on its own.
What we doKeeps repair and service income in its own line apart from machine sales, so you can see what the bench is really earning. -
2
A machine trade-in disappears instead of becoming shop stock
A customer trades an old machine toward a new Bernina or Miele. Logged only as a discount on the new machine's price, the traded-in unit vanishes from the books even though it now sits in the back room as inventory the shop owns and may resell.
What we doLogs the traded machine as inventory coming in at a fair value, so the back room's used stock matches what the books actually show. -
3
Extended service plan money gets counted as earned all at once
A multi-year service plan sold alongside a new machine collects the full price up front, but the shop still owes tune-ups and repairs over the life of the plan. Counted as income the day it is sold, a strong month can hide obligations still owed months or years out.
What we doFlags service plan income so it can be weighed against what is still owed on it, instead of reading as a one-time windfall. -
4
Class income and machine sales blend into one number
Quilting classes and sewing workshops bring in fee income that has nothing to do with machine sales, and if it is not kept separate, it is hard to tell whether classes are actually worth running or just filling the back room.
What we doKeeps class fees in their own line, so you can see whether classes are earning their keep.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a sewing machine and vacuum dealer.
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
- Retail salesNew machine and vacuum sales at the time of purchase.
- Repair and service incomeRepair tickets and tune-ups, kept apart from machine sales.
- Service plan salesExtended service plan and warranty sales alongside a new machine.
- Class incomeQuilting classes and sewing workshop fees.
Money out
- Inventory purchaseNew machines and vacuums bought from Bernina, Singer, Miele, or Dyson.
- Repair partsBelts, motors, needles, and parts for the repair bench.
- Store payrollSales staff and repair technicians.
- Class suppliesFabric, thread, and materials for quilting classes.
- Rent and utilitiesShowroom and repair shop space.
- Trade-in reconditioningParts and labor to make a trade-in resellable.
- Card processing feesWhat the processor kept before the sale hit the bank.
What we watch for you
- Repair bench margin
What repair income earns against parts and labor, apart from machine sales.
- Service plans outstanding
What is still owed on sold service plans, so future obligations stay visible.
- Class income
What quilting classes and workshops actually bring in, so you can see whether they earn their keep.
- The set-aside
What the shop will owe, tracked as each repair ticket and sale comes in, so tax time needs no scramble.
Ask Gus
Things sewing machine and vacuum dealers 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.
No, I log the traded machine as inventory coming in at a fair value, so what is sitting in your back room matches what the books actually show.
I flag it so the accountant can weigh it against what you still owe on tune-ups over the next three years, rather than count it as a plain windfall today.
I keep class fees in their own line apart from machine sales, so you can see what they actually bring in against the supplies and time they take.
The tax side
The tax side of a sewing machine and vacuum dealer.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing. A service plan counted too early, a trade-in booked wrong, 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.
- Inventory and cost of goods soldWhat was actually paid for the machines and vacuums sold during the year, not just what was spent restocking, is what counts against sales. Trade-ins and reconditioned units on hand at year end need a fair value on the books.
- Section 179 on repair shop equipmentRepair benches, diagnostic tools, and shop equipment can usually be written off in the year you buy them, up to $2,560,000 under Section 179. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, such as a guest quilting instructor, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of qualified business income off their taxable income. It only lands right when repair income and trade-ins are booked correctly all year.
Deductions sewing machine and vacuum dealers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Repair bench tools and diagnostic equipment
- Class supplies and materials
- Card processing fees
- Local advertising and signage
- Business liability insurance
- Damaged or unrepairable trade-in write-offs
- Point of sale and class scheduling software
- Continuing education and manufacturer certification
- Showroom fixtures and display cases
- Trade show and vendor travel
- Uniforms with your logo
- Warehouse racking and storage
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 sewing machine and vacuum dealer year, kept every month.
Classes fill the calendar and repairs come in steady all year. 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
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the class instructor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, and the monthly set-aside means there is no scramble to cover what is owed.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how class and repair income changed the number.
- October
Before holiday gifting
Before the holiday season for machines and gift certificates, Gus looks at equipment you might buy and anything worth doing before December.
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 sewing machine and vacuum dealers. 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 sewing machine and vacuum dealer owners ask first.
How does Gus track our repair bench separately from machine sales?
He keeps repair and service income in its own line, so you can see what the bench is earning against parts and labor, apart from new machine sales.
Does a machine trade-in just knock down the sale price?
No. Gus logs the traded machine as used inventory coming in at a fair value, so your back room's used stock matches what the books actually show.
We sell multi-year service plans. How does that get counted?
Gus flags service plan income so it can be weighed against what tune-ups and repairs are still owed on it, instead of counting it as a one-time windfall.
Can Gus tell us if our quilting classes are actually worth running?
He keeps class fees in their own line apart from machine sales, so you can see what classes bring in against the supplies and time they take.
Our shop books are behind from a busy season. Is that fixable?
It usually is. Send over the bank statements you have, and Gus works through the backlog while the accountant checks behind him, so you know where the shop stands 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