Equine

Books and taxes for tack and feed stores.

Retail counter sales, wholesale barn accounts, consignment tack, and a seasonal grain order that lands all at once. Gus sorts every sale as it lands, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number each month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
NovemberExample month
$15,000
what you made

November came in at $15,000. The winter blanket and grain order landed this month, and I kept it as inventory instead of an expense, since most of it is still on the shelf.

  • Square register salesRetail counter sales
  • Meadow Brook Farm wholesaleWholesale barn accounts
  • Purina Mills feed orderInventory purchases
  • Regional Blanket Co. orderInventory purchases
  • Delivery truck fuelDelivery truck and fuel
Money in$61,000
Money out$46,000
Set aside for taxes$3,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A tack and feed store's books go wrong the moment a purchase gets treated like a sale.

A generalist sees an invoice and calls it an expense. Your store runs on inventory that sits on the shelf until it sells, consignment tack you never actually own, and wholesale barn accounts priced differently than the walk-in counter. When the books do not know the difference, a big seasonal order looks like a disaster instead of stock waiting to move.

  1. 1

    Inventory sitting on the shelf looks like a loss the day you buy it

    A pallet of grain or a rack of new halters bought from a wholesaler often gets logged as a straight expense the day the invoice is paid, even though the store has not sold a single bag or halter yet, which can make a big stocking month look like a disaster.

    What we doKeeps inventory purchases separate from cost of goods sold, the cost tied to what you actually sold, so a big stock-up shows as inventory on hand, not a loss.
  2. 2

    A consignment saddle gets booked at its full price

    When a customer consigns a used saddle and it sells for $1,200, the store usually keeps a percentage and owes the rest to the original owner, and booking the whole $1,200 as store income overstates what the shop actually earned.

    What we doBooks only the store's commission as income and tracks what is owed back to the consignor, so your real sales number stays honest.
  3. 3

    Wholesale and retail prices blur into one number

    A bag of grain sold to a walk-in customer at full retail and the same bag sold to a boarding barn's wholesale account at a discount both look identical in a lump deposit, hiding what each side of the business actually contributes.

    What we doSplits retail counter sales from wholesale barn accounts, so you can see which side of the store is really carrying the other.
  4. 4

    Seasonal stock-ups wreck a single month

    Blankets before winter or fly spray before summer often mean one big order that can swallow a month's cash even though the inventory sells steadily over the following weeks.

    What we doKeeps big seasonal orders in inventory rather than a single expense, and tells you when a stock-up, not a bad month, explains a thin number.
  5. 5

    Gift cards get counted as income the day they're sold

    A gift card sold in December for a birthday in March is not earned the day it is purchased, and counting it all as December income makes that month look bigger than it was while March looks smaller.

    What we doHolds gift card sales as owed until they are redeemed, so income lands the month the product actually leaves the shelf.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a tack and feed store.

Set up once for how sales, wholesale accounts, and consignment reach the register. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Retail counter salesWalk-in customers paying at the register for feed, tack, and supplies.
  • Wholesale barn accountsBoarding barns and trainers buying feed or supplies at a discounted rate.
  • Consignment salesThe store's commission on used tack sold for a customer.
  • Feed delivery feesCharges for hauling feed out to a barn instead of a counter pickup.
  • Online ordersSales through a website or online marketplace.

Money out

  • Inventory purchasesFeed, grain, tack, and supplements bought from distributors like Purina or a regional feed mill.
  • Store rent and utilitiesThe lease, power, and water for the shop.
  • Employee wagesCounter staff and delivery drivers.
  • Delivery truck and fuelFuel, maintenance, and insurance for the delivery vehicle.
  • Point-of-sale and e-commerce feesCard processing and online store hosting costs.
  • Store insuranceProperty and liability coverage for the shop.
  • AdvertisingLocal ads, flyers, and sponsorships at nearby shows.

What we watch for you

  • Gross margin

    What you keep after the cost of the goods you sold, so pricing reflects real profit, not just sales volume.

  • Wholesale share of sales

    How much of your revenue comes from discounted barn accounts versus full retail, so you know what is really carrying the store.

  • Inventory on hand

    What is sitting on the shelf right now, so a big stock-up does not get mistaken for a loss.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already know.

Ask Gus

Things tack and feed store 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.

I just placed a huge grain order before winter. Why does this month look terrible?

That order is inventory, not a loss. I keep it separate from what you have actually sold, so the month reads true once the bags start moving.

A customer consigned a saddle that sold for $1,200. Is that all my income?

No. I book just your commission, and I track what you owe back to her, so your sales number stays honest.

I sell grain to a few boarding barns at a discount. Does that mess up my margins?

Not if I keep it separate, which I do. Wholesale and retail show up in their own categories, so you can see what each side of the store actually earns.

The tax side

The tax side of a tack and feed store.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing between buying inventory and selling it, plus money that passes through the store without ever really being yours.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Inventory and cost of goods soldMoney spent on inventory is not a deduction until the item sells. Cost of goods sold, the cost of what you actually sold that month, is what comes off your income, not the full cost of everything on the shelf.
  • Consignment salesOnly your commission on a consigned item is store income. The rest belongs to the person who brought it in, and keeping that split clear matters at tax time.
  • Sales tax on retail salesMost retail sales of tack and feed carry sales tax, collected from the customer and owed to the state. Rates and rules on feed and agricultural supplies vary by state, so this stays a job for your accountant or a sales tax service.
  • Contractor 1099s for delivery driversAnyone paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who delivers or helps but is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

Deductions tack and feed stores miss

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

  • Inventory, cost of goods sold
  • Store rent and utilities
  • Point-of-sale and e-commerce fees
  • Delivery truck fuel and maintenance
  • Shelving and store fixtures
  • Employee wages
  • Store insurance
  • Advertising and local sponsorships
  • Credit card processing fees
  • Signage
  • Cleaning and pest control for the store
  • Business licenses

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 tack and feed store's year, kept every month.

Seasonal stocking swings hard with the weather and the show calendar. Gus keeps the tax side steady through all of it. 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 for delivery help gets built, and a monthly set-aside is set.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering it.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand at midyear, and whether spring show season sales changed what you will owe.

  4. October

    Before winter stocking

    A look at inventory and equipment worth buying before the big blanket and cold-weather feed orders land.

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 tack and feed stores. 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 tack and feed store owners ask first.

I bought a huge grain order before winter. Won't that make my month look bad?

No. Gus keeps inventory purchases separate from what you have actually sold, so a big stock-up shows up as inventory on hand, not a loss.

How do you handle consignment tack sales?

Gus books only your commission as income and keeps track of what you owe back to the person who consigned it, so your real sales stay honest.

I sell to a few boarding barns at a discount. Does that mix in with my retail sales?

No. Wholesale barn accounts and retail counter sales get their own categories, so you can see which side of the store is really carrying the other.

Do you handle sales tax on what I sell?

No. Sales tax rules on feed and tack vary by state. Gus keeps clean records so your accountant or a sales tax service can handle the filing.

I sell gift cards year round. Do those count as income right away?

No. Gus holds gift card sales as owed until they are redeemed, so income lands the month the product actually leaves the shelf.

My books are a mess from running the register and the backroom myself for years. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send your bank and register statements. Gus sorts them into real categories, the accountant checks the work, and most store owners 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.

More in equine

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