DTC brands
Books and taxes for tech accessory brands.
A new phone launch that turns last year's cases into dead stock, a certification fee, a brand protection service, and fees that hit harder on a cheap cable. 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
September came in at $15,000. The new phone launched this month, so I flagged last year's case inventory for a markdown before it sits too long.
- Amazon FBA settlementMarketplace sales
- Shopify Payments payoutSite sales
- Certification lab invoiceCompliance testing
- Contract manufacturer invoiceContract manufacturing
- Amazon PPC adsAdvertising
Why your books are different
A tech accessory brand's books go wrong around the product cycle and small margins.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is a device launch that can strand last year's inventory overnight, a certification fee before anything ships, and a low price point that lets fees eat a bigger share than it looks like. When the books do not know that, margin quietly disappears.
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1
A new phone model can turn last season's inventory into dead stock overnight
A case built for last year's phone can lose most of its market the moment a new model ships, and if that shift is not caught quickly, a warehouse full of cases becomes unsellable inventory that nobody wrote down.
What we doFlags aging inventory tied to an outgoing product cycle, so a markdown or write-off happens before it becomes a bigger loss. -
2
Certification testing is a real cost of every new accessory
A charger or a cable usually needs safety and compliance certification before it can legally sell, and if that fee is buried in a general supply line, the true cost of bringing a new accessory to market stays hidden.
What we doKeeps certification and compliance testing in its own line, tied to the product it clears, so a launch's real cost is visible. -
3
Electronics get returned more than almost anything else you could sell
A cable that does not fit right or a charger a customer decides they do not need gets returned at a higher rate than most physical goods, and if refunds are not tracked against the specific product, it is hard to tell which item is quietly costing you.
What we doTies returns to the specific product, so a high-return item shows up clearly instead of hiding in an overall refund number. -
4
A counterfeit takedown is a cost, and lost sales are not the only one
Fighting knockoff listings on a marketplace often means paying for legal notices or a brand protection service, and if that spending is not tracked as its own line, it is easy to lose sight of what protecting the brand actually costs.
What we doKeeps brand protection and takedown costs in their own category, separate from ordinary marketing spend. -
5
Marketplace fees eat differently into a low-cost accessory than a higher-priced one
A five dollar cable pays the same kind of referral and fulfillment fees as a fifty dollar charger, and on a low unit price, those fees can eat a much bigger share of the sale without it being obvious from the settlement deposit alone.
What we doPulls the fee breakdown from the settlement report for each product line, so a low-cost item's real margin is visible, not assumed.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a tech accessory brand.
Set up once for how you sell and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Marketplace salesAmazon and similar sites, with fees pulled out as their own cost.
- Site salesFull-price and promo orders through your own storefront.
- Wholesale to retailersBulk orders billed direct, kept apart from retail sales.
- Bundle and multi-pack salesSets sold as one price, broken down by component when needed.
Money out
- Contract manufacturingThe factory that produces each product line.
- Certification and compliance testingTesting required before a new accessory can ship.
- Brand protectionTakedown services and legal notices against knockoffs.
- AdvertisingMeta and Google ad spend driving traffic to listings.
- Marketplace feesReferral, fulfillment, and storage fees, by product line.
- Card and marketplace feesWhat processors keep before you get paid on direct sales.
- PackagingBoxes and inserts for each product.
What we watch for you
- Aging inventory by cycle
Stock tied to an outgoing phone model, so a markdown happens before it becomes a bigger loss.
- Return rate by product
Refunds against sales for each item, since electronics return more than most goods.
- Fee share on low-cost items
What marketplace fees take from a lower-priced accessory, since the bite is proportionally bigger.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked through every launch and quiet stretch.
Ask Gus
Things tech accessory brand 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.
Possibly. I flag inventory tied to an outgoing model so you can markdown or clear it before it turns into a bigger write-off.
It can be. I tie returns to the specific product so you can see which item is actually driving the return rate, instead of guessing from an overall number.
Yes. I keep brand protection costs in their own category, apart from ordinary marketing, so you can see what protecting the brand actually costs.
The tax side
The tax side of a tech accessory brand.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and margin. A launch cycle that stranded inventory, a certification fee buried in supplies, and a set-aside nobody started until the return was due.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and cost of goodsYou deduct the cost of what sold, not what got built. A production run tied to a phone that just went obsolete is an asset until it is marked down or sold off, not a write-off you forget about.
- 1099-K from marketplaces and processorsAmazon and Shopify Payments report your payment volume to the IRS once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Every dollar is taxable, whether it came from a marketplace or your own site.
- 1099-NEC for contractorsA freelance photographer, designer, or reviewer paid $2,000 or more in a year who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- The pass-through deductionUp to 20 percent of qualified business income is deductible for most owners, phasing down above $201,750 single and $403,500 joint. Getting the full benefit depends on product cycle write-downs being caught and booked all year.
Deductions tech accessory brands miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Contract manufacturing
- Certification and compliance testing
- Brand protection services
- Packaging
- Meta and Google ad spend
- Marketplace referral fees
- 3PL fulfillment fees
- Product photography
- Card and marketplace fees
- Trademark and brand registration
- Product liability insurance
- Sample units for reviewers
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 tech accessory brand's year, kept every month.
A device launch can reset the whole product line overnight. Your team is on the books every month, ready before the next one hits. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Post-launch cooldown
Post-holiday tech sales cool off, right as last year's return needs to get moving. Gus keeps the set-aside running through the quieter stretch.
- April
Filed before the next launch
The accountant files and signs the return before the next device cycle even starts. The set-aside has covered it since January, so the bill is no surprise.
- July
Building for the next launch
Production for the next device launch ramps up, since new cases need to be ready the day a new phone ships. Gus keeps those orders as inventory, not an early expense.
- October
Launch and holiday overlap
New device launches and holiday tech shopping both hit at once. Gus watches aging inventory from the outgoing model closely.
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 tech accessory brands. 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 tech accessory brand owners ask first.
A new phone just launched. What happens to my old cases?
They can turn into aging inventory fast. Gus flags stock tied to an outgoing model so you can markdown or clear it before it becomes a bigger write-off.
Do I need certification testing for a new charger or cable?
That is a regulatory question, not a bookkeeping one, so Gus does not advise on certification requirements. He does keep every testing invoice organized so paperwork is ready when you need it.
Some of our products get returned way more than others. Can Gus track that?
Yes. Returns get tied to the specific product, so you can see which item is actually driving the return rate instead of guessing from an overall refund number.
We pay for a service to fight knockoffs of our product online. Is that deductible?
Yes. Brand protection and takedown costs are an ordinary cost of doing business, and Gus keeps them in their own category, separate from regular marketing spend.
Amazon's fees seem to eat more of the sale on our cheaper products. Is that normal?
It can be. A flat fee structure takes a bigger share of a lower sale price, and Gus pulls the fee breakdown for each product line so that margin is visible, not assumed.
My books are behind because we just launched three new products for a phone release.
Send your bank statements and manufacturer invoices. Gus sorts through the launch and most owners know 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