Performance, custom & powersports
Books and taxes for trailer dealers and repair shops.
Cargo and horse trailer sales, custom builds to spec, axle and brake repairs, and the manufacturer warranty reimbursements that land weeks late. 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
June made $22,000. One Dexter check landed covering four separate axle warranty jobs, so I split it back across each repair instead of leaving it as one lump number.
- Cargo trailer sale, SquareNew trailer sales
- Custom build deposit, horse trailerCustom build deposits
- Dexter axle warranty paymentWarranty reimbursements
- Big Tex Trailers invoiceTrailer inventory
- Axle and brake partsParts and materials
Why your books are different
A trailer dealer's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is trailers financed on a flooring line, custom builds paid for in stages, and warranty claims that get reimbursed weeks after the work is done. When the books do not know the difference, margin is a guess.
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1
Floor plan interest hides inside a rising payment
As a trailer sits on the lot for months without selling, the interest portion of the flooring line payment grows even when the payment amount looks steady. Watched only as a lump payment, you cannot tell whether a slow-moving trailer is quietly getting more expensive to hold.
What we doTracks each trailer's flooring interest as it accrues, so a slow-moving unit's rising carrying cost shows up before it eats the sale's margin. -
2
A custom build deposit gets spent like it is already earned
A horse trailer or car hauler built to spec can take four to eight weeks with a deposit up front. Counted as income on day one, the weeks of welding and materials that follow make a busy shop look like it is losing money.
What we doHolds the deposit until the build is delivered, so income and the job's real cost land in the same period. -
3
One manufacturer check covers five different repairs
Dexter and similar manufacturers often batch several warranty claims into a single reimbursement check instead of paying one repair at a time. Deposited as one lump sum, it is easy to lose track of which repairs actually got paid and which claims are still outstanding.
What we doSplits a batched warranty payment back across each repair it covers, so you can see which claims are settled and which are still open. -
4
Title and registration fees collected for the state are not income
A dealer often collects title, registration, and lien fees from the buyer to forward to the state. Counted as sales income, it inflates revenue for money that was never the dealership's to keep.
What we doKeeps pass-through title and registration fees out of income, so revenue reflects what the business actually earned. -
5
A trade-in trailer's real condition shows up after the deal is done
A trade-in utility or horse trailer often gets valued at whatever number closes the deal, before axle wear, tire condition, or frame rust are fully checked. By the time it is prepped for resale, the real cost to make it sale-ready is higher than the trade-in credit assumed.
What we doTracks prep and repair costs on a traded-in trailer against its booked value, so the resale margin reflects what it actually took to get sale-ready.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a trailer 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
- New trailer salesCargo, utility, and horse trailers sold off the lot.
- Custom build depositsBuilt-to-spec trailer orders, recognized as the work gets done.
- Repair and service laborAxle, brake, and welding repairs, kept apart from trailer sales.
- Warranty reimbursementsManufacturer payments for warranty repair work, matched to the job.
- Used and trade-in salesTrailers taken in trade and resold at their real value.
Money out
- Shop wages and welding laborKept apart so you can see labor against the work it paid for.
- Trailer inventoryNew units from Big Tex, PJ Trailers, and Featherlite, carried on the flooring line.
- Parts and materialsAxles, brakes, and hardware from Dexter and similar suppliers.
- Floor plan interestWhat the flooring lender charges to carry lot inventory.
- Lot rent and utilitiesThe showroom, service bays, and outdoor display space.
- Marketing and lead feesGoogle ads, local shows, and trade publication ads.
- Card and financing feesWhat the processor or lender kept before you got paid.
- Freight on inventoryShipping and prep costs on new trailers.
What we watch for you
- Interest on aging lot units
How much flooring interest a slow-moving trailer has racked up. A number that keeps climbing means it is time to move that unit.
- Custom build backlog
Deposits collected for builds not yet delivered. Spending it before the work is done is how a busy shop runs short.
- Open warranty claims
How many warranty repairs are still waiting on a manufacturer check. A batched reimbursement can hide a claim that never got paid.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things trailer dealer 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.
No. Those fees pass through to the state, so I keep them out of your income. Only what the dealership actually earned counts as a sale.
I split it back across each of the five repairs it covers, so you can see which claims are actually settled instead of one lump number.
The deposits on those builds landed earlier and are being held until delivery. This month is showing the welding and materials cost, and it will balance out as they get delivered.
The tax side
The tax side of a trailer dealer.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and what counts as income. Pass-through fees counted as revenue, warranty reimbursements mismatched to the job, 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.
- Shop and welding equipmentWelders, lifts, and fabrication equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Trailer and parts inventoryTrailers and repair parts held for sale are inventory, not an expense the day they are bought. What actually sold during the month is what counts.
- Subcontracted welding and fabricationAn outside welder paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll 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 business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions trailer dealers and repair shops miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Welding equipment and gas
- Lift and jack maintenance
- Diagnostic and brake tools
- Freight on new trailers
- Trade publication advertising
- Google local ads
- Shop rags and cleaners
- Uniforms with your logo
- Dealer bonding and licensing fees
- Liability insurance
- Lot lighting and security
- Scrap metal disposal fees
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 trailer dealer's year, kept every month.
Hauling season and custom builds run on their own schedule. 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for outside welders is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring and summer sales changed the number more than expected.
- October
Before the lot thins out
Before winter slows lot traffic, Gus looks at floor-planned inventory to move 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 trailer dealers and repair shops. 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 trailer dealer owners ask first.
Do title and registration fees we collect count as our income?
No. Those fees pass through to the state on the buyer's behalf. Gus keeps them out of income so revenue reflects what the dealership actually earned.
A manufacturer check covers several warranty repairs at once. Can that be split out?
Yes. Gus splits a batched reimbursement back across each repair it covers, so you can see which claims are settled and which are still waiting on payment.
Can Gus track a custom trailer build's deposit separately from the balance?
Yes. He holds the deposit until the build is delivered, so income and the labor and materials it took land in the same period.
How does floor plan interest get handled on a trailer that sits a while?
Gus tracks the interest as it accrues against that specific trailer, so a slow-moving unit's rising carrying cost shows up before it eats the sale's margin.
How is a trade-in trailer's real value figured once we've had a closer look?
Gus tracks the prep and repair costs a trade-in actually needs against its booked value, so the resale margin reflects what it took to make it sale-ready, not just the number that closed the deal.
My books are behind after a busy season. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners 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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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