Landscaping & lawn care
Books and taxes for tree service and removal companies.
A bucket truck job priced by the tree, a storm cleanup that pays through insurance, a crane rented for the big ones, and a chipper running most days. 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
August came in at $14,600. The crane rental for the oak removal on Birch Street is booked to that job, not lumped into equipment costs.
- Tree removal jobsRemoval and trimming
- Insurance claim payout, storm jobStorm and insurance work
- Crane rental, oak removalEquipment rental
- Climbing crew payrollCrew wages
- Dump fees, chipped brushDump and disposal
Why your books are different
Tree service books go wrong around risk, rentals, and storms.
A generalist sees job invoices and a fuel bill. Your business runs on jobs priced by the tree, crews who need real safety gear, cranes rented by the day, and storm work that can double a month overnight. When the books do not track that, you cannot see which jobs are worth the risk.
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1
Storm work spikes get mistaken for a good month
A single storm can bring in more insurance-paid cleanup work in two weeks than a normal month of trimming, making the books look like the business grew when it was really one event.
What we doKeeps storm and insurance work in its own line, so a spike reads as what it is, not a new normal you might overspend against. -
2
Crane and bucket truck rentals get lost in general equipment
A crane rented for one big removal, filed the same as a chainsaw sharpening bill, hides what a specific hard job actually cost and makes it harder to price the next big tree correctly.
What we doBooks equipment rental to the job it served, so the real cost of a difficult removal is visible. -
3
Climbing crew pay does not reflect the risk of the work
A climber working forty feet up with a chainsaw is not doing the same job as a groundman feeding a chipper, but if both are lumped into one wage line, you cannot see labor cost by skill or risk level.
What we doKeeps crew wages visible in total against job revenue, so labor cost stays a number you can act on. -
4
A wood chipper purchase looks like a repair bill
A new chipper costing as much as a used truck, filed as equipment maintenance, wrecks the month and gets lost by tax time instead of tracked toward depreciation.
What we doFlags equipment purchases the day they post and books them separately from repairs. -
5
Dump and disposal fees get buried in job cost
Hauling and dumping a full truck of chipped brush and logs after a big removal is a real, recurring cost that gets lost when it is folded into the general job expense line.
What we doKeeps dump and disposal fees in their own category, visible against removal and cleanup revenue.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a tree service company.
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
- Removal and trimmingStandard tree removal, trimming, and pruning jobs.
- Storm and insurance workCleanup jobs paid through a homeowner's insurance claim.
- Stump grinding add-onsGrinding sold alongside a removal job.
- Commercial and municipal contractsProperty management and city tree work billed on net terms.
Money out
- Crew wagesClimbers and ground crew, kept apart from equipment costs.
- Equipment rentalCranes and bucket trucks rented for the harder removals.
- EquipmentChippers, chainsaws, and rigging gear, logged so they get written off right.
- Trucks and fuelFuel, repairs, and insurance for the fleet.
- Dump and disposal feesHauling and dumping chipped brush and logs.
- Safety gearClimbing harnesses, helmets, and chaps.
- Liability and workers comp insuranceCoverage that reflects the risk of climbing and rigging work.
What we watch for you
- Storm work share
How much of a month's income came from insurance-paid storm jobs, so you do not overspend against a one-time spike.
- Job margin, hard removals
Rental and crew cost against what a difficult tree billed, so pricing reflects the real risk and effort.
- Labor cost
Crew wages against job revenue, so pricing keeps up with what the work actually costs to staff.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things tree service 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 keep storm work in its own line, so the accountant can see it was a spike, not your new normal, when planning your set-aside.
Yes, I booked it to that removal specifically, so you can see what that job really cost before you quote the next big one the same way.
That is above my pay grade to sign off on. A climber using your gear on your job site usually needs to be an employee, so I flagged it for the accountant to walk through with you.
The tax side
The tax side of a tree service business.
Most of what goes wrong here is classification and timing: storm spikes treated as normal income, a climber paid like a contractor, and equipment rentals buried in job costs.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Chippers, chainsaws, and rigging gearEquipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA subcontracted crane operator or climber not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31.
- Employee or contractorA climber who uses your gear, works your schedule, and climbs your job sites is usually an employee. Getting this wrong on high-risk work gets expensive fast.
- 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 tree service and removal companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Chainsaw chains, bars, and files
- Climbing harnesses and rigging gear
- Helmets and chaps
- Crane and bucket truck rental
- Chipper repairs and blades
- Dump and disposal fees
- Liability and workers comp insurance
- Truck fuel and repairs
- Certifications and safety training
- Uniforms with your logo
- Storage yard rent
- Card processing 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 tree service year, kept every month.
Storms come whenever they come. 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 and you get a monthly set-aside, so a slow winter does not throw off what you owe in April.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, storm income from last year already accounted for.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand halfway through the year, what you will owe, and whether any storm spikes changed the number.
- October
Before winter storms
Before winter storm season, 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 tree service and removal companies. 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 tree service owners ask first.
A storm brought in triple the normal income for two weeks. Will that throw off my taxes?
It can change your set-aside for the year, which is exactly why Gus flags storm income separately. The accountant adjusts your quarterly planning so a spike does not turn into a surprise bill.
I rent a crane for the biggest removals. Can Gus track that per job?
Yes. When you tell him which job the rental was for, he books it there, so you can see the real cost of a difficult tree before quoting the next one.
Do insurance-paid storm jobs count as regular income?
Yes, they are taxable business income like any other job. Gus keeps them in their own category so the accountant can see the pattern and plan around it.
My crew is a mix of employees and a subcontracted crane operator. Does that complicate the books?
No. Gus keeps wages and subcontractor payments in separate lines, and tracks what the crane operator is paid toward a 1099 if it is owed.
My books are behind from a busy storm 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.
More in landscaping & lawn care
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Hydroseeding
- Land clearing & forestry mulching
- Landscape curbing
- Organic lawn care companies
- Pond, water feature & koi pond builders
- Raised bed & edible garden installers
- Xeriscaping & native plant landscaping
- Aeration & overseeding services
- Certified arborists & plant health care
- Grading & drainage (French drain) contractors
- Leaf removal services
- Mulch, stone & landscape supply yards
- Sod installation
- Stump grinding
- Commercial grounds maintenance
- Irrigation & sprinkler contractors
- Lawn fertilization & weed control
- Mosquito & tick control
- Snow removal & plowing
- Landscape design & installation
- Lawn mowing & maintenance companies
- Chicken coop & backyard farm structure builders
- Dock & boathouse builders
- Gazebo & pavilion builders
- Outdoor audio & TV installers
- Playground & swing set installers
- Putting green installers
- Retractable screens & motorized shades
- Seawall & bulkhead contractors
- Sport court builders (pickleball, basketball)
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