Remodeling & interiors
Books and taxes for walk-in tub and accessible bath installers.
A financed sale, a dealer invoice for the tub unit itself, a plumber and electrician for install day, and a heavy monthly lead bill. Gus sorts every dollar to the job it came from, 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 $19,000. The direct mail bill jumped again, so I flagged it against what those leads actually turned into installs.
- GreenSky payoutFinanced installs
- Client payment, Reyes installCash and card sales
- Safe Step unit orderUnit and product cost
- Direct mail campaignLead generation
- Electrician, Reyes jobInstall subcontractors
Why your books are different
Walk-in tub books go wrong where the sale, the unit, and the install split apart.
A generalist sees a deposit and a bill. Your business sells a big-ticket unit that is mostly financed, buys it from a dealer network at a wholesale cost, and pays a plumber and electrician to put it in, often all inside one visit. When the books do not track each install as its own job, you cannot tell if a sale actually made money once the unit and the labor are paid.
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1
A financed install pays out far short of the sale
A $16,000 walk-in tub sold through GreenSky or a similar lender pays out thousands less once the lender's fee comes off the top. Booked as the deposit alone, your sales look understated and your real cost of offering financing disappears.
What we doBooks the full contract as money in and the lender's cut as a financing fee, so your prices and your true cost of financing both show up honest. -
2
The unit cost and the install labor blur together
The tub or shower unit itself, bought from your dealer network, and the plumber and electrician who install it often get paid within days of each other. Lumped together, you cannot see whether a thin-margin sale was the unit price or the install cost.
What we doKeeps unit cost and install labor in separate lines, so you can see what actually ate into a sale's margin. -
3
Lead spend swings hard, month to month
Direct mail and TV lead campaigns get billed in large chunks that do not line up with when those leads actually turn into signed jobs, so a heavy ad month can look like a loss even when it is filling next month's schedule.
What we doTracks lead generation as its own line and tells you when a heavy spend, not a bad month, is behind a thin number. -
4
A single install can involve three trades and one invoice
A curbless shower conversion might need a plumber, an electrician for a new outlet, and your own crew for the surround, all paid out of one job's proceeds. If those costs are not split, you cannot see which part of the work is actually profitable.
What we doSplits subcontractor costs by trade within the job, so you can see where an install's money really goes.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a walk-in tub and accessible bath business.
Set up once for how your sales get paid and what they cost. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Financed installsLender payouts, with the fee booked separately from the sale.
- Cash and card salesInstalls paid in full without financing.
- Warranty and service callsRepairs and adjustments on units you already installed.
- Referral and repeat businessJobs from past customers or their family members.
Money out
- Unit and product costThe tub or shower unit itself, bought from your dealer network.
- Install subcontractorsPlumbers and electricians paid for their part of the install.
- Lead generationDirect mail, TV, and paid lead campaigns.
- Permit feesPaid to the local building department for plumbing or electrical work.
- Truck and equipmentThe install van, tools, and fuel.
- Dealer feesTerritory, training, or brand fees if you sell under a dealer network.
What we watch for you
- Install margin
What each install cleared once the unit and the trades are paid, not just the sale price.
- Lead cost per sale
What it actually costs to turn ad spend into a signed install, tracked from the books.
- Financing cost
What lenders keep on financed sales, worth knowing before offering it on every deal.
- Unit and labor split
Whether a thin-margin sale was the unit price or the install labor.
Ask Gus
Things walk-in tub installers 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.
That was the lender's financing fee. I booked the full $16,000 sale as your revenue and the $2,000 as a cost, so your real price still shows.
Lead spend was up but signed installs are steady from last month. I flagged the ad bill on its own so it does not read as the reason this month looks thin.
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I have been keeping that list all year so it is ready.
The tax side
The tax side of a walk-in tub and accessible bath business.
Most of what trips up this business is a financed sale booked wrong and a trade partner who should get a 1099.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Subcontractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like the plumber or electrician on your install days, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list as the year goes.
- Employee or subcontractorAn installer who works your schedule and drives your van usually looks like an employee, not a sub, no matter what the invoice says. Getting this wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Vehicle and equipmentThe install van and larger tools can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right only when financed sales and unit costs are booked correctly all year.
Deductions walk-in tub and accessible bath installers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Install van fuel and repairs
- Direct mail and TV lead costs
- Dealer training and territory fees
- Liability insurance
- Tool and equipment replacement
- Uniforms and branded apparel
- Phone and tablet for scheduling
- Mileage between install sites
- Continuing education and certifications
- Sample units for showroom or demo use
- Small hardware and grab bar stock
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 walk-in tub and accessible bath year, kept every month.
Lead campaigns and install schedules run on their own rhythm all year. Gus keeps taxes on a separate, steadier one. 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 subcontractor 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. No surprise bill, since the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether lead spend or financing costs are trending differently than planned.
- October
Before year-end
Gus looks at whether a van or equipment purchase makes sense before December and where the year is landing.
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 walk-in tub and accessible bath installers. 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 walk-in tub installers ask first.
Can Gus handle sales paid through financing companies like GreenSky?
Yes. He books the full contract as money in and the lender's fee as a cost, so your sales are not understated and the fee still counts against your taxes.
Do I need to track the unit cost separately from install labor?
It helps a lot. Gus keeps them in separate lines by default, so you can see whether a thin sale was the unit price or the trades you paid, instead of one blended number.
My lead spend swings a lot month to month. Does that throw off my books?
No. Gus tracks lead generation on its own line and tells you when a heavy ad month, not a bad one, is behind a thin number.
Do I write off the install van all at once?
Often you can. Vehicles bought for the business can usually be deducted the year you buy them, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
I sell under a dealer network and pay territory fees. Does Gus track that?
Yes. Dealer and territory fees get their own line so you can see what the network costs you against what it brings in.
My books are a few months behind. 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 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