Creative & production services
Books and taxes for WordPress developers.
A custom plugin build, a security retainer, an ACF Pro license you resell, and white-label work billed under someone else's agency name. 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 $8,600. Two of your invoices went out under the Meridian Digital name, so I kept that white-label income in its own line from your direct client work.
- Meridian Digital white-labelWhite-label development
- Site security retainers x9Maintenance retainers
- T. Adeyemi plugin devContract developers
- ACF Pro renewalsPlugin and theme licenses
- Kinsta hosting renewalHosting resold
Why your books are different
WordPress developer books go wrong at the license and the white-label check.
A generalist sees invoices and a hosting bill. Your business is custom plugin builds, resold premium licenses, a security and update retainer running on dozens of sites, and white-label work you do quietly for other agencies. When the books blend those, you cannot tell which kind of work actually pays.
-
1
White-label work looks like a client relationship
You build sites under another agency's name and get paid by that agency, not the end client, which can get confused with your own direct-client income if nothing separates the two.
What we doKeeps white-label income in its own line so you can see how much of your work runs through other agencies versus straight to your own clients. -
2
Resold plugin licenses look like pure profit
You buy an ACF Pro or Elementor Pro license and bill the client a bit more for managing it. Counting the client charge as pure income overstates what that line actually nets you once the license cost is paid.
What we doBooks what the client pays as income and the license cost as an expense, so the real margin on resold tools is visible. -
3
A security retainer across dozens of sites gets buried in one number
Nine or ten clients paying $75 a month each for updates and security monitoring can land as scattered small deposits that are easy to undercount against a big custom build invoice.
What we doGroups retainer income into one recurring line so you can see your real monthly floor apart from one-off project work. -
4
A contract developer on an overflow project looks like a tool cost
Bringing in another developer for a busy month means paying him across a couple of invoices that can land next to your hosting and plugin bills.
What we doTracks contract developer payments by name so labor cost and the 1099 total are both ready. -
5
An emergency breach cleanup gets billed like routine maintenance
A compromised site needs urgent, higher-priced cleanup work that is really a separate emergency job, but it often gets folded into the same flat monthly retainer invoice.
What we doFlags one-time emergency work billed to a retainer client so it counts as project income, not routine monthly work.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a WordPress developer.
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
- Custom development projectsPlugin builds and custom theme work, billed as milestones ship.
- White-label developmentWork billed to other agencies under their name, not the end client.
- Maintenance retainersMonthly security, update, and backup plans across client sites.
- Emergency and cleanup feesUrgent one-time work billed apart from routine retainers.
- Hosting resold to clientsWhat clients pay you for hosting you manage on their behalf.
Money out
- Contract developersFreelancers brought in for overflow builds or specialized plugin work.
- Plugin and theme licensesACF Pro, Elementor Pro, and similar tools resold or used across client sites.
- Hosting resoldWhat WP Engine or Kinsta charges you for the sites you manage on a client's behalf.
- Security and monitoring toolsFirewall, malware scanning, and uptime monitoring services.
- Staging and backup toolsServices that keep client sites recoverable.
- Payment processor feesWhat Stripe or PayPal kept before an invoice cleared.
What we watch for you
- White-label share
How much income comes from other agencies versus your own direct clients.
- Retainer floor
Monthly security and maintenance income, the base you can count on before a single new build.
- License margin
What you charge for resold plugin licenses against what they cost you.
- The set-aside
What you will owe across retainers and white-label work, tracked monthly so April holds no surprise.
Ask Gus
Things WordPress developer 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 it in its own white-label line, so you can see how much of your work runs through other agencies versus straight to your own clients.
The full amount they pay you counts as income, and the license cost counts as an expense. I book both, so your real margin on that is visible.
If he is not on payroll and you pay him $2,000 or more in 2026, he gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I have been tracking his payments as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of a WordPress developer.
Most of what goes wrong here is separating white-label income and resold licenses from your own retainer and project work.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Contractor 1099s for overflow helpAny developer not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the total current whether the work is direct or white-label.
- The pass-through deductionMost solo developers and small shops can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income when income and expenses are tracked cleanly all year.
- Equipment and software write-offsA new development laptop, monitor, or annual license bundle can usually be written off the year it is bought.
- Self-employment tax for solo developersA one-person shop pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, so the set-aside has to cover both, even in a heavy white-label month.
Deductions WordPress developers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Plugin and theme licenses
- Contract developer fees
- Hosting resold to clients
- Security and monitoring tools
- Staging and testing environments
- Domain registrations
- Continuing education courses
- Computer and monitor upgrades
- Home office or coworking share
- Payment processor fees
- Developer community memberships
- Backup and version control tools
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 WordPress developer year, kept every month.
Retainers run steady, and custom builds come in waves. Your team keeps you ahead of both and the return besides. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
New year builds begin
Last year's return gets started, the developer 1099 list is ready, and clients start planning new-year site projects.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed while retainer and white-label work continues. No surprise bill, since the set-aside started back in January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how retainer and white-label income has moved since January.
- October
Before year end
Gus looks at software or equipment worth buying before December and flags any license renewal costs piling up.
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 WordPress developers. 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 WordPress developer owners ask first.
I do white-label work for another agency. Does that change how I file taxes?
It is still your business income either way, but Gus keeps it in its own line so you can see how much of your work comes through other agencies versus your own clients.
I resell plugin licenses at a markup. Is that a special kind of income?
No, it is ordinary business income, and the license cost is an ordinary expense. Gus books both sides so your real margin is visible.
My retainer clients pay through a mix of ACH and card. Does that complicate the books?
No, Gus sorts every retainer payment into the same recurring line no matter how it arrives, so your monthly floor stays clear.
I did an emergency cleanup after a client's site was compromised. How does that get billed in the books?
Gus flags the extra charge as one-time project income, kept apart from the routine retainer, so you can see what emergency work is really worth.
My books are a mess and I have never separated business from personal. Where do we start?
Wherever you are. Send your bank statements, even a mix of direct and white-label work. Gus sorts it all out, 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