Aviation & marine services
Books and taxes for yacht brokers.
Commission on a closed sale, a co-broke split with another agent, a buyer's deposit sitting in escrow, and a trade-in that is really two deals at once. Your own bookkeeper stays on it all year, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
February came in at $36,800. The buyer's deposit on the 44-foot sedan bridge stayed out of income entirely, since that closing has not happened yet.
- Commission, 44-foot sale closedBrokerage commission
- Co-broke split, referring agentCommission splits paid out
- YachtWorld listing renewalListing and marketing fees
- Marine survey, buyer's expense reimbursedSurvey and inspection costs
- Boat show booth feeListing and marketing fees
Why your books are different
A yacht broker's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees big deposits and calls it income. Your business is commission earned only when a deal closes, buyer deposits that are not yours yet, and co-broke splits that cut a sale in half. When the books do not know that, your numbers overstate what you actually made.
-
1
Buyer deposits look like income the day they arrive
A buyer's earnest money on a yacht deal sits in escrow until closing, and if it gets counted as revenue the moment it lands, your books show income for a sale that has not happened and may still fall through.
What we doKeeps escrow and buyer deposits out of income entirely until the deal closes and the commission is actually earned. -
2
A co-broke split gets missed entirely
When another agent brings the buyer, the commission gets split before it ever reaches you, and if the whole sale price is booked as your income with the split buried in a bank transfer, your real earnings look inflated.
What we doBooks the full commission as money in and the co-broke split paid out as its own cost, so what you actually kept is honest. -
3
A trade-in hides a second transaction
A buyer trading in an older boat as part of the deal creates two things happening at once, a sale and an acquisition, and booking it as one number hides what the trade-in was actually worth toward the deal.
What we doBooks the sale price and the trade-in value as separate lines so the commission and the trade-in's worth are both clear. -
4
Listing fees get spread across the wrong month
A YachtWorld or boat show listing fee is paid up front but the listing runs for months, and if the whole cost lands in the month you paid it, that month looks expensive while the months the listing actually worked look free.
What we doFlags prepaid listing and marketing costs so the accountant can consider spreading them across the months they cover.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a yacht brokerage.
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
- Brokerage commissionYour share of a closed sale, after any co-broke split is accounted for.
- Charter management feesManagement fees on yachts you list for charter, separate from sales work.
- Survey and inspection costsBuyer-side costs you pass through, reimbursed rather than earned.
- New listing referral feesFees from other brokers for referring a listing your way.
Money out
- Commission splits paid outWhat goes to a co-broke agent or referring broker.
- Listing and marketing feesYachtWorld, boat show booths, and photography for active listings.
- Travel for showings and sea trialsMileage and travel to meet buyers and run sea trials.
- MLS and brokerage association duesMembership and access fees for listing networks.
- Office and phoneOrdinary overhead for running the brokerage.
What we watch for you
- Average commission per sale
What a closed deal actually nets after any co-broke split, useful for knowing which listings are worth the time.
- Listing to close rate
How many active listings turn into closed sales, tracked from what lands in the account.
- Escrow held versus earned
What sits in buyer deposits waiting on a close, kept clearly apart from what you have actually earned.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things yacht brokers 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. I keep it out of your income entirely until the deal closes and the commission is actually earned. It is the buyer's money until then.
I book the full commission as money in and the split paid out as its own cost, so what you actually kept is what shows as your income.
I keep the sale price and the trade-in value as separate lines, so the commission and what the trade-in was worth both stay clear.
The tax side
The tax side of a yacht brokerage.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and what counts as your income at all. Escrow money, co-broke splits, and trade-ins all need to be handled carefully.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Commission income timingCommission is generally income when a deal closes and the commission is earned, not when a buyer's deposit first arrives. Gus keeps escrow money separate so this stays clean.
- Contractor 1099sAny co-broke agent or referral partner you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll may need a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
- Vehicle and travel costsDriving to showings, sea trials, and boat shows can be deducted at 72.5 cents a mile through June 2026 and 76 cents from July, or through actual costs, whichever fits your 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 commissions and splits are booked right all year.
Deductions yacht brokers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- YachtWorld and MLS listing fees
- Boat show booth and travel costs
- Listing photography and video
- Brokerage association dues
- Vehicle mileage for showings
- Sea trial fuel costs you cover
- Phone and office expenses
- Errors and omissions insurance
- Continuing education and licensing renewal
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 yacht brokerage year, kept every month.
Deals close whenever a buyer and seller agree. 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 co-broke partners 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, right as boat show season peaks.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring boat show leads turned into closed commissions.
- October
Before fall listings
Fall often brings a wave of sellers looking to close before winter. Gus looks at 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 yacht brokers. 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 yacht brokers ask first.
Can Gus keep buyer escrow separate from my actual income?
Yes. Escrow and buyer deposits stay out of your income entirely until a deal closes and the commission is earned, so your books never overstate what you have made.
How does a co-broke split show up on the books?
The full commission comes in as money in, and the split you pay out to the other agent is its own cost, so your real take-home is what shows as income.
Do I need to change how I list boats on YachtWorld?
No. Keep listing the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement and flags prepaid listing fees so a big upfront cost does not skew one month.
A sale involved a trade-in boat. Does that get handled right?
Yes. The sale price and the trade-in's value are booked as separate lines, so the commission and the trade-in are both clear, not blended into one confusing number.
My books are behind from a slow winter. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most brokers 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