E-commerce bookkeeping for online sellers
Your bank shows payouts. Your tax return needs gross sales, fees, refunds and cost of goods sold. We keep the books that connect the two for Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and multi-channel sellers.
Shopify store owners · Amazon sellers · Etsy and marketplace sellers · Direct-to-consumer brands
- Operating checking Reconciled
- Business credit card Reconciled
- 412 transactions categorized June
- 3 open questions For you
What makes e-commerce books different
Payouts are not sales
A deposit from a marketplace is sales minus fees, refunds, ads and reserves. Booking deposits as revenue understates sales and hides your real costs.
Fees everywhere
Referral fees, fulfillment fees, payment processing, storage and advertising each belong in their own account if you want to see margins.
Refunds and chargebacks
Returns reduce sales and sometimes inventory; chargebacks add fees. Each needs to be recorded, not netted away.
Clearing accounts
Sales flow through Shopify Payments, PayPal or Stripe before reaching the bank. A clearing account per processor proves every payout is accounted for.
Cost of goods sold
Inventory bought is not an expense until it sells. Without COGS tracking, profit swings wildly with each purchase order.
Sales tax
Marketplaces collect sales tax in many states, your own store may not. The books need to show what was collected, by whom and where.
What we do
- Sales recorded gross from settlement reports
- Fees, refunds and ad spend in separate accounts
- Clearing account per payment processor
- Payouts reconciled to settlement reports
- Inventory purchases and COGS recorded
- Inventory counts or app reports tied to the books
- Sales tax collected tracked by channel and state
- Shipping and fulfillment costs tracked
- Monthly P&L with gross margin by channel
- Credit card and loan accounts reconciled
- Year-end inventory and COGS for your return
- 1099-K amounts compared with recorded sales
Example: Shopify plus Amazon
A seller with a Shopify store and Amazon account was booking deposits as sales. We set up clearing accounts for Shopify Payments, PayPal and Amazon, recorded each settlement gross, and moved fees, refunds and ads into their own accounts. Reported sales rose to match the 1099-Ks, margins became visible by channel, and the payouts tied to the bank to the cent.
Growing stores usually fit Growth; high-volume or multi-channel sellers fit Advanced. See pricing or estimate your cost.
Registering for sales tax, filing sales tax returns and nexus studies are separate services. Full perpetual inventory management stays in your inventory system; we record the results in the books.
Who we work with
- Shopify store owners
- Amazon sellers
- Etsy and marketplace sellers
- Direct-to-consumer brands
- Multi-channel online retailers
- Subscription box businesses
How monthly bookkeeping works
- 1
Onboarding
We learn the business and set up secure, read-only access where possible.
- 2
Transaction review
Income and expense activity is reviewed every month.
- 3
Categorization
Each transaction goes to the right account, with rules for repeat items.
- 4
Reconciliation
Every bank and card account is matched to its statement.
- 5
Reporting
P&L, Balance Sheet and agreed reports, plus a short summary.
- 6
Monthly review
Open questions answered and anything unusual flagged for you.
Books built for e-commerce businesses
Tell us about your business. We'll recommend a package or send a written quote, free.
Get e-commerce bookkeeping support
A few details help us come back with the right package or a written cleanup quote. There is no cost and no obligation.
- Reply within one business day
- Fee confirmed in writing before any work
- CPA-led, QuickBooks ProAdvisor certified team
Please don’t send bank passwords, SSNs or statements through this form. Once you’re a client, documents go through our secure client portal.
Bookkeeping questions
Bookkeeping reports are management reports for running the business and preparing tax returns. They are not audited, reviewed or compiled financial statements; those are separate engagements.