Running an online store means your books are fed by platforms rather than by a cash register. Storefront software, marketplaces and payment processors each send their own reports, and none of them match your bank deposits exactly. Good ecommerce bookkeeping turns that stream of data into numbers you can trust.

Why ecommerce books are different

A single payout from a marketplace or payment processor usually bundles many orders together and deducts fees, refunds, chargebacks, advertising charges and sometimes reserves before the money reaches your bank. If you record only the deposit, your revenue is understated, your fees are invisible and your margins look different from reality.

The fix is to record gross sales and then each deduction separately, so the payout reconciles to the platform's settlement report. Once that is set up, your profit and loss shows what you actually sold and what each channel actually costs.

Inventory and cost of goods sold

Inventory is often the largest asset an online seller owns. The IRS explains in Publication 334 that businesses that produce or purchase merchandise to sell generally account for inventory and figure cost of goods sold. Recording every inventory purchase as an immediate expense makes slow months look unprofitable and busy months look better than they are.

We help you track inventory purchases, freight-in and landed costs, and record cost of goods sold in a consistent way, so gross margin by month is meaningful.

Multi-channel reporting

If you sell on your own site and on one or more marketplaces, you probably want to know which channel is profitable after fees and returns. We can set up classes or separate income and fee accounts per channel, so your reports answer that question directly.

Sales tax records

Sales tax is a common source of confusion for online sellers. Marketplaces may collect and remit tax for sales made through them, while sales on your own store may be your responsibility. Rules depend on each state. We keep collected tax out of revenue, record it as a liability and keep the records organized for whoever files your returns. For Texas sellers, see our Texas page for official Comptroller links.

What our ecommerce support covers

  • Payout-to-bank reconciliation for each platform
  • Fee, refund and chargeback tracking
  • Inventory and cost of goods sold entries
  • Channel-level profit reporting
  • Monthly financial statements

Learn more about our bookkeeping services and accounting services, or read our guide to monthly bank reconciliation.