---
title: "Remote Bookkeeping for Online Sellers and Marketplaces | MCC"
description: "Monthly bookkeeping done online for Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shopify and TikTok Shop sellers in any state: payouts rebuilt from gross sales, inventory, COGS…"
url: "https://mcc-solutionsnj.com/bookkeeping/for/remote-online-sellers"
---

Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shopify and TikTok Shop sellers

# Remote monthly bookkeeping for online sellers

The deposit is never the sales number. Monthly books rebuild each payout from gross sales, fees, refunds, ads and shipping, so you can see margin by channel and match the 1099-K in January.

Done online for businesses in any US state. From $450 a month.

[Get a written quote](/bookkeeping/#interest)

[![Intuit ProAdvisor Gold tier badge](/img/credentials/intuit-proadvisor-gold.png)](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)Gold tier in Intuit's ProAdvisor program. [See my Intuit listing](https://proadvisor.intuit.com/app/accountant/search?searchId=matthew-coleman77)

![Matthew Coleman, founder of MCC Solutions](/img/matthew-coleman.jpg)

**Matthew Coleman**, QuickBooks ProAdvisor, accounting and finance degree. Cranford, NJ. Start with a free health check of your books. You get a quote after we review your books, before any work starts.

## Where online sellers books go wrong

Marketplaces net out referral fees, fulfillment fees, ads, refunds and reserves before paying you. Booking the deposit as sales hides both revenue and costs.

Inventory bought in one quarter sells in another. Without a count and a cost of goods sold figure, a big inventory order looks like a loss and a sell-through month looks like a windfall.

Sales tax collected by a marketplace and sales tax you collect on your own site follow different paths and should not land in revenue.

## Accounts we set up for online sellers

Your chart of accounts is reviewed during onboarding. These are the lines that usually matter most in this kind of business:

| Account | Why it is separate |
| --- | --- |
| **Gross sales, by channel** | Amazon, Etsy, eBay, your own store, each on its own line |
| **Refunds and returns** | kept visible, not netted away |
| **Marketplace and payment fees** | referral, fulfillment, listing and processing |
| **Advertising on platforms** | sponsored listings and ads billed through the marketplace |
| **Inventory asset** | stock on hand at cost |
| **Cost of goods sold** | inventory that sold this month |
| **Shipping labels and packaging** | the cost to get orders out the door |

## Records the IRS describes

Publication 1099 says payment platforms and marketplaces must report on Form 1099-K when payments are over $20,000 and transactions are over 200 in a year. The IRS says you may still receive one below that, and that all income is reportable whether or not a form arrives. Source: [IRS Publication 1099, General Instructions for Certain Information Returns](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p1099).

The IRS lists the 1099-K as a record to use alongside your own records when figuring income. Gross sales on the form will be higher than your payouts, because fees and refunds have not come off. Source: [IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k).

Purchase invoices and proof of payment for inventory are among the records the IRS lists for purchases. Source: [IRS: What kind of records should I keep](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep).

How long to keep them: the IRS says three years in most cases, longer in some situations, and at least four years for employment tax records ([IRS: How long should I keep records?](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records)).

## Cash through the year

Many sellers earn a large share of the year in the fourth quarter and pay for that inventory in the third. Marketplaces may also hold reserves. The monthly report shows inventory on hand and cash together, so a stocking-up month is read correctly.

January brings returns from holiday orders. Keeping refunds visible on their own line shows whether a product's return rate is eating its margin.

## Contractors, employees and year-end forms

Most small sellers have no employees but pay virtual assistants, photographers or a prep center. Collect a W-9 from each one, and keep their invoices; Publication 1099 sets a $2,000 reporting threshold for tax years beginning after 2025.

Sales tax registration and collection are set by each state. We do not decide where you must collect. Our state threshold table and sales tax bookkeeping page cover how the records are kept.

## What the monthly service includes

Every month, the same close the [bookkeeping page](/bookkeeping/) describes: transactions categorized, bank, card and loan balances reconciled to statements, a profit and loss and balance sheet delivered, and a short list of questions instead of guesses. The books stay ready for your tax preparer at year end. For online sellers, that close also covers:

- Each payout rebuilt from gross sales, refunds, fees, ads and shipping
- Inventory and cost of goods sold updated from your count or inventory report
- Margin shown by channel

Need more than the books? The [service levels page](/bookkeeping/plans) describes a monthly review and CFO-style planning on top of the same close.

## How remote onboarding works

- **Tell us about your books.** The [short form](/bookkeeping/#interest) asks what your books live in today, how many transactions you have a month, how many bank, card and loan accounts, how far behind the books are and what you need. You can ask for a 15-minute call instead of an email reply.

- **Written quote and engagement letter.** We review what you sent and reply with the scope and monthly price in writing before any work starts.

- **Access, without passwords.** QuickBooks Online: you invite us as an accountant user. Xero: you invite us with the Advisor role. Excel or Google Sheets: you share the workbook and we send a folder for statements. Nothing yet: we recommend QuickBooks Online or Xero and set it up in your name. You keep ownership and can remove our access.

- **Opening balances and a close day.** We confirm your accounts, collect recent statements and your prior-year return or financial statements, check opening balances, and agree the day each month's books are delivered.

What helps most for online sellers:

- Settlement or payout reports from each marketplace
- Your inventory count or inventory app export
- Supplier invoices for recent stock purchases

## Price

These are the starting prices the quote form uses. Your written scope sets the final price before any work begins.

| Transactions a month | Monthly bookkeeping | Catch-up |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Up to 100 transactions a month | From $450 a month | $300 per month behind |
| 100 to 300 transactions a month | From $750 a month | $450 per month behind |
| 300 to 600 transactions a month | From $1,200 a month | $700 per month behind |
| Over 600 transactions a month | Custom quote | Custom quote |

- 2 bank, card or loan accounts are included; each additional account is $35 a month.
- Books kept in Excel or Google Sheets add $100 a month; starting from nothing adds a one-time $400 software setup.
- A monthly financial report and KPI summary is $125 a month on top of current books.

Prices shown are starting estimates, not quotes.

## Do it yourself, or hand it off

Do it yourself

### Online Seller Payout Reconciliation Kit

See why the deposit is smaller than the sales, platform by platform, before your 1099-K arrives. Built for sellers reconciling on their own.

[Get the kit ($24)](/toolkits/online-seller-payout-reconciliation-kit) [Free sample](/toolkits/online-seller-payout-reconciliation-kit#free-starter)14-day full refund

Or the [Product Seller Bundle](/toolkits/product-seller-bundle) ($65).

Hire us monthly

### We keep the books for you

We do the monthly close in your own software and send the reports and a short list of questions. Already using one of our workbooks? Say so on the form; we can keep it up for you or move it into accounting software.

[Get a written quote](/bookkeeping/#interest)

## Common questions

**Which marketplaces do you work with?**

Any that gives a settlement or payout report: Amazon, Etsy, eBay, Shopify, TikTok Shop, Walmart Marketplace and others. We work from the reports, not your seller login.

**Do you track inventory by item?**

Monthly bookkeeping records inventory and cost of goods sold from your count or inventory app. Item-level tracking setup is a separate one-time project.

**Do you file sales tax in other states?**

Monthly bookkeeping keeps sales tax you collected out of revenue and ready for returns. Filing support depends on the state and is confirmed before we quote.

**My 1099-K is much higher than my deposits. Is it wrong?**

Usually not. The form reports gross amounts before fees and refunds. Monthly books keep both figures so your tax preparer can see the difference.

**Can you clean up last year first?**

Yes. Catch-up is quoted per month of backlog, then monthly service keeps you current.

## Related

- [Based in New Jersey? Our NJ online seller page](/bookkeeping/for/online-sellers)
- [Remote seller sales tax thresholds by state](/bookkeeping/remote-seller-sales-tax-thresholds-by-state)
- [Online seller bookkeeping setup (project)](/bookkeeping/projects/online-seller-bookkeeping-setup)
- [Guide: bookkeeping for ecommerce sellers](/bookkeeping/guides/bookkeeping-for-ecommerce-sellers)
- [Remote bookkeeping for contractors and trades](/bookkeeping/for/remote-contractors-and-trades)
- [Remote bookkeeping for landlords and small property managers](/bookkeeping/for/remote-landlords-and-property-managers)
- [Remote bookkeeping for nonprofits and churches](/bookkeeping/for/remote-nonprofits-and-churches)
- [All industries](/bookkeeping/for/remote-monthly-bookkeeping)

## Sources

- [IRS Publication 1099, General Instructions for Certain Information Returns](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p1099)
- [IRS: Understanding your Form 1099-K](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/understanding-your-form-1099-k)
- [IRS: What kind of records should I keep](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/what-kind-of-records-should-i-keep)
- [IRS Form W-9](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf)
- [IRS: Manage taxes for your gig work](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/manage-taxes-for-your-gig-work)
- [IRS: How long should I keep records?](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-long-should-i-keep-records)

IRS pages checked November 6, 2026. MCC Solutions is a bookkeeping firm, not a CPA firm. Tax returns are a separate service (see /tax-preparation); this guide is not tax or legal advice and does not decide how a rule applies to you. The IRS statements on this page are summaries with links to the source; your tax preparer decides what they mean for your return.

## Want your online sellers books done every month?

[Get a Quote](/bookkeeping/#interest)[Call (908) 444-6373](tel:+19084446373)