7 Bookkeeping Mistakes Cleaning Businesses Should Avoid
When your day is packed with managing staff, job schedules, supplies, and clients, bookkeeping can easily fall behind. But sloppy books can cost you-big time. From overpaying taxes to underpricing jobs, cleaning businesses that don’t track finances properly risk shrinking profits and compliance issues. Here are 7 bookkeeping mistakes cleaning service owners should watch out for-and how to fix them.
Download Our Free Brochure →Industry-Specific Section: Top Bookkeeping Errors in the Cleaning Industry
- Not Tracking Income by Client or Contract
If you lump all your income into one bucket, you can’t tell which contracts are profitable and which are draining resources. - Mixing Business and Personal Expenses
Buying supplies or paying subcontractors from personal accounts leads to messy records and missed deductions. - Inconsistent Payroll Management
Paying hourly, per-job, or under-the-table creates confusion and compliance risks. Accurate payroll records are critical-especially if you’re audited. - Not Recording Mileage or Travel Time
Mileage to job sites is tax-deductible, but only if it’s logged properly. Many small cleaning companies miss this opportunity entirely. - Misclassifying Expenses
Throwing everything into “general expenses” makes your P&L useless. You need clear categories for cleaning supplies, equipment, marketing, vehicle costs, and labor. - Failing to Reconcile Bank and Credit Accounts Monthly
Without monthly reconciliation, it’s easy to miss double charges, underpayments, or fraudulent activity. - Ignoring Sales Tax Rules by State
In some states, commercial cleaning services are taxable, while residential isn’t. Misapplying tax rules can trigger penalties.
Test Case: Preventing a $9K Tax Error with Proper Bookkeeping
A Florida-based residential cleaning company was mistakenly collecting sales tax on non-taxable services and overpaying the state. After switching to RemoteBooksOnline, we reviewed their service structure, flagged the overpayment, and corrected their chart of accounts. The state issued a $9,000 refund and the business now remits only what’s required-accurately and on time.
State Tax Notes: Watch for Commercial Cleaning Tax Requirements
In New Jersey, all janitorial services are taxable. In Florida, residential cleaning is not taxed, but commercial services are. If you serve both markets, your books must clearly separate taxable and non-taxable services. We help you set this up correctly.
Making mistakes in your books can cost more than just money-it can cost your business reputation and momentum. Let RemoteBooksOnline clean up your cleaning company’s finances.
FAQs
How do I know if I’m charging the right rate for each client?
By tracking job-level income and costs, we help you calculate profit margins per contract.
Can I deduct gas and mileage?
Yes, but only if properly logged. We’ll help you capture and categorize these expenses.
I use Venmo/Zelle/Cash—can you track that?
Download Our Free Brochure →Yes. We reconcile all payment methods and help you keep personal and business transfers separate.
What if I pay subcontractors and employees?
We’ll help you issue W-2s and 1099s correctly and keep your payroll in order.
Can you help me fix past errors?
Absolutely. We specialize in cleanup bookkeeping for cleaning service businesses of all sizes.
Want to avoid these mistakes in your cleaning business? Explore our bookkeeping for cleaning services to get clean books and better profits. We support janitorial and maid service businesses in Florida, New Jersey, California, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
Need help near you? We support cleaning companies in 33176, 07030, 90011, 30310, and 19107.
Keep your finances as spotless as the jobs you do.
RemoteBooksOnline helps cleaning companies avoid common pitfalls and stay audit-ready.
