Farms & Cattle Ranches
Farm accounting has rules that most bookkeepers have never heard of. We know them because we work with agricultural operations year-round.
Farming Is the Job. Bookkeeping Shouldn't Be.
You know how to work ground, manage herds, time harvests, and keep equipment running. These skills take years to develop. What you probably didn’t have time to learn was the accounting side of running an agricultural operation.
Farm accounting is different from other businesses. You can defer income into the next tax year. You can prepay expenses. Depreciation rules let you write off a tractor in one year or spread it across seven. Livestock has its own set of inventory rules depending on whether you raised it or bought it. Most bookkeepers have never dealt with any of this.
We work with farms and ranches across the Treasure Valley. We understand how agricultural income works, how to time purchases and sales for tax advantage, and how to keep your books in shape for lenders and FSA programs.
Still in the Field Every Day
Most farm owners aren’t sitting in an office managing spreadsheets. You’re checking cattle, running equipment, meeting with buyers, fixing what broke yesterday. The books get attention after dark if they get attention at all.
That means receipts pile up in the truck. The bank account gets eyeballed instead of reconciled. Tax season becomes a scramble to reconstruct the year from memory and bank statements. You know it should be better, but there’s never enough time.
Who We Work With
Who We Work With
Cattle ranches, hay and grain operations, small farms, dairy operations, greenhouses, and nurseries. Family operations where the owners are still doing the work themselves.
Where You Are
Where You Are
Running a real operation with real revenue, but the financial management hasn’t kept up. You’ve outgrown the shoebox or you’re tired of tax season chaos. Either way, something needs to change.
What Makes Farm Accounting Different
Agricultural operations have tax rules and accounting requirements that don’t apply to other businesses. General bookkeepers often miss opportunities or set things up wrong. We’ve worked with enough farms and ranches to know where the complexity lives and how to handle it.
Depreciation and Equipment
Depreciation and Equipment
Section 179 and bonus depreciation let you write off equipment purchases immediately instead of spreading the deduction over years. Timing a major purchase correctly can significantly reduce your tax bill in a profitable year.
Income Timing
Income Timing
Cash basis accounting gives farmers flexibility. You can defer income by delaying sales until January. You can accelerate deductions by prepaying feed, seed, or fertilizer before year end. We plan these moves with you.
Livestock Accounting
Livestock Accounting
Raised livestock and purchased livestock are treated differently. Inventory methods affect your cost of goods and taxable income. We track herds properly so the numbers make sense and hold up to scrutiny.
Personal and Business Separation
Personal and Business Separation
Family farms often mix personal and business expenses through the same accounts. We help you separate things cleanly so you know what the operation actually costs to run and what you’re taking home.
Keep More of What You Earn
Agricultural margins are tight. Weather, commodity prices, and input costs are mostly out of your control. What you can control is how much goes to taxes. With proper planning throughout the year, we help you take advantage of every deduction and timing strategy available to farmers.
Beyond taxes, clean books make life easier. When you need an operating line or equipment financing, lenders want organized financials. When FSA programs require documentation, you have it. When you eventually think about passing the operation to the next generation, the records are in order.
Year-Round Tax Planning
Year-Round Tax Planning
We don’t wait until January to figure out your tax situation. We review income and expenses throughout the year so you can make decisions about equipment purchases, prepayments, and sales timing before the year closes.
Books That Satisfy Lenders
Books That Satisfy Lenders
Operating loans, equipment financing, and land purchases all require financial statements. We keep your books current and organized so you can produce what lenders need without a last minute scramble.
The Treasure Valley's Tax and Accounting Team
The Next Step:
A Short Conversation
Tell us what you're dealing with. We'll listen, answer your questions, and give you a straightforward quote.
