Pet sitter and dog walker bookkeeping: marketplace payouts against the supplies and dues behind them
A pet sitter's income arrives as Rover and Wag payouts, Square card payments and the odd Zelle from a regular client; the costs are scheduling software, treats and poop bags, association dues and gas. The bank statement holds both, so the month's profit starts there.
Worked example: one October
The tool ships a synthetic statement for a solo pet sitter (fixtures/petcare-checking.csv): a Rover payout, a Wag payment, a Square deposit, a Zelle from a client and nine costs. Eight of the nine costs and the three platform deposits get a suggested account with no rules taught; the Zelle and a shelter donation stay in review, because a Zelle could be a client or a friend, and a donation is not a business cost until you say it is.
| October 2026 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Rover, Wag and Square deposits | $1,540.50 |
| Zelle from a client (left in review; you file it) | $120.00 |
| Money in | $1,660.50 |
| Time To Pet (software) | −$29.00 |
| Petco and PetSmart (supplies) | −$130.20 |
| Association dues and pet first-aid class (education and dues) | −$160.00 |
| Pet sitter insurance (insurance) | −$41.00 |
| Gas (vehicle and fuel) | −$48.20 |
| Google Ads (advertising) | −$60.00 |
| Shelter donation (left in review; you file it) | −$25.00 |
| Profit | $1,167.10 |
The profit counts the Zelle as income and the donation as a cost; a charitable gift is not a Schedule C expense, so take it out of the costs, as the owner's own money, and profit rises by $25.00. Rover and Wag pay net of their fees.
What the tool does for a pet sitter
- Imports the bank CSV and suggests Sales for Rover, Wag and Square deposits.
- Files the recurring costs: scheduling software, supplies, dues, insurance, gas and ads.
- Reports a P&L and a Schedule C worksheet, with a mileage log for drives to clients' homes and quarterly estimated-tax dates in the tax calendar.
Rules are written from company names; no real pet sitter's statement has been tried.
Questions
Where do Rover and Wag payouts go?
The importer files a Rover or Wag payout under sales. Both marketplaces keep a service fee before paying you, so the deposit is net of the fee and understates what clients paid; only what lands in your bank account shows.
How are supplies, software and dues filed?
Time To Pet and Pet Sitter Plus are filed under software and subscriptions, Petco, PetSmart and Chewy buys under supplies, professional pet sitter association dues and pet first-aid classes under education and dues, and pet-sitter insurance under insurance. A Zelle from a client and a shelter donation stay in the review queue; you file them.
Is it free?
Yes. It is open source (MIT), runs in your browser and nothing is uploaded. Not tax advice: a self-employed pet sitter owes self-employment tax on profit, the Schedule C worksheet in this tool shows the figure, and your accountant decides what applies to you.
Open AI Bookkeeper and import your bank statement.