Why Ecommerce Accounting Needs More Than a Bank Feed
Ecommerce accounting has to capture each step between a customer’s order and the deposit in your bank. Marketplaces and payment processors take fees, may hold back reserves, and bundle many orders into one payout. If your books record only the deposit, your revenue, costs, and margins all blur together.
Ideal for:
- Platform and processor fees. Recording fees as expenses keeps your revenue showing what customers actually paid.
- Inventory and cost of goods sold. Tracking what you paid for the products you sold is how you see your true gross margin.
- Returns and refunds. Refunds and chargebacks belong in the right period, so a strong month is not overstated.
- Sales tax collected. Sales tax you collect from buyers is not your income, so it should be kept out of your revenue.
Texas Sales Tax Basics for Online and Retail Sellers
Sales tax is one of the first questions DFW sellers ask, and the answer depends on where and how you sell. Here are the basics in plain English.
01
State and local tax.
Texas has a state sales tax, and cities can add local sales tax on top of it.
02
Marketplace sales.
Marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy generally collect Texas sales tax on sales made through their platforms, but required sales tax filings and remittances are not always handled automatically.
03
Your own website and shop.
You remain responsible for sales tax on sales through your own website and in your store.
04
Clean records.
Your books keep the sales tax you collect separate, and we help you understand which state filings apply.
How FTG Financial Services Support Online Stores and Retail Shops
Each service is set up around how products move from your supplier to your customer.
01
We reconcile payouts back to gross sales, fees, and refunds so every channel ties out each month.
02
Self-service or full-service payroll covers pay for warehouse, shipping, or retail floor staff.
03
Your return is prepared from books where inventory and cost of goods sold are already sorted out.
04
Tax planning.
Inventory buys, entity structure, and timing can all be reviewed with tax in mind before the year closes.
05
Margin analysis by product or channel may help you decide what to reorder, reprice, or drop.
Why DFW Online and Retail Sellers Choose FTG Financial
Selling through your own site, a marketplace, and maybe a shop creates a lot of moving parts. Your chart of accounts is customized to match your channels, and you get one accountant who can explain each line of your statements.
Joseph Timothy founded the firm in 2024 so small businesses could get big-company accounting experience at an affordable rate. Sellers anywhere in Dallas-Fort Worth meet by phone or video, which suits a business that already runs online. Bookkeeping clients also get 20% off tax return preparation fees.
- Founded in 2024
- Custom charts of accounts
- Books closed on time
Common Questions About Ecommerce Accounting
Do online sellers need to collect sales tax in Texas?
Texas has a state sales tax, and cities can add local sales tax on top of it. Marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy generally collect Texas sales tax on sales made through their platforms, but required sales tax filings and remittances are not always handled automatically. You remain responsible for your own website and in-store sales, and we help you understand which state filings apply.
How should marketplace payouts be recorded in my books?
Record the full sale as revenue, then record fees, refunds, and any held amounts separately. The net payout that reaches your bank should reconcile back to those pieces. This approach shows your true sales and makes rising fees easy to spot.
What counts as cost of goods sold for an online store?
Cost of goods sold is what you paid for the products you sold during a period, and it can include costs such as inbound shipping. It is subtracted from revenue to find your gross profit. Getting it right depends on keeping your inventory records current.
Is retail accounting different from ecommerce bookkeeping?
The core principles are the same, but online selling adds payouts, platform fees, and several channels to reconcile. A physical shop deals more with card terminals, cash drawers, and in-store inventory counts. Many DFW sellers do both, so the books need to handle each channel clearly.
When should an online seller hire an ecommerce accountant?
A good time is when payouts stop making sense or inventory outgrows a simple spreadsheet. Adding a new sales channel or hiring staff are also natural moments to get help. An ecommerce accountant can set up your books so they keep working as your store grows.
See What Your Store Really Earns on Each Sale
Tell us where you sell and how your books are set up now. We will point out where your margins may be hiding.