For plumbers, electricians, roofers, renovators and every trade that runs from a truck. Your books done the day you upload your statements, for $79 a month.
Free to join. The first 1,000 in get their catch-up free.
Sales tax
Michigan's sales tax is 6%, with no local sales tax on top. If what you sell is taxable, you collect it and file returns with the state.
State income tax
Michigan taxes income at a flat 4.25%, including the profit from your business.
Federal tax
Working for yourself, you pay 15.3% self-employment tax on most of your profit, plus federal income tax, usually in four estimated payments: April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15.
Contractors
Paid a contractor $2,000 or more in 2026? Send them a 1099-NEC by January 31.
What every business here keeps track of in 2026. Rates change, so check with your accountant before you file.
Why contractors need different books
Supply-house runs on the business card, subcontractors paid by e-transfer or cheque, deposits that come in before the job starts, a truck that's partly business and receipts that live in the cup holder. That's what makes a contractor's books messy, and it's what a good bookkeeper spends most of the month on.
What a bookkeeper for contractors in Michigan keeps track of
Materials as the cost of each job, so you see what's left after them
Subcontractors paid, for slips at year end
Customer deposits and progress bills
Holdbacks customers keep back until the job is done
Your truck, tools and equipment
Sales tax or GST/HST on what you bill
Taxes for contractors in Michigan
Whether construction services are taxed depends on the state, and many states don't tax them. Check Michigan's rules; anything you sell as a product is usually taxed at 6% plus local tax.
Subcontractors you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 need a 1099-NEC by January 31, so collect a W-9 before you pay them.
In many states contractors pay sales tax on materials when they buy them instead of charging it on the job. The rules vary by state and by the kind of job.
Tools and equipment can usually be written off in the year you buy them, or over several years.
What SumSwift does for contractors and trades, for $79 a month
Materials sorted as the cost of the job, with job costing to see what each job made
Subcontractor lists for 1099s or T4A and T5018 slips, with who you still need a W-9 or business number from
Progress bills and holdbacks tracked until they're released
Cheques written and printed in SumSwift, and "CHEQUE 104" on a statement asked about once
Big purchases get one question, "Is this equipment?", so they're written off over the right years
A mileage log (a CRA logbook in Canada) and the business share of your vehicle worked out for taxes
Receipts snapped with your phone or forwarded by email are read and matched to the charge
Up to 3 accounts included. Prices in USD. Your accountant still files your tax return, with clean books and free access.
Questions.
How much does a bookkeeper for contractors cost in Michigan?
Published price guides put most small businesses at $300 to $1,500 a month for a bookkeeper, more when the books are busy, as they often are for contractors. SumSwift does the monthly work for $79 a month, the day you upload your statements.
What does a bookkeeper for contractors do?
Sorts materials, subcontractors and truck costs, matches every account to the bank, keeps receipts, tracks deposits and holdbacks, and gets subcontractor slips and sales tax or GST/HST ready.
Do I need to track materials by job?
It's the only way to know which jobs make money. SumSwift tags costs to jobs and shows profit per job.
Does SumSwift know Michigan's tax rules?
Whether construction services are taxed depends on the state, and many states don't tax them. Check Michigan's rules; anything you sell as a product is usually taxed at 6% plus local tax. Subcontractors you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 need a 1099-NEC by January 31, so collect a W-9 before you pay them.
Behind on my books. Can you catch me up?
Yes. A catch-up of up to 12 months is $599, once, checked against your bank to the cent.