Bookkeeping for real estate agents in Torrance, CA.
For agents and teams paid on commission. Your books done the day you upload your statements, checked against your bank, for $79 a month.
Free to join. The first 1,000 in get their catch-up free.
Sales tax
California's sales tax is 7.25%, and cities and counties add their own, about 8.99% in all on average. If what you sell is taxable, you collect it and file returns with the state.
State income tax
California taxes income at 1% to 13.3% in 2026, 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 in Torrance (about 140,000 people) keeps track of in 2026. Rates change, so check with your accountant before you file.
Real estate agents in Torrance, by the numbers
Los Angeles County, home to Torrance, has 6,071 real estate agents and brokerages with employees (Census Bureau, 2023).
That's 22% more than in 2018 (4,965).
Another 22,658 are run by one person with no employees, mostly self-employed owners.
Across California there are 22,552 with employees, so about 27% are in Los Angeles County.
Every one of them has books to keep: sales to match to the bank, costs to sort and tax to work out.
Why real estate agents need different books
Big commissions at uneven times, brokerage splits and fees taken before you're paid, marketing for every listing, and a car that's half office. The irregular income makes setting aside tax the hardest part.
What a bookkeeper for real estate agents in Torrance keeps track of
Commissions, with the brokerage's split and fees
Marketing and listing costs
Your car and mileage
Tax to set aside from each deal
Desk fees and licensing
Taxes for real estate agents in California
Commissions aren't subject to sales tax in most states.
Your brokerage usually sends a 1099-NEC for your commissions.
Self-employment tax and quarterly estimated payments apply, since nothing is withheld from commissions.
Mileage between showings and listings is a business cost.
What SumSwift does for realtors, for $79 a month
Commission deposits sorted with the brokerage's fees split out
What to set aside for income tax from each deal, with estimated payments or instalments and their due dates
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
A year-end package and free access for your accountant
Every statement checked against the balances your bank printed, to the cent, with personal spending kept off your profit
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 real estate agents cost in Torrance?
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 real estate agents. SumSwift does the monthly work for $79 a month, the day you upload your statements.
How much of each commission should I set aside?
It depends on your income and where you live, often 25% to 35%. SumSwift works out your estimate from your real profit and shows what's due when.
Can I write off my car?
The business share. SumSwift keeps the log and works it out.
Does SumSwift know California's tax rules?
Commissions aren't subject to sales tax in most states. Your brokerage usually sends a 1099-NEC for your commissions.
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.