What Growing DTC Brands Actually Need From Their Accountant

Most ecommerce brands hit a point between $2M and $30M where standard bookkeeping stops working. Net deposits land in one revenue line, inventory sits at zero on the balance sheet, and no one can explain last quarter's gross margin.

Ecommerce accounting services from Sataurius fix that. We reconcile every channel, hold inventory correctly on the balance sheet, and produce a monthly package that finally answers what the business actually earned and where the margin went.

What's Different About Accounting for Ecommerce and DTC

Revenue arrives net of marketplace fees, refunds, chargebacks, and gift card liability that must be broken back out.
Inventory moves through 3PLs, Amazon FBA, and wholesale channels and must be valued with landed cost.
Sales tax nexus is triggered in dozens of states by volume, not by physical presence.
Payment processor payouts do not equal revenue, and settlement timing distorts weekly cash views.
Unit economics, contribution margin, and CAC-to-LTV are the numbers leadership actually needs, not just P&L.

How Sataurius Delivers Ecommerce Accounting

We embed with your team, take ownership of the monthly close, and produce a reporting package that includes channel-level revenue, gross margin by SKU or category, contribution margin, inventory position, and a rolling cash view. Bookkeepers stay on for daily transactions; we operate at the controller and CFO layer.

Brands that need forward-looking financial leadership pair this with ecommerce fractional CFO services, and brands preparing for a systems upgrade layer in ecommerce finance systems and ERP.

What's Included

Scope of Engagement

Multi-Channel Revenue Reconciliation

Shopify, Amazon, wholesale, and marketplace revenue reconciled to gross sales, discounts, refunds, fees, and net deposits.

Inventory and COGS Accounting

Landed-cost inventory on the balance sheet, accurate cost of goods sold, and monthly reconciliation to 3PL and physical counts.

Monthly Close and Reporting

GAAP-aligned monthly close with channel-level P&L, gross margin, contribution margin, and cash flow statement.

Sales Tax Coordination

Nexus monitoring, filing calendar, and coordination with your sales tax provider so registrations and returns stay current.

Ecommerce KPI Dashboard

Contribution margin, CAC, LTV, AOV, refund rate, and inventory turns visible in one leadership dashboard.

Controller-Level Oversight

A controller reviews every close, owns the chart of accounts, and briefs leadership on variances and margin movement.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ecommerce accounting?

Ecommerce accounting is the practice of recording, reconciling, and reporting revenue, cost of goods sold, inventory, sales tax, and payment processor fees across multiple sales channels such as Shopify, Amazon, Faire, and wholesale. It differs from standard bookkeeping because settlement data, marketplace fees, and inventory movements must be normalized before financials can be trusted.

How much do ecommerce accounting services cost?

Ecommerce accounting services in the U.S. typically cost $1,500 to $6,000 per month depending on order volume, number of sales channels, inventory complexity, and whether controller-level oversight is included. Sataurius scopes each engagement to the brand's actual order and SKU volume.

What accounting method should ecommerce brands use, cash or accrual?

Growing DTC brands should move to accrual accounting once inventory becomes material or revenue exceeds roughly $2M. Accrual matches revenue to the period earned and inventory to cost of goods sold, which is required for accurate gross margin, investor reporting, and GAAP compliance.

How do you reconcile Shopify, Amazon, and payment processors?

Sales data is pulled at the order or settlement level, matched to deposits from Shopify Payments, Stripe, PayPal, Amazon, and other processors, and posted with gross sales, discounts, refunds, and fees separated. This produces a clean revenue and margin picture instead of net deposits landing in a single revenue account.

Do you handle inventory accounting for ecommerce brands?

Yes. Sataurius maintains inventory on the balance sheet, calculates cost of goods sold with landed cost (product, freight, duties, 3PL), and reconciles to physical counts. This is essential for accurate gross margin, contribution margin per SKU, and lender or investor reporting.

Can you work with our existing tools like Shopify, NetSuite, QuickBooks, and A2X?

Yes. Sataurius works inside the tools you already use, including Shopify, Amazon Seller Central, QuickBooks Online, Xero, NetSuite, A2X, Dext, and 3PL systems, and can recommend the right stack as you scale.

Part of Ecommerce & DTC Finance. Also see: Ecommerce Fractional CFO, Ecommerce Sales Tax, Ecommerce Finance Systems & ERP.

Ecommerce Accounting Services. Clean Numbers Across Every Channel.