How it runs for auto repair shops and dealerships
A LedgerBPO controller reviews each close under Two-Tier Review, maintains a 13-week cash forecast, prepares lender and factory packages, answers questions through our Compliance Desk within 2 business days and joins a quarterly call with you and your CPA.
What are outsourced controller services?
Outsourced controller services provide the review layer that sits between bookkeeping and the owner: a senior accountant who checks the close, owns the accounting policies, tests the controls around cash and spending, and explains the financial statements. The controller does not do daily posting. They make sure what was posted is right and documented before anyone relies on it.
What we handle for auto repair shops and dealerships
- Monthly review of the departmental close with margin and receivable questions answered before release
- Floor-plan reconciliation review, curtailment planning and sold-out-of-trust prevention
- Sales-tax, title-fee and Form 8300 schedules maintained for your compliance officer
- 13-week cash forecast including curtailments, factory statements and equipment purchases
- Manufacturer financial statement and lender packages prepared and explained
The KPI that matters here
Controller review completed and open questions closed before every monthly release.
Auto compliance notes
State dealer rules and title work
Licensed dealers must remit sales tax on vehicle sales, submit title and registration applications within the state's deadline, often 30 days, and in some states charge no more than a capped documentation fee. We track sales tax, title fees and registration fees collected as liabilities per deal, reconcile them to what the DMV or tag agency was paid, and list any deal where the paperwork or the payment is late. Your compliance officer or attorney interprets the rules; we keep the schedule.
Floor-plan financing
Floor-plan lenders charge interest daily per unit, require curtailment payments as units age and reconcile their records to the lot at audit. We post interest and curtailments per unit, reconcile the lender's statement to the ledger every month, and flag any sold unit whose payoff has not cleared inside the contract window so a sold-out-of-trust position never goes unnoticed.
Parts inventory and core charges
Parts inventory must be counted, valued consistently and reconciled to the ledger, with obsolete stock written down under your CPA's policy. Core charges paid to suppliers are receivables until the core is returned, and supplier returns are receivables until credited. We track both by supplier so the balance sheet reflects what will actually come back.
Cash reporting and consumer financing
Dealerships must file IRS Form 8300 for cash over $10,000 and keep records supporting each finance contract. We list every 8300-reportable transaction from the deal file for your compliance officer to file, and we reconcile finance reserves and chargebacks from lenders to the contracts they relate to. We do not file the forms or give legal advice.
Auto software we work in
- QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Desktop
- Square
- Gusto
- Tekmetric
- Shop-Ware
- Mitchell 1
- Shopmonkey
- Dealertrack DMS
- CDK
- All 50 platforms
More for auto repair shops and dealerships
Other services for auto
Controller services in other industries
Frequently asked questions
When does an auto business need a controller rather than a bookkeeper?
Usually when there is a floor-plan line, a manufacturer financial statement, more than one location or a lender asking questions the bookkeeper cannot answer. A controller reviews rather than posts, manages lender and factory reporting, forecasts cash and keeps the compliance schedules current. Our review works above your existing office staff or our own bookkeeping team.
Can the controller handle a floor-plan or factory audit?
The controller prepares the per-unit floor-plan reconciliation, deal files, title schedules and the departmental statements the auditor requests, and walks you and your CPA through them. We do not represent you before the lender, the manufacturer or the state, and we give no legal advice; what we provide is a reconciled, documented set of numbers and someone who can explain them.
What does the controller add on top of the month-end close service?
The close service delivers reconciled books each month; controller review challenges the results, sets policy for parts inventory, warranty receivables and deal accounting, forecasts cash, manages lender and factory reporting and supports buy-sell or refinancing work. Many owners begin with the month-end close service for auto repair shops & dealerships and add controller review as the operation grows.
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