Tax returns
Tax time. Messy books mean overpaid tax and missed planning. Every year.
Your P&L says you’re profitable.
Your bank account disagrees.
Most eCommerce sellers are leaking profit in six places they can’t see, because Amazon, Shopify and every other channel hand you numbers that are incomplete and in the wrong period. Give us read-only access to your Xero or QuickBooks and a senior eCommerce accountant will run 31 checks over your books, write up what we find, and walk you through it. No cost. No obligation. Nothing to tidy up first.
Valued at $1,000 · Free for qualifying sellers · Written report, not a sales call · Yours to keep even if we never work together.
Certified in Xero · A2X · Dext · Fathom · Finale Inventory
Focused exclusively on CPG & eCommerce since 2019
Built for the channels you actually sell on
Sell on any one of these? That’s exactly who the diagnostic is built for.
The problem
Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is reality.
Chances are you didn’t wake up today wanting a new accountant. Something specific hurts. Payouts that won’t match your sales reports. A tax bill with no cash to pay it. A bank or a buyer that said no.
Underneath every one of them sits the same uncomfortable gap: the profit your books report never seems to arrive in your bank account. Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash is the reality you live with. Right now, the three are telling you different stories.
Do any of these problems below sound familiar?
The top 10 problems sellers face:
- Platform payout mismatches. Your marketplace payouts never match your sales reports, and no one can tell you why.
- Phantom inventory. Your inventory won’t reconcile across warehouses or channels. It’s a mess and no one knows why.
- Disappearing cash. Amazon or Shopify deposits a number, you book it as revenue, and the fees, refunds and reserves vanish into thin air.
- The empty-account paradox. Your books say you made a profit, but there’s nothing in the account to show for it.
- Sales tax anxiety. Sales tax and economic nexus feel like a train wreck waiting to happen.
- Looming tax bill, no money. You get a huge tax bill for profits you have earned, but you have no cash to pay it.
- Rejected by the lender. You applied for finance to grow, and the bank turned you down because your financials were in poor shape.
- The deal that died in diligence. You tried to sell your business, and the buyer walked away after spotting irregularities in your books.
- The international tax maze. You started selling across borders, and now VAT, GST and currency conversions are a maze nobody warned you about.
- Mystery margins. You could not say with confidence what you actually make on a single product once fees, freight and duty are counted.
These feel like ten separate problems. They’re not. They’re all symptoms of one thing: a financial system that can’t give you a clear, trustworthy picture of your own business. It’s the same pattern our founder saw across a decade of valuing and selling businesses: nobody distrusts the business, they distrust the numbers. And you can’t fix what you can’t see.
Why it’s happening
Your data is lying to you, and it’s costing you real money.
The channels don’t hand you clean numbers. June’s refunds show up in July. Fees are buried inside net deposits. Inventory and landed costs almost never hit the sales channel at all. So the numbers you’re steering by are wrong, usually in the direction that makes you feel richer than you are.
Margin you think you have
40%
Margin you actually have
28%
Once landed cost and fees are where they belong. You scale on the good-looking number, and the leak scales with you.
The stakes
Three events are waiting, and each one punishes messy books
Even if you muscle your way to more profit on rough numbers, three moments in your future will demand clean, eCommerce-specific books:
Raising capital or debt
The day you need outside money to grow. No clean books, no funding. Or money on far worse terms.
Exit
The day you sell. Buyers pay for what they can verify. Messy records quietly slash your sale price.
The mechanism
There are six main places your profit leaks. We check all of them.
Most of your profit doesn’t disappear in one dramatic hole. It drains out of six line items: a point of margin here, a hidden fee there. Individually they look small. Stacked together, they’re the difference between a business that throws off cash and one that’s always broke. Here’s where we look:
Discounts
Every dollar discounted is gone before you’ve paid for product, fees, shipping or ads. Most sellers can’t even see their true discount rate per channel.
Refunds
Your refund rate is usually hidden inside “net sales.” A 4% overall rate can be 9% on one channel and quietly killing it.
Landed COGS
Freight, duty and receiving expensed instead of capitalised into inventory. This alone commonly overstates gross profit by 8–12 points.
Channel fees
Referral, FBA, gateway and processor fees buried inside net deposits and never matched to the sales that caused them.
Shipping & 3PL
Shipping income and cost land in different months, so margin swings and slow-moving SKUs bleed 3PL storage fees you never notice.
Ad spend
A “4X ROAS” can still mean you lose money on every order once COGS, fees and discounts are loaded in. Cash-basis ad spend hides it.
Your free diagnostic runs your store against all six. You’ll leave knowing which ones are costing you the most, and roughly how much.
Audit My 6 Profit Leaks for FreeThe objection
“But my accountant already does my books.”
Maybe. But eCommerce accounting goes deeper than a generalist typically goes. Generalists report one blended revenue line. We surface profit and loss per sales channel and per SKU, the exact layer where the leaks live. If your accountant doesn’t know what A2X is, or thinks a Shopify deposit equals your revenue, the leaks stay invisible. That’s not a knock on them; it’s just not their specialty. It’s the only thing we do.
| Capability | Freelance bookkeeper | Generalist firm | General CPA (non-eCom) | SaaS platform | CronosNow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dedicated accountant + team continuity | No | Partial | Partial | No | Yes |
| Per-channel & per-SKU profit (6 levers) | No | No | No | Partial | Yes |
| Marketplace payout reconciliation (A2X) | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Accrual inventory & true landed cost | No | No | Partial | Partial | Yes |
| Tax-, funding- & exit-ready books | No | Partial | Partial | No | Yes |
| Multi-currency & international entities | No | Partial | Partial | Partial | Yes |
Our previous accountant hardly gave us attention except at tax time. All of that changed when we hired CronosNow. It’s one of the best decisions we have made for our business.
The solution
Numbers you can trust. Insights you can action.
CronosNow was built by Richard Starkey, who spent a decade in corporate finance valuing businesses and getting deals across the line. The lesson from those deals: deals rarely fall apart because the business is bad. They fall apart because nobody trusts the numbers. We build you books that stand up to anyone who checks them. The tax man, the bank, or the buyer sitting across the table. So you can run your business on numbers that are actually true.
How we do it: the system
Behind every client sits a repeatable system, not a person hoping they got it right:
- A chart of accounts engineered from the ground up specifically for eCommerce.
- Marketplace payouts broken down to the source with A2X and the right tooling. Sales, fees, refunds, tax, all in the right period.
- Full-accrual books with inventory and landed cost baked into every SKU.
- Your monthly close done by the 15th, so you’re never steering by numbers that are two months stale.
The offer
The Free 31-Point Profit Diagnostic
Valued at $1,000 Free for qualifying sellers
A senior eCommerce accountant runs your books through 31 checks, then writes up what we found. You get a written report first, then a 30-minute Google Meet or Zoom call to walk through it. Here is what is in it:
The 31-point check, scored
Every check marked verified, could not verify, failed or not applicable, with what we look at and why it matters. No hand-waving: you see exactly what your records could and could not support.
What it costs you in a sale
We model the EBITDA a buyer’s diligence team would refuse to credit, at light, expected and severe discounts, then show what that removes from your sale price at each multiple.
What it costs you in funding
Lenders advance against EBITDA they can verify. We show how much borrowing capacity the unverifiable portion removes, and what the rate premium looks like on what is left.
Which of the six profit levers you can actually steer
Discounts, refunds, landed cost, channel fees, shipping and ad spend. We mark each one steerable or blind, so you know which decisions you are currently making without data.
A prioritised fix list, with the amount at stake
Every finding paired with what it is worth, why it matters now, and the specific process that resolves it. Yours to act on with us, with your current accountant, or alone.
Free copy of The eCom Profit Playbook
More than 30 plays across the six profit levers, yours to keep.
Illustrative, based on configurable multiples and rates. Not a valuation or a lending quotation. See the note below.
Price
Work of this kind is a paid engagement, and we value it at $1,000. For qualifying sellers on this page, it’s free. The fastest way to show you what a specialist sees is to actually show you, in your own numbers.
Effort
You don’t tidy anything up first. Messy is exactly what we’re built for. We need read-only access to your Xero or QuickBooks, and that is the whole ask. The mess is where we find the money.
Claim Your Free Profit Diagnostic
Limited space available. Book now.
A senior eCommerce accountant reviews every diagnostic personally, so we take on 10 a month. Once they are gone, the next opening is the following month.
100% free · No obligation · You keep the report
Before you book
Four things we need from you
We are upfront about these because a diagnostic without your financials is guesswork, and we would rather tell you now than after you have booked.
- An eCommerce business that sells physical inventory. The 31 checks are built around stock, landed cost and channel fees. Without inventory there is nothing for them to measure.
- Read-only access to your Xero or QuickBooks. We cannot check numbers we cannot see. Read-only means we can look but change nothing, and you can revoke it in one click the moment we are done.
- At least 12 months of trading. The checks compare periods and look for patterns. With less than a year of history there is not enough to read.
- More than $100,000 in annual revenue. Below that the leaks are usually too small to be worth the exercise, and your time is better spent on the free Profit Playbook. One sales channel is plenty, whether that is Amazon, Shopify or your own store.
Not there yet? That is completely fine, and we would rather say so than take your time. Grab the eCom Profit Playbook instead. It covers the same six profit levers and costs you nothing but an email address.
Proof
Sellers who stopped guessing
They turned chaos into something understandable. The detail is amazing compared to where we were. From the beginning right through to handing it all to our tax preparer, they did it all, and not one question from our tax preparer this year.
Truly the best bookkeepers for Amazon and other marketplaces. We’ve improved our business through their tax strategies and personal support. After every call we feel confident our numbers are tight. 5 stars!
Finding a firm that understands the ever-changing landscape of eCommerce is critical. The entire team is professional, attentive and adaptive to my needs. They take the time to truly understand your business and structure your books in the way that best serves it.
Richard and his team consistently exceed expectations. Their strategies are so well thought out and tax-efficient. I can’t recommend them highly enough.
Richard is simply the best in the business. Organized, detailed, offers great value beyond his services. Highly recommend!
The team at CronosNow have been great for our growth. Financials accurate and on time. 10/10.
Very knowledgeable, great service, reasonable pricing, reliable, always available. I cannot say enough good things about them.
No catch
What’s the catch? There isn’t one. Here’s our promise.
You’re savvy, so you’re waiting for the catch. Fair enough. Here it is in plain terms:
- The diagnostic is genuinely free and there’s no obligation to become a client.
- You keep everything: the leak findings, the fix list and the Profit Playbook. All of it, even if we never speak again.
- We won’t pitch you unless you ask us to. If the 30 minutes isn’t worth your time, we’ll have wasted ours, not yours.
Our guarantee
Worst case, you leave with a clearer picture of your numbers than when you arrived. You genuinely cannot lose by booking.
Objections
Questions sellers ask before they book
Is it really free? What are you getting out of it?
Yes, free. We get to show you what a specialist sees instead of just telling you. Some sellers hire us afterwards; many just use the fix list themselves. Both are fine.
My books are a mess. I’m embarrassed to show anyone.
Messy is exactly what we’re built for. You don’t clean anything up first. The mess is where we find the money.
I already have an accountant or bookkeeper.
Great, keep them. This is a second opinion focused only on eCommerce profit leaks. If everything’s perfect, you’ll get confirmation. If it isn’t, you’ll get a list. Either way you win.
Am I too small or too big for this?
The diagnostic is built for sellers doing more than $100,000 a year with at least 12 months of trading. One sales channel is plenty. If you’re below that or pre-revenue, we’ll tell you honestly and point you to free resources instead.
Will you replace my CPA or tax person?
Not unless you want us to. We handle your eCom bookkeeping and coordinate tax, sales tax, VAT and GST through a network of in-country specialists, and we’re happy to work alongside your existing CPA.
What do you need from me to run the diagnostic?
Read-only access to your Xero or QuickBooks, and a short intake form. That is it. Read-only means we can look but change nothing, and you revoke it in one click when we are done. You do not tidy anything up first, and you do not pull reports for us.
Is this a financial audit?
No. That is why we call it a diagnostic and not an audit. We run 31 checks against the records you give us and report what they do and do not support. We do not verify individual transactions and we express no opinion on your financial statements. The sale-price and lending figures are illustrative models, not a valuation or a lending quotation. The full wording is at the foot of this page and in the report itself.
How long does the call take?
About 30 minutes on Google Meet or Zoom, and we do the work before it rather than during it. That way the call is spent on findings instead of discovery, and you leave with the written report and a prioritised fix list.
Qualifying
Who this is (and isn’t) for
This is for you if…
- You sell physical products on Amazon, Shopify, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, TikTok Shop, Faire or your own store. One channel is plenty, several is fine too.
- Your annual revenue is more than $100,000 and you carry inventory.
- You suspect your numbers aren’t telling you the truth, and you’re tired of guessing.
- You’re happy to give us read-only access to your Xero or QuickBooks.
It’s probably not for you if…
- You’re pre-revenue or just starting out (we’ll point you to free resources instead).
- You’re under $100,000 a year. The leaks are usually too small to be worth your time yet.
- You’re not comfortable sharing read-only Xero or QuickBooks access. That is a fair position to hold, but we cannot check numbers we cannot see.
- You only want the cheapest data-entry bookkeeper you can find, not decision-ready numbers.
Last step
Stop guessing where your profit went.
You can keep steering by numbers you don’t trust and hope the bank balance sorts itself out. Or you can spend 30 minutes finding out exactly where the money is leaking, for free, and decide what to do from there.
You get the following:
- The free 31-Point Profit Diagnostic, valued at $1,000
- A detailed written report, with a prioritised fix list
- A 30-minute Google Meet or Zoom call to walk you through it
- A free copy of The eCom Profit Playbook
- The report is yours to keep. No strings. No obligation to hire us
You must provide the following:
- An eCommerce business that holds stock
- More than $100,000 a year, trading 12 months or more
- Read-only Xero or QuickBooks access. Revoke it in one click when we’re done
A diagnostic, not a financial audit. We don’t verify individual transactions or express an opinion on your financial statements, and the sale-price and lending figures are illustrative. Full restrictions on use.
Book your free Profit Diagnostic
We’ll reply with the access request and a short intake form. Once your report is ready we book a 30-minute Google Meet or Zoom call to walk you through it.
Restrictions on use — what this report is, and what it is not
This report is a preliminary profit-quality and diligence-readiness diagnostic prepared from client-supplied financial data without transaction-level verification. It is not an audit, review, or Quality-of-Earnings engagement, and it does not express an opinion on the financial statements. Scenario amounts are user-configurable discounts applied to unverified financial flows; they are not measured errors, predictions, or audit-materiality thresholds. Amounts described as remaining after a scenario are a scenario remainder, not verified or bankable EBITDA. Valuation and financing figures are illustrative, based on configurable multiples and rates, and do not constitute a valuation or a lending quotation. Unresolved items are findings requiring evidence, not asserted errors.