Homer runs on small businesses — and great books are the foundation of every one that lasts. Tides Bookkeeping provides remote bookkeeping, payroll support, and monthly financial reporting for Homer business owners in the Kenai Peninsula Borough who'd rather focus on running their business than managing their books.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · 100% Remote
The Halibut Fishing Capital of the World sits at the end of the Sterling Highway, on a 4.5-mile gravel spit reaching into Kachemak Bay. Charter fleets, commercial fishermen, a nationally known arts community, and a summer visitor season carry an economy of about 5,500 people — with an outsized number of small businesses per capita.
That mix creates opportunity — and financial complexity. Homer owners run charter and commercial fishing operations, galleries, restaurants, and lodges through a season that lands in a few short months — and they file the highest combined sales tax on the peninsula. They need clean books and a partner who can keep up.
Homer's charter fleet and commercial fishermen define the local economy — with crew shares, permits, vessel costs, and a season that is all-or-nothing.
Galleries, festivals, restaurants, and lodges make Homer one of Alaska's top visitor destinations — with a huge share of revenue arriving May through September.
No state sales tax or income tax — but the Kenai Peninsula Borough's 3% plus the City of Homer's rate makes roughly 7.85% combined, the highest on the peninsula (as of 2026 — confirm current rate).
Homer is more than a zip code — it sits in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the borough that covers the peninsula, with its seat in Soldotna. Understanding its neighborhoods, roads, history, and economy is how we serve our clients better.
Homer was named for Homer Pennock, a gold-mining promoter who landed on the Spit in the 1890s. Coal — visible in the bluffs — was the first industry, and coal seams still smolder and wash onto the beaches today.
Fishing built the modern town. The 1964 earthquake dropped the Homer Spit several feet and reshaped the harbor, which was rebuilt into the base for one of the country's best-known halibut charter fleets. In the decades since, the arts community, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, and Kachemak Bay tourism turned Homer into a destination as much as a fishing port.
Today that blend of fishing, arts, and tourism continues — with more small business owners than ever, and more who need clean books to grow with confidence.
Seven core bookkeeping services, all delivered remotely — designed specifically for the pace and complexity of Homer's growing small business economy.
Your most important financial foundation. We categorize every transaction, reconcile every account, and deliver clean P&L and balance sheet reports to your inbox every month — so you always know exactly where your Homer business stands financially.
Got months or years of backlog? We clean it all up so you can move forward with an accurate set of books — ready for your CPA and ready for decisions.
Starting fresh or inheriting a mess? We configure QuickBooks, connect your accounts, and build a chart of accounts tailored to your industry and business model.
Every account reconciled every month — ensuring your books match your bank statements and every transaction is accounted for accurately.
P&L statements, balance sheets, and cash flow reports that are easy to read, understand, and act on — delivered every month, on time.
We track what you owe and what's owed to you, keeping your cash flow picture clear and your vendor relationships organized.
We ensure payroll expenses hit your books correctly every pay period, syncing with your payroll processor to keep everything reconciled and tax-ready.
We work with business owners across every major industry in Homer — from halibut charter captains on the Spit to galleries and restaurants on Pioneer Avenue to contractors and lodges out East End Road.
Job costing, subcontractor payments, material expenses, seasonal flow
Commission tracking, rental income, investor portfolios, property expenses
COGS, tip payroll, vendor reconciliation, inventory management
Consultants, marketing agencies, attorneys — clean monthly P&L
Medical practices, gyms, spas — payroll and insurance billing support
Inventory costs, merchant fees, online and in-store reconciliation
SaaS, subscription revenue, runway tracking, investor-ready reports
Salons, barbershops, cleaners — simple, consistent monthly books
Bookkeeping help in Homer usually means one busy local firm, hourly billing, and a wait until after the season. Tides was built differently — remote from day one.
We're not a local firm that went remote reluctantly. We were built remote-first from day one, which means faster delivery, better systems, and no overhead passed to you.
One flat rate based on your transaction volume. No hourly billing, no surprise invoices, no "extra work" fees. You know exactly what you're paying every month.
We don't just hand you a spreadsheet. Clean, readable reports with plain-language summaries — so you can make real business decisions from your financials.
Tax season gets dramatically easier when your books are maintained properly year-round. Most clients report lower CPA bills after working with Tides.
We earn your business every month. No lock-in agreements, no early termination fees. If we're not delivering, you can leave. That keeps us sharp.
All plans include monthly P&L, balance sheet, bank reconciliation, and dedicated support. Payroll bookkeeping support available as an add-on.
View Full Pricing & Sign Up →"I run a small business in Homer and my books were always the last thing I wanted to deal with. Tides completely changed that. I get a clean report every month, my accountant is happy, and I actually know what's going on in my business financially. Couldn't recommend them more."
Based in or near Homer? We also serve businesses throughout the Kenai Peninsula Borough and communities across Southcentral Alaska and the rest of the state.
Borough Seat · Sterling Hwy
Cook Inlet · Peninsula
Largest AK City · Seward Hwy
Fishing Port · Across the Gulf
Mat-Su Valley · North
Mat-Su Seat · North
Unified Borough · Southeast
State Capital · Southeast
It depends on how far behind you are, but most catch-up projects are completed within 2–4 weeks. We work methodically through each month, ensure everything is accurate, and give you a clean set of books before beginning regular monthly service.
We work in QuickBooks Online for your bookkeeping and Puzzle.io for real-time dashboards and an instant snapshot of your financials. If you're not on QBO yet, we can set it up as part of onboarding.
Absolutely. We can coordinate directly with your CPA or tax preparer — sharing access to QuickBooks, exporting reports in whatever format they need, and making tax season as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
No setup fees. You pay your first month's rate after onboarding is complete and we've begun your first month of bookkeeping. We also offer a satisfaction guarantee on your first month of service.
Book a free 15-minute consultation. We'll review your current situation, walk you through our process, and give you an exact quote. If it's a fit, we'll start onboarding right away — most Homer clients are up and running within a week.
Yes. No contracts, no cancellation fees. We work month to month and believe our results speak for themselves. If for any reason Tides isn't the right fit, you can cancel with 30 days' notice and we'll ensure a smooth transition.
Not at all. We serve businesses across the whole Kenai Peninsula Borough — Anchor Point, Fritz Creek, Ninilchik, Kachemak City and beyond — plus the rest of Alaska and small businesses nationwide. Our process is 100% remote and works just as well anywhere in the country.
Because the city rate is higher. Alaska has no state sales tax and no state income tax, but the Kenai Peninsula Borough levies 3% and the City of Homer adds roughly 4.85% — about 7.85% combined, the highest on the peninsula (as of 2026 — confirm the current rate with the City and the Borough). The borough's transaction cap and its non-prepared-food exemption also apply, which matters a lot for restaurants, grocers, and charter operators. We set all of that up in your books.
Alaska's sales tax is local and destination-based across 100+ jurisdictions (roughly 0% to 7.5%). Remote sellers and marketplace facilitators register once with the Alaska Remote Sellers Sales Tax Commission (ARSSTC) and file a single return covering the member jurisdictions. The economic nexus threshold is $100,000 in gross statewide sales; the 200-transaction test was removed effective January 1, 2025. We code your sales by destination so the filing is simple.
100% remote bookkeeping for small businesses across Alaska and throughout the United States. Tides works with Homer owners from our home base in Homer, Alaska — no Alaska office, no drive-time, no hourly billing.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. We'll review your current situation and give you a clear, honest picture of what it will take to get your Homer business financially clean — local sales tax filings included.
No setup fees · Cancel anytime · First month guaranteed
Official government resources for registering, filing, and staying compliant. Tides handles your books; these help with the rest.