“Estimated gross sales” is one field on the application, and it’s the one most first-time applicants second-guess.
The short answer
It means total gross sales for the entire time the business is open this season — not annual revenue for the whole year, and not just one weekend. If your tree lot is open six weeks and expects to sell $60,000 worth of trees and wreaths across that whole stretch, $60,000 is the number.
What to include
Every dollar the business expects to bring in at the lot or patch during the season: trees, wreaths, pumpkins, hayride tickets, gate admission, hot cocoa, photo booth fees, anything sold on-site. Underwriters use this figure to size the risk, not to calculate your taxes, so err toward a realistic full-season estimate rather than a conservative low guess.
What not to include
Income from an unrelated business you run the rest of the year doesn’t belong here — only revenue tied to the seasonal operation this application covers. If you also run a landscaping business in the off-season, that revenue goes on a different application entirely.
Why it’s not a guess you should round down
Underestimating gross sales to try to lower a quote can create a mismatch if a claim happens and the real sales figures come out during a review. A realistic number up front is the more reliable path to accurate pricing.