Culinary & hands-on workshops
Books and taxes for blacksmithing and forging classes.
Class tickets, forged knives sold at fairs, steel stocked up by the season, and a Groupon voucher that pays out short. Gus sorts it all, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August came in at $11,000. Two intro classes sold through Groupon paid out at half price, so I booked the full ticket value as the sale.
- Groupon voucher redemptionsClass ticket sales
- Craft fair sales, forged knivesRetail sales
- Steel stock order, supplierRaw materials
- Propane refill, forge tanksForge fuel
- Quenching oil and coalRaw materials
Why your books are different
Blacksmithing books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees steel buys and class tickets. Your business is Groupon vouchers that pay out short, coal and propane that cost differently to run, finished knives sold at fairs next to class seats, and raw material bought in seasonal bulk. When the books do not separate those, pricing gets guessed.
-
1
Groupon vouchers pay out less than the class sold for
A $99 intro blacksmithing class sold through Groupon might land in the bank as $50 once the site keeps its cut. Booked at the discounted amount, your class sales look thinner than what the class actually sold for.
What we doBooks the full ticket price as the sale and the site's cut as a marketing cost, so your class prices show up honest. -
2
Steel stock bought in bulk wrecks a single month
Bar stock, coal, and quenching oil often get ordered a few times a year in large quantities from a metal supplier. One big order can make a month look like it lost money, when it is really months of raw material at once.
What we doKeeps raw material purchases in one steady line and tells you when a bulk order, not a bad month, explains a thin number. -
3
Finished pieces sold at fairs get counted as class revenue
A hand-forged knife or fire poker sold at a renaissance faire booth is a very different sale from a class seat, but rung up through the same card reader they often land in one lump line, hiding what retail work is really worth.
What we doKeeps retail sales of finished pieces separate from class tickets, so you see what each side of the business brings in. -
4
A power hammer or new forge gets filed as a supply
A power hammer or a propane forge upgrade can cost as much as a used truck, but bought alongside coal and rod stock it often gets filed as one more raw material purchase instead of the equipment purchase it is.
What we doFlags big equipment buys the day they show up, logs them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how to write them off. -
5
Coal and propane costs get treated the same
A coal forge and a propane forge burn through fuel at different rates and different costs, and if a shop runs both, lumping the fuel spend together hides which setup is actually cheaper to run for a given class.
What we doKeeps coal and propane spend in separate lines, so you can see which forge setup actually costs less to run.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a blacksmithing business.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Class ticket salesOpen enrollment intro and advanced sessions, paid at booking.
- Groupon and deal vouchersIntro classes sold at a discount, booked at full price with the site's cut as a cost.
- Retail sales of forged piecesKnives, tools, and decorative ironwork sold at fairs or from the shop.
- Private and group bookingsBachelor parties, team-building groups, and scout troops, booked by deposit.
- Membership or open-forge feesRecurring access fees for members who use the forge outside of class time.
Money out
- Steel and raw stockBar stock, round stock, and scrap steel from a metal supplier.
- Forge fuelCoal and propane, tracked apart since the two cost differently to run.
- Quenching oil and consumablesQuenching oil, flux, and grinding wheels.
- Safety gearLeather aprons, gloves, and eye protection.
- Shop rent and utilitiesStudio lease and electric for power tools and ventilation.
- Booking and payment feesGroupon, Eventbrite, and card processing fees.
- MarketingLocal ads, craft fair booth fees, and class photography.
What we watch for you
- Cost per class
Raw material and fuel cost against the ticket price, so you know which classes pay.
- Retail versus class share
How much of the month came from selling finished pieces against teaching.
- Fuel cost per session
Coal or propane spend per class, so pricing keeps up with fuel costs.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things blacksmithing owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Two classes sold through Groupon paid out at half price. I booked the full ticket value as the sale, so your numbers show what the class was really worth.
Yes. I kept it in one steady raw material line so you can see it was a stock-up, not a bad month.
Usually yes. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a blacksmithing business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A steel stock-up that looks like a bad month, and equipment filed the wrong way.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Raw material cost of goodsSteel, coal, and quenching oil used directly in what you sell are cost of goods, the direct cost tracked against each sale, not a general supply expense.
- Equipment write-offsPower hammers, forges, and anvils can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA guest instructor or booth helper not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if you pay them $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions blacksmithing and forging classes miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Bar and round steel stock
- Coal and propane fuel
- Quenching oil and flux
- Grinding wheels and belts
- Leather aprons and gloves
- Anvil and hammer repair
- Craft fair booth fees
- Eventbrite and Groupon fees
- Shop rent and utilities
- Liability insurance
- Class photography
- Cleaning and shop supplies
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A blacksmithing year, kept every month.
Fair season runs hot and class bookings run steady. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and ahead of taxes too. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the guest instructor 1099 list is finalized, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill this spring, because the set-aside has been building since January.
- July
Fair season
Craft fairs and renaissance faires run heavy through summer. Gus keeps retail sales and class tickets sorted while the booth stays busy.
- October
Stocking up for fall classes
Steel and fuel orders ahead of the busy fall class season land now. Gus keeps them in one steady line so the month does not look alarming.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for blacksmithing and forging classes. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions blacksmithing owners ask first.
Can Gus handle classes sold through Groupon?
Yes. He books the full ticket price as the sale and the site's cut as a cost, so your class prices are not understated and the discount still counts against your taxes.
We sell finished knives at renaissance faires. Does that count differently than class income?
Yes. Gus keeps retail sales of forged pieces separate from class tickets, so you can see what each side of the business brings in.
We stocked up on steel and coal for the fall season. Won't that make one month look bad?
No. Gus keeps raw material purchases in one steady line and tells you when a bulk order, not a slow season, is why a month looks thin.
Do I need a 1099 for a guest instructor who taught one weekend class?
If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. Gus keeps that list running all year.
We just bought a used power hammer. Can we write it off?
Usually yes, often in the year you buy it. Gus flags the purchase as equipment and the accountant decides how to write it off with your whole year in view.
Our books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever