Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for bounce house and inflatable rental companies.

Rental fees, delivery crews called in for busy weekends, punctures and seam wear from regular use, and the wind that can force a same-day cancellation. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
JuneExample month
$4,800
what you made

June came in at $4,800. A windy Saturday forced one cancellation, so I kept that refund apart from your regular rental revenue.

  • June 14 wedding reception rentalRental fees
  • Weather cancellation refundCancellation refunds
  • New bounce house unitInflatable inventory
  • Delivery crew payrollDelivery and setup
  • Puncture repair kit and patchesRepairs and maintenance
Money in$13,000
Money out$8,200
Set aside for taxes$1,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A bounce house and inflatable rental company's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees rental invoices and a repair bill. Your business is wind that can force a same-day cancellation, delivery crews who work some weekends and not others, and inflatables that puncture and wear from regular use. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.

  1. 1

    Weather cancellations get treated like lost revenue

    High wind can force a same-day cancellation for safety, and if that refund is not tracked separately from a no-show or a client-caused cancellation, you cannot tell how much weather alone is costing you in a season.

    What we doKeeps weather-related cancellation refunds in their own line.
  2. 2

    A new inflatable looks like a supply run

    A bounce house or water slide unit can cost a few thousand dollars, and filed as a supply purchase, it wrecks that month's number and misses the chance to write it off properly.

    What we doFlags inflatable purchases as equipment.
  3. 3

    Delivery labor looks like a fixed cost

    Setup and breakdown crews get called in on busy weekends and less on quiet ones, and if pay is treated like steady payroll, you cannot tell what labor actually costs against what a rental billed.

    What we doTies delivery and setup pay to the specific rental it supported.
  4. 4

    Repair costs from wear and punctures get missed

    Inflatables get punctures and seam wear from regular use, and if patch kits and repairs are not tracked as their own ongoing cost, a business can look more profitable than it really is.

    What we doFlags patterns in repair spending, so wear and tear shows up in the numbers.
  5. 5

    The deposit is not spending money yet

    A client books a rental months out and pays a deposit, and if it is treated like this month's earned income, the books overstate what has actually been worked.

    What we doFlags booked deposits for rentals not yet delivered, so you always know how much of the balance is spoken for.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a bounce house and inflatable rental company.

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

  • Rental feesThe base charge for a bounce house or inflatable rental.
  • Booking depositsHeld when a client books, often months out.
  • Delivery and setup feesCharged apart from the rental itself.
  • Attendant staffing add-onsAn extra fee for on-site supervision during the event.
  • Multi-unit package discountsBundled rentals for bigger parties and receptions.

Money out

  • Inflatable inventoryBounce houses and slides bought to rent out repeatedly.
  • Delivery and setup laborCrews hired for busy weekends.
  • Generator and blower fuelPower for inflatables at venues without enough of their own.
  • Repairs and maintenancePatch kits and seam repairs from regular wear.
  • InsuranceLiability coverage for on-site use.
  • Cleaning and sanitizingSupplies used between rentals.
  • Cancellation refundsWeather-related refunds tracked apart from client cancellations.

What we watch for you

  • Cost per rental

    Delivery and repairs against what each rental actually billed.

  • Weather cancellation rate

    How much a bad-weather season costs you, so it does not look like an unexplained loss.

  • Inflatable replacement rate

    How much goes to replacing worn units, so wear and tear does not hide in the numbers.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things bounce house rental 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.

A windy Saturday forced us to cancel and refund a family. Is that the same as a client backing out?

No, I keep weather cancellations in their own line, so you can see how much a bad-weather season is actually costing you.

I bought a new bounce house unit for $2,800. Is that a supply expense?

No, that is equipment. I flag it so it does not wreck the month, and the accountant decides how it is written off.

My delivery crew works some weekends and not others. How is that tracked?

Tied to the events that needed them, not treated like steady payroll, so you can see the real cost of any given weekend.

The tax side

The tax side of a bounce house and inflatable rental company.

Most of what goes wrong here is a new inflatable filed like a supply and a weather refund that gets lost in general revenue.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Inflatables as business assetsBounce houses and slides bought for the business are usually treated as equipment. The accountant decides how much of the cost to write off now.
  • Delivery crew 1099sCrew members not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Sales tax on rentalsMost states tax equipment rentals like inflatables. Rules vary by state, so the accountant checks what applies to you.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions bounce house and inflatable rental companies miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Inflatable inventory purchases
  • Delivery crew wages
  • Generator and blower fuel
  • Repair patches and seam kits
  • Liability insurance
  • Cleaning and sanitizing supplies
  • Vehicle fuel and maintenance
  • Website and online booking
  • Bridal show and party expo fees
  • Storage for inflatables
  • Business cards and branding
  • Card processing fees

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 bounce house rental company's year, kept every month.

Weddings and parties fill spring and summer weekends fast, then ease up. Your team keeps you ahead of both the calendar and the return. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for delivery crews is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your calendar.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed right as the spring booking rush hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's rental count is on pace.

  4. October

    Before the last fall bookings

    The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at inventory worth buying before December and what the winter months need to cover.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

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 bounce house and inflatable rental companies. 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 bounce house rental owners ask first.

Is a weather cancellation the same as a client backing out?

No. Weather-related refunds are kept in their own line, so you can see how much a bad-weather season is actually costing you.

Does a new bounce house count as a supply expense?

No. It is treated as equipment, and the accountant decides how much of the cost to write off in the year you buy it.

How is delivery crew pay tracked?

Tied to the events they worked, not treated like steady payroll, so you can see the real cost of any given weekend.

Do I charge sales tax on rentals?

Usually, since most states tax equipment rentals. The accountant checks what applies to you.

My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most owners know where they stand within 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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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