Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for bridal shops.

Special order deposits on gowns that will not arrive for months, in-house alterations, wholesale inventory buys, and trunk shows. 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
MarchExample month
$15,000
what you made

March came in at $15,000. The trunk show brought in five new special orders, so I kept those deposits flagged until the gowns actually arrive.

  • Gown special order, final paymentGown sales
  • New special order depositSpecial order deposits
  • Designer wholesale gown orderGown inventory
  • Alterations seamstress payAlterations
  • Trunk show designer travel feeTrunk show costs
Money in$46,000
Money out$31,000
Set aside for taxes$3,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A bridal shop's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and inventory bills. Your business is a special order deposit tied to a gown six months out, alterations billed apart from the gown itself, and a wholesale order that can run thousands in one invoice. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.

  1. 1

    Special order deposits are not spending money yet

    A bride puts 50 percent down on a $2,400 gown that will not arrive for six months, and if that deposit is treated as earned income the day it lands, the books overstate a month where the gown has not even shipped.

    What we doFlags special order deposits until the gown actually arrives and is fitted.
  2. 2

    Alterations get lumped with gown sales

    An in-house or subcontracted seamstress charges separately for alterations, and if that income and cost sit inside the same line as gown sales, you cannot tell whether alterations are actually profitable on their own.

    What we doKeeps alterations income and seamstress pay in their own lines, apart from gown sales.
  3. 3

    Wholesale gown inventory looks like a bad month

    Ordering next season's sample gowns from a designer can mean a single invoice for thousands of dollars, and filed as a regular expense, it makes that month look like a loss.

    What we doFlags large inventory buys, so a big wholesale order does not distort a single month.
  4. 4

    Trunk show costs get missed

    Hosting a designer trunk show means travel fees, marketing, and sometimes a minimum order commitment, and untracked apart from everyday inventory, it is hard to tell whether the event actually paid for itself.

    What we doKeeps trunk show costs in their own line, so you can see what each event actually returned.
  5. 5

    Sample sale pricing hides real margin

    Last season's samples get sold at a steep discount, and if that revenue is not tracked apart from full-price gown sales, your average sale price looks lower than what current inventory is actually earning.

    What we doKeeps sample sale income apart from regular gown sales.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a bridal shop.

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

  • Gown salesSpecial order and off-the-rack gowns, deposit and final payment.
  • Special order depositsHeld when a bride orders, often months before the gown arrives.
  • Alterations feesBilled apart from the gown itself.
  • Accessories and veilsRetail add-ons sold alongside a gown.
  • Sample sale incomeDiscounted sales of last season's gowns.

Money out

  • Gown inventoryWholesale designer orders bought to resell.
  • Alterations seamstress payIn-house or subcontracted fitting work.
  • Trunk show costsDesigner travel, marketing, and event setup.
  • Shop rent and utilitiesThe boutique lease, electric, and water.
  • InsuranceInventory and liability coverage.
  • MarketingBridal shows, website, and social ads.
  • Fitting room fixturesMirrors, pedestals, and display racks.

What we watch for you

  • Special order deposits on hand

    How much belongs to gowns not yet delivered, so it is never mistaken for spare cash.

  • Alterations margin

    What alterations bring in against what the seamstress costs, kept apart from gown sales.

  • Inventory turnover

    How fast gowns sell after they arrive, so a slow rack does not stay hidden.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things bridal shop 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 bride put 50 percent down on a gown that will not arrive for six months. Is that all my income right now?

It is booked as income when you receive it, but I flag it as tied to a gown not yet delivered, so you know how much is really earned.

My seamstress charges separately for alterations. Does that count with the gown sale?

No, I keep alterations income and her pay in their own lines, so you can see whether alterations are profitable on their own.

I placed a big wholesale order for next season's samples. Why does this month look terrible?

That is a big one-time buy. I flag large inventory orders so they do not make a month look worse than it is.

The tax side

The tax side of a bridal shop.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and mixing gown sales with the alterations work that comes with them.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Sales tax on gowns and accessoriesGown sales, veils, and accessories are usually taxed as tangible goods. Alterations may be taxed differently depending on the state. The accountant checks what applies to you.
  • Alterations contractor 1099sA subcontracted seamstress not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Inventory and cost of goodsGowns bought wholesale to resell count as inventory, not an immediate expense, so the accountant times the write-off to when each gown actually sells.
  • 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 bridal shops miss

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

  • Wholesale gown inventory
  • Alterations seamstress pay
  • Trunk show travel and marketing
  • Fitting room fixtures
  • Shop rent and utilities
  • Liability insurance
  • Website and online booking
  • Bridal show booth fees
  • Steamers and garment care
  • Packaging and garment bags
  • 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 bridal shop's year, kept every month.

Engagement season fills the fitting rooms and special orders arrive on their own schedule. Gus keeps the return on its own timeline. 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 for your alterations seamstress is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned as engagement season brings in new brides.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed before the spring bridal rush hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest fitting weeks.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's special orders changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday wave

    Holiday proposals bring a new wave of shoppers. Gus looks at inventory worth ordering before December and what next season needs.

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 bridal shops. 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 bridal shop owners ask first.

Can Gus tell the difference between a special order deposit and money I have actually earned?

Yes. He flags special order deposits until the gown arrives and is fitted, so you always know how much of your balance is really yours.

My seamstress charges for alterations separately. Does that get tracked apart from gown sales?

Yes. Alterations income and seamstress pay stay in their own lines, so you can see whether alterations are profitable on their own.

I ordered a big batch of new season samples. Why does that month look bad?

It gets flagged as a large inventory buy, so the order does not distort that month's real picture.

Do I charge sales tax on alterations?

It varies by state whether alterations are taxed the same as the gown itself. The accountant checks what applies to you.

My books are a mess from years of running this myself. Can Gus untangle it?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most shop 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