DTC brands
Books and taxes for candle and home fragrance brands.
A hazmat shipping surcharge, a pumpkin scent that only sells for two months, a farmers market weekend in cash, and a wax order bought in bulk. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
October came in at $11,000. The hazmat surcharge on this month's shipments jumped, so I kept it in its own line, not lumped into ordinary freight.
- Shopify Payments payoutSite sales
- Craft fair cash and card salesIn-person sales
- Golden Hour Wax Co invoiceWax and fragrance oil
- Hazmat shipping surchargeFreight and hazmat fees
- Google adsAdvertising
Why your books are different
A candle brand's books go wrong around scent season, wax buys, and cash at the fair.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is a fragrance that sells almost nowhere outside two months, a hazmat fee that ordinary shipping does not carry, and a market weekend paid in cash. When the books do not know that, a normal season looks like trouble.
-
1
Fragrance oil is classified as hazmat, and that costs extra to ship
Fragrance oils and finished candles can trigger hazmat shipping surcharges that a lighter product never sees, and if that fee gets lumped into ordinary shipping, the real cost of moving candles is hidden.
What we doKeeps hazmat surcharges in their own line, so you know what shipping a flammable product actually costs. -
2
A fall scent sells almost nothing the rest of the year
A pumpkin or cinnamon scent can carry most of a year's sales in two months, and averaging that against a slow spring makes both seasons look wrong.
What we doKeeps a seasonal scent's sales visible on their own, so a quiet month later in the year does not read as a decline. -
3
Craft fair cash sales are easy to undercount
A weekend market can bring in a mix of cash and card that is easy to shortchange in the books if it is not deposited and logged the same way every time, and a good market weekend can quietly disappear from the numbers.
What we doBooks market cash and card sales as their own line the week they happen, so a strong fair weekend shows up in the real numbers. -
4
A big wax and fragrance order distorts a single month
Buying a full pallet of soy wax or a case of the season's fragrance oils at once for a better price can make that month look far more expensive than a normal one, even though the supplies will last through several batches.
What we doKeeps a bulk wax and fragrance buy as inventory, not an expense the day it is paid, so one big order does not sink a month's number. -
5
A vessel upgrade changes your margin more than it seems
Switching from a basic glass jar to a heavier decorative vessel can add real cost to every candle, and if the books do not catch it, a price that used to work starts losing money without anyone noticing right away.
What we doFlags a jump in vessel cost the month it happens, so pricing can catch up before it becomes a habit.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a candle and fragrance brand.
Set up once for how you sell and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Site salesFull-price and promo orders through your own storefront.
- Craft fair and market salesCash and card taken at fairs and markets, logged weekly.
- Wholesale to boutiquesBulk orders billed direct, kept apart from retail sales.
- Subscription candle setsRecurring orders, if you run a subscription box.
Money out
- Wax and fragrance oilThe raw materials for each batch, held as inventory until used.
- Wicks and vesselsJars, tins, and wicks for a finished candle.
- Freight and hazmat feesShipping surcharges tied to flammable product.
- AdvertisingMeta and Google ad spend driving traffic to the site.
- Packaging and labelsBoxes, tissue, and printed labels.
- Card and marketplace feesWhat processors and marketplaces keep before you get paid.
- Craft fair booth feesTable and vendor fees for markets and fairs.
What we watch for you
- Cost per candle
Wax, fragrance, wick, and vessel against units made, so pricing survives a supply cost change.
- Seasonal scent share
How much of sales comes from a seasonal scent, so a quiet later month is read correctly.
- Market sales logged
Cash and card taken at fairs, tracked the week they happen so nothing goes missing.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked through the busy scent season and the quiet one alike.
Ask Gus
Things candle brand 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.
Fragrance oil and finished candles often get a hazmat surcharge. I keep that in its own line so you can see what it actually adds to your shipping cost.
No, that is normal for a seasonal scent. I keep it visible on its own so a quiet month later in the year does not read like a decline.
Log the cash and card total the same way every time and I book it that week as its own sales line, so a strong market weekend shows up in the real numbers.
The tax side
The tax side of a candle brand.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. A bulk wax buy expensed too soon, market cash under-logged, and a set-aside nobody started until the season slowed down.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and cost of goodsYou deduct the cost of what sold, not what is sitting in the workshop. Wax and fragrance oil bought for the season are an asset until they become finished candles that ship, not a write-off the day you pay for them.
- 1099-K from marketplaces and processorsShopify Payments reports your online volume to the IRS once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year, and market cash sales are taxable the same as any other income, form or no form.
- 1099-NEC for contractorsA freelance photographer, label designer, or booth helper paid $2,000 or more in a year who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can deduct up to 20 percent of qualified business income, with the deduction phasing down above $201,750 single and $403,500 joint. It depends on wax, market sales, and seasonal scents all being tracked accurately.
Deductions candle and home fragrance brands miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Wax and fragrance oil
- Wicks and vessels
- Hazmat and freight fees
- Packaging and labels
- Craft fair booth fees
- Meta and Google ad spend
- Product photography
- 3PL fulfillment fees
- Card and marketplace fees
- Trademark and brand registration
- Safety data sheets and burn testing
- Storage for seasonal inventory
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 candle brand's year, kept every month.
Two months carry most of the year's scent sales, and the rest of the year is spent stocking up for them. Your team is on the books every month, busy or quiet. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Post-holiday quiet
Sales drop off fast after the holiday rush, right as last year's return needs to get moving. Gus keeps the set-aside running through the quiet stretch.
- April
Return locked in
The business return is filed and signed, market sales and seasonal scents included. The set-aside has been running since January, so nothing catches you off guard.
- July
Planning the fall scent
Wax and fragrance orders for the fall scent go out. Gus keeps those purchases as inventory, not an expense that sinks a quiet summer month.
- October
Peak scent season
The busiest scent season of the year. Gus watches hazmat shipping and vessel costs closely as volume climbs.
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 candle and home fragrance brands. 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 candle brand owners ask first.
Why does shipping candles cost more than I expected?
Fragrance oil and finished candles often trigger a hazmat surcharge that a lighter product never sees. Gus keeps that fee in its own line so you know what it actually adds to your shipping cost.
Our fall scent barely sells the rest of the year. Is that going to look bad?
No, that is normal for a seasonal scent. Gus keeps it visible on its own so a quiet month later in the year reads correctly, not as a decline.
How do I make sure my farmers market cash sales get counted right?
Log the cash and card total the same way every time, and Gus books it as its own sales line that week, so a strong market weekend shows up in the real numbers.
I bought a big pallet of wax and fragrance oil at once. Does that count against this month?
No. It stays as inventory until it is used across several batches, not an expense the day you pay for it, so one bulk order does not sink the month's number.
We switched to a heavier glass vessel. Does that change our margin?
It can. Gus flags a jump in vessel cost the month it happens, so pricing can catch up before a design that used to make money starts losing it.
My books are behind because I sell at markets, wholesale, and online, and never tracked it all the same way.
Send whatever records and bank statements you have from each channel. Gus sorts it out and 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.
More in DTC brands
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Faith-based & Christian apparel brands
- Hunting & outdoor gear brands
- Kitchenware brands
- Apparel brands
- Baby & kids product brands
- Beverage brands
- Coffee brands
- Fitness equipment brands
- Hair care brands
- Home goods brands
- Jewelry brands
- Mattress & bedding brands
- Men's grooming brands
- Pet product brands
- Snack brands
- Streetwear brands
- Tech accessory brands
- Skincare brands
- Supplement brands
- 3D printing businesses
- Book & media resellers
- Car parts ecommerce sellers
- eBay resellers
- Embroidery shops
- Laser engraving businesses
- Live-selling resellers (Whatnot)
- Retail arbitrage & online arbitrage sellers
- Sticker & decal businesses
- B2B & wholesale ecommerce
- Custom merch & promo product stores
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