Live events & performance

Books and taxes for car show organizers.

Car registration fees, vendor booth rentals, a trophy and awards bill, and a sponsor banner on the main stage. Gus sorts each apart, 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
MayExample month
$9,200
what you made

May cleared $9,200. The awards and trophy order for this year's show is booked as its own line, not lumped with general supplies.

  • Car registration payout, EventbriteEntrant registration
  • Vendor booth depositsVendor and exhibitor fees
  • Trophy and plaque orderAwards and trophies
  • Fairgrounds site rentalSite and grounds
  • Insurance rider, event coverageInsurance
Money in$39,000
Money out$29,800
Set aside for taxes$1,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A car show's books go wrong the same way, event after event.

A generalist sees a registration deposit and a grounds bill. Your event is entry fees collected months ahead, vendor booths sold apart from spectator admission, an awards and trophy bill that grows with the entry list, and a sponsor who wants a banner instead of a cash payment.

  1. 1

    Entry fees collected months ahead get counted too early

    A registration fee paid in January for a show in June is not January's income, it is a deposit against an event that has not happened yet. Counted right away, a quiet winter month looks stronger than it really is.

    What we doHolds registration income against the show date it belongs to, so early sign-ups do not distort the months before the event.
  2. 2

    Spectator admission and vendor booth fees blur together

    A spectator's ticket and a vendor's booth fee are priced differently and paid by different people, and lumped into one deposit, it is impossible to see whether the show is really carried by walk-in visitors or by vendors and exhibitors.

    What we doKeeps entrant registration, spectator admission, and vendor fees in their own lines, so each side of the show is visible.
  3. 3

    Awards and trophy costs get folded into general supplies

    Trophies, plaques, and dash plaques scale with how many cars register, and buried in a general supplies line, it is hard to see how awards spending tracks against entry fee income.

    What we doKeeps awards and trophy costs in their own category, so you can see that cost move with entries, not general overhead.
  4. 4

    In-kind sponsorships get skipped instead of tracked

    A sponsor who provides a raffle prize or a banner display instead of a cash payment still represents value to the show, but with nothing changing hands in the bank account, it is easy to leave it out of the picture entirely.

    What we doKeeps a simple record of in-kind sponsorships alongside cash ones, so the full sponsor relationship is visible even when no check was written.
  5. 5

    One number for the whole show hides what actually drove profit

    A show that reports one lump total for the year cannot say whether entry fees, vendor booths, or the raffle carried the event, which makes planning next year's pricing a guess.

    What we doKeeps each income category visible on its own, so you can see what actually drove the show's numbers before setting next year's fees.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a car show.

Set up once for how the show makes money and where it goes. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Entrant registrationCar entry fees collected ahead of the show.
  • Spectator admissionGate tickets for visitors who are not entering a vehicle.
  • Vendor and exhibitor feesBooth fees from parts vendors, dealers, and food trucks.
  • SponsorshipsCash sponsorships from auto shops, dealerships, and local businesses.
  • Raffle and merchandiseRaffle ticket sales and branded show merchandise.

Money out

  • Awards and trophiesTrophies, plaques, and dash plaques for entrants.
  • Site and groundsFairground, parking lot, or park rental for the show.
  • MarketingLocal ads, social promotion, and printed show flyers.
  • InsuranceEvent liability coverage for the grounds and entrants.
  • Judging and staffingJudges, registration staff, and parking attendants.
  • Signage and stagingBanners, stage rental, and a sound system for announcements.
  • PermitsAssembly or vendor permits required by the site.
  • Raffle prizesPurchased or donated prizes for the raffle drawing.

What we watch for you

  • Entries versus spectators

    How much of revenue comes from cars entering versus people walking in, useful when setting next year's fees.

  • Vendor coverage

    How much booth and sponsor money covers the show's costs before spectator tickets sell.

  • Awards cost per entry

    What trophies and plaques cost against the entry fee, so pricing keeps pace with the awards budget.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number already known.

Ask Gus

Things car show organizers 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.

Registrations for June are already coming in. Why isn't that showing as profit yet?

Because it is not this month's money yet. I hold registration fees against the show date, so it counts toward June's numbers, not right now.

A sponsor is giving us a banner and a raffle prize instead of cash. Does that count for anything on the books?

It is worth tracking even without cash changing hands. I keep a simple record of in-kind sponsorships so you can see the full picture of who is supporting the show.

Should we raise entry fees or add more vendor booths next year?

That is a real pricing call above what I settle alone. I put together how entries and booths performed this year for the accountant to walk through with you.

The tax side

The tax side of running a car show.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and categories: registration fees counted too early, awards costs buried in supplies, and staff paid cash on show day.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Contractor 1099s for judges and staffA judge, announcer, or parking attendant paid $2,000 or more over the year outside payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list from show to show.
  • Matching registration income to the right show dateEntry fees collected months ahead belong to that show's numbers, not the calendar month they were paid. Getting the timing right keeps the year's numbers honest.
  • Raffle income and prize reportingRaffle ticket sales are ordinary income, and larger prizes can carry their own reporting rules depending on value. Gus flags a big prize for the accountant to confirm the right treatment.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated show organizers can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when registration, vendor, and sponsor income are all booked correctly.

Deductions car show and expo organizers miss

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

  • Trophies and plaques
  • Dash plaques and entrant gifts
  • Event liability insurance
  • Site and parking lot rental
  • Judging clipboards and forms
  • Sound system rental
  • Banners and stage signage
  • Printed show flyers
  • Assembly and vendor permits
  • Raffle prizes
  • Card processing fees
  • Registration software 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 car show's year, kept every month.

Most shows run on a single annual date with a long registration window ahead of it. Gus keeps the tax calendar lined up alongside it. 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 judges and staff is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Post-show check

    With the show behind you, Gus lays out the real settlement and what you will owe on it.

  4. October

    Next year's planning

    Sponsor renewals and next year's site bookings usually happen this time of year. Gus looks at what this year actually cleared before you commit.

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 car show and expo organizers. 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 car show organizers ask first.

Registration opens months before the show. How is that income handled?

Gus holds registration fees against the show date they belong to, so an early sign-up rush does not get counted as the wrong month's income.

Do vendor booth fees get taxed differently than entry fees?

They are both ordinary business income, but Gus keeps them in separate categories so you can see what each side of the show actually brings in.

We give away trophies and raffle prizes. Does that affect our taxes?

Trophies are an ordinary cost, and larger raffle prizes can carry their own reporting rules depending on value. Gus flags anything worth a closer look.

Do our judges need 1099s if we only use them once a year?

If you pay them $2,000 or more in the year and they are not on payroll, yes, by January 31, even for a single annual event.

A sponsor gave us a raffle prize instead of cash. Does that need to be tracked?

It is worth recording even without a cash payment, so you can see the full picture of who is supporting the show, and Gus keeps a simple log of it.

Our books are behind from last year's show. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have and Gus sorts them month by month. Most organizers 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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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