Specialty food makers & markets
Books and taxes for charcuterie board and grazing table businesses.
Wedding deposits, corporate event bookings, same-week ingredient runs, and board rental returns. 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
June came in at $4,700, your busiest wedding month. Two deposits from July weddings landed early, so I kept them out of this month's earned income until the events actually happen.
- Wedding final paymentEvent sales
- Corporate event depositBooking deposits
- Specialty grocer meat and cheese runEvent ingredients
- Wooden board supplierBoards and serving equipment
- Delivery van fuelDelivery and setup
Why your books are different
A charcuterie and grazing table business's books go wrong around deposits and dates.
You are not selling a product off a shelf. You take deposits months before an event, buy nearly everything fresh the same week it is served, and get paid a final balance that can arrive late. When the books do not track that timing, income and cost land in the wrong months.
-
1
Deposits get counted as income before the event happens
A wedding booked for October might pay a deposit in March. Counted as March income, the books say you earned money for work you have not done yet, and October looks thin when the final payment lands.
What we doKeeps deposits separate from earned income until the event date passes, so income lands in the month the work actually happened. -
2
Same-week ingredient buying makes margins look inconsistent
Meat, cheese, and produce for a board are bought fresh days before the event, so a heavy event week can look expensive compared to a quiet one with no events at all, when really it is the same margin every time.
What we doTies ingredient purchases to the events they were bought for, so the real margin per event stays visible. -
3
Board and prop rental deposits get treated as sales
A refundable deposit taken for wooden boards, stands, or linens that get returned after the event is not really income, but it often gets counted as one when it comes in.
What we doKeeps rental deposits separate from earned event income until they are kept or refunded. -
4
Wedding season carries the year and the slow months look alarming
Spring and summer weddings might account for most of a year's bookings, so the fall and winter lull can look like the business is failing when it is just the normal season.
What we doTracks bookings by month against last year's pattern, so a slow season reads as normal, not a warning sign.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a charcuterie and grazing table business.
Set up once for how you book and what you buy. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Event salesFinal payments for weddings, corporate events, and parties.
- Booking depositsDeposits taken to hold a date, kept apart until the event happens.
- Board and prop rental feesRental charges for boards, stands, and serving pieces, apart from refundable deposits.
- Retail and market salesSmaller grab-and-go boards sold at markets or for pickup, where offered.
Money out
- Event ingredientsMeat, cheese, produce, and crackers bought fresh for each specific event.
- Boards and serving equipmentWooden boards, stands, and serving utensils, bought to last across many events.
- Delivery and setupVehicle fuel, mileage, and any setup crew costs for event day.
- Booking and payment feesWhat Square, Stripe, or a booking site kept before you got paid.
- Marketing and photosStyled photography and advertising for wedding and event bookings.
- Refundable prop depositsAmounts held for rented boards or props, returned when they come back intact.
What we watch for you
- Margin per event
What an event earns after same-week ingredient cost. The clearest sign of whether your pricing is holding up.
- Booked deposits
What is held for future events, so you know what is real income and what is still owed work.
- Wedding season share
What percent of the year lands in your busiest months. Tells you how much slack the off season needs.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things charcuterie and grazing table 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.
It counts as income for the year the wedding actually happens, not the year you got paid. I am holding it as a deposit until then.
Both events needed a big fresh ingredient run the same week. I tied those costs to the events, so once the final payments post, the real margin will show up clearly.
Food sold for events like this is often taxable, but the exact rule depends on your state and how the sale is structured. That one is worth a real check, so I flagged it for you and the accountant.
The tax side
The tax side of a charcuterie and grazing table business.
Most of what matters here is timing, since deposits, same-week ingredient runs, and refundable props all need to land in the right place for the return to be accurate.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Deposits and income timingA deposit for a future event usually is not income until the event happens. Booking it too early can overstate the year's earnings.
- Equipment write-offsServing boards, coolers, and delivery equipment can usually be written off in the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent, permanent, for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAn event-day helper not on payroll who you pay $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit before it is taxed. It comes out right only when deposits, event costs, and rentals are tracked cleanly.
Deductions charcuterie board and grazing table businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Meat and cheese for events
- Wooden boards and stands
- Serving utensils
- Delivery vehicle mileage
- Booking site fees
- Styled event photography
- Cooler and transport bags
- Linens and display props
- Business liability insurance
- Event helper wages
- Marketing and advertising
- Food handler certification
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 charcuterie and grazing table year, kept every month.
Wedding season carries most of the year, and the quiet months need their own plan. Your team keeps you ahead of the deadlines through both. 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 1099 list for event helpers is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your business return is filed and signed, right as spring booking season starts to pick up.
- July
Peak season check
Where you stand mid-wedding-season, what you will owe, and how this year's bookings compare to last year's.
- October
Before the holiday event push
Holiday parties and corporate events start booking. Gus looks at board and prop inventory before the last busy stretch of the year.
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 charcuterie board and grazing table businesses. 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 charcuterie and grazing table owners ask first.
How does Gus handle deposits I take months before an event?
He keeps them separate from earned income until the event date passes, so the year's numbers reflect when the work actually happened, not when the deposit landed.
My board rentals include a refundable deposit. Is that income?
Not usually, since it is meant to be returned. Gus keeps refundable prop deposits apart from your actual event earnings.
My slow season looks bad compared to summer. Should I worry?
Gus compares it to the same months last year. If it tracks close to your normal pattern, it is just the season, not a real dip.
Do I owe sales tax on charcuterie boards made for a wedding?
Often yes, since it is food prepared and served for an event, but the exact rule depends on your state. Gus flags it so you can confirm with your state or the accountant.
My books are behind from a busy wedding season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have and he sorts deposits, event costs, and rentals. 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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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