Bars & nightlife

Books and taxes for cocktail bars.

Reservation deposits, a bar tab that turns into a big tip, a case of imported amaro, and the citrus order that goes bad if it sits. 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
SeptemberExample month
$13,900
what you made

September came in at $13,900. The case of imported amaro from your specialty distributor went in as bar inventory, not supplies, since it is what you sell by the pour.

  • Toast payoutBar tabs
  • Tock reservation depositsReserved seating
  • Southern Glazer's invoiceLiquor purchases
  • Produce vendor, citrusPerishables
  • Payroll, bar staffWages and tip pool
Money in$61,200
Money out$47,300
Set aside for taxes$3,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A cocktail bar's books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees deposits and a liquor bill. Your bar is citrus that spoils in days, bitters and syrups made in small batches, and a pour cost that runs higher than a bar pouring rail drinks all night. When the books do not know that, the monthly number lies to you.

  1. 1

    Citrus and garnish spoilage vanishes

    A case of limes, a bag of mint, and fresh juice pressed for the week either get used or they get thrown out. Booked once as a produce bill and never revisited, an owner cannot tell how much of that cost turned into a poured drink and how much went in the trash.

    What we doKeeps perishables in their own category so a spike in spoilage or waste shows up against the month it happened, not buried in general food cost.
  2. 2

    Pour cost runs high and nobody sees why

    A craft cocktail with three or four ingredients, a barrel-aged component, and a house-made syrup costs more to pour than a rail drink, and a bar that tracks liquor cost as one number cannot tell whether pricing or waste is the real problem.

    What we doTracks liquor and specialty ingredient purchases against drink sales every month, so a pour cost that drifts shows up while it is still fixable.
  3. 3

    House-made syrups and infusions get filed as supplies

    Batches of simple syrup, shrubs, and bitters made in-house use ingredients that are really bar inventory, not office supplies, and filed wrong they make the true cost of a cocktail menu impossible to see.

    What we doBooks ingredients used to make house cocktail components as bar inventory, keeping the real cost of the menu visible.
  4. 4

    Reservation deposits and no-shows get mixed with tabs

    A deposit taken through Tock or Resy for a busy Saturday sometimes comes with a no-show, and lumped in with regular bar tabs, an owner cannot tell how much of a strong night was actual pours versus a forfeited deposit.

    What we doKeeps reservation deposits and no-show fees in their own line, separate from what was actually poured that night.
  5. 5

    A back-bar buildout looks like a repair

    A new back bar, a custom ice program, or a reach-in cooler installed for a menu relaunch shows up on the bank statement looking like maintenance, but it is a capital purchase that should be depreciated, not expensed all at once.

    What we doFlags large equipment and buildout purchases the month they happen and gets the accountant's call on how they should be written off.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a cocktail bar.

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

  • Bar tabsDrinks rung through Toast, Square, or a similar system.
  • Reserved seatingDeposits taken through Tock or Resy for tables and busy nights.
  • Private eventsBuyouts and semi-private bookings for the room or a back area.
  • MerchandiseBranded glassware, shirts, and bottled house bitters sold to go.

Money out

  • Liquor purchasesSpirits, amaro, and vermouth bought from your distributor.
  • PerishablesCitrus, fresh juice, herbs, and other garnishes that spoil fast.
  • Bar inventory for house recipesIngredients for house-made syrups, shrubs, and bitters.
  • Wages and tip poolBartender and barback pay, kept apart from pooled tips.
  • Glassware and bar toolsCoupes, jiggers, strainers, and breakage replacement.
  • Reservation and card feesWhat Tock, Resy, or your card processor keep before you get paid.
  • Liquor license and insuranceLicense renewal and liquor liability coverage.

What we watch for you

  • Pour cost

    Liquor and ingredient cost against drink sales, watched for drift.

  • Spoilage rate

    What gets thrown out against what gets poured, tracked by the month.

  • Labor cost

    Wages and tip pool against sales, so staffing matches a real night.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things cocktail bar 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.

We just built out a whole new ice program. Does that count as equipment?

Usually yes. I logged the ice machine and molds as equipment, not supplies, and flagged the purchase so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.

Why did citrus cost so much more this month?

Your produce order nearly doubled the week you launched the new menu. I kept it in perishables so you can see it against that specific week.

Do I owe our guest DJ from the launch party any paperwork?

If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running as we go.

The tax side

The tax side of a cocktail bar.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Perishables filed like liquor, equipment filed like supplies, and a set-aside nobody started until April.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Bar equipment and buildoutsA back bar, ice program, or draft system can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sA guest bartender, DJ, or photographer not on payroll who you paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
  • Employee or contractorA bartender who works your schedule and pours behind your bar is usually an employee, not a contractor, even if they only work weekend shifts.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions cocktail bars miss

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

  • Citrus and garnish spoilage
  • House bitters ingredients
  • Coupes and bar glassware
  • Jiggers and bar tools
  • Draft line cleaning
  • Reservation software fees
  • Card processing fees
  • Liquor license renewal
  • Ice machine repair
  • Branded staff uniforms
  • Menu design and printing
  • Liquor liability insurance

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 cocktail bar year, kept every month.

Reservations fill up around holidays and slow down in the quiet weeks between. 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 guest bartenders and entertainers is ready, and your monthly set-aside is planned.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

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

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer's slower reservation pace changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holidays

    Before the busiest reservation season of the year, Gus looks at equipment you might buy and anything worth doing before December.

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 cocktail bars. 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 cocktail bar owners ask first.

Can Gus handle deposits from Tock or Resy?

Yes. He books reservation deposits and no-show fees in their own line, separate from bar tabs, so you can see what a reserved night actually brought in.

Our bartenders split tips every shift. Does that complicate things?

It changes where the money is tracked, not what you do. Pooled tips move through payroll on their own line, so you can still see labor cost against what a night brought in.

How does Gus handle citrus and produce that goes bad?

It stays in its own category, perishables, separate from liquor. If spoilage jumps in a given month, that shows up clearly instead of getting lost in general food cost.

Do I write off a new back bar all at once?

Often you can. Equipment and buildouts bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy them, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.

My books are behind from opening the bar. Is that a problem?

No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners 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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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