Indoor entertainment
Books and taxes for comedy and magic clubs.
Ticketed shows, a two-drink minimum at the tables, touring performers paid a door split, and a bar that runs alongside every set. 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
May came in at $13,400. A touring headliner sold out four shows, and I kept the door split paid to her apart from your house comic wages.
- Eventbrite payoutTicket sales
- Two-drink minimum salesBar and drinks
- Headliner door splitPerformer payments
- Beverage distributorBar and drinks
- Sound tech payrollWages
Why your books are different
Comedy and magic club books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a ticket sale and a bar tab. Your business runs on touring performers paid a door split, a house team paid differently, a drink minimum that is really a cover charge in disguise, and a room that has to sell out to work. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell which nights actually pay.
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1
Performer splits get lumped into one payroll number
A touring headliner paid a percentage of the door and a house comic paid a flat rate for the same night are two very different kinds of cost, and blended together, an owner cannot see what a sold-out night actually costs to run.
What we doKeeps performer payments in their own category apart from staff wages, split by how each performer is actually paid. -
2
The two-drink minimum blurs into ticket revenue
A drink minimum is really bar revenue collected at the table, not part of the ticket price, and if it is counted as ticket sales, the club cannot see how much the bar actually earns per seat.
What we doKeeps drink minimum sales in the bar category, separate from ticket revenue, so both numbers are honest. -
3
A slow weeknight looks the same as a sold-out weekend
Ticket revenue swings hard between a packed Saturday headliner show and a quiet open mic Tuesday, and without tracking shows by type, an owner cannot tell which format is actually worth the room's overhead.
What we doTracks ticket revenue with enough detail to see which kinds of shows are carrying the room. -
4
Sound and lighting upgrades read like a repair bill
A new sound system or stage lighting rig can cost thousands, and filed as a repair, it wrecks the month's numbers and hides that it is a long-term investment that should be depreciated.
What we doFlags a major equipment purchase the month it happens, books it as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on writing it off.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a comedy or magic club.
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
- Ticket salesShow admission sold through Eventbrite or a similar app.
- Bar and drinksDrink minimum sales and general bar tabs.
- Private eventsCorporate bookings and full-room buyouts.
- MerchandisePerformer merchandise and house-branded items.
Money out
- Performer paymentsTouring headliner splits and house performer pay.
- Bar and drinksBeer, wine, and liquor from a licensed distributor.
- WagesSound techs, door staff, and bartenders.
- Liquor license and insuranceAlcohol licensing and liability coverage.
- Sound and lightingStage equipment purchase and repair.
- MarketingTicketing app fees, local ads, and performer promotion.
What we watch for you
- Performer cost per show
What a headliner's split costs against ticket sales, useful when booking.
- Drink minimum yield
Bar revenue per seat, kept apart from ticket price.
- Show type mix
Revenue by headliner shows versus open mics, so booking decisions are grounded in real numbers.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things comedy club 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.
Ticket sales more than covered it this time, with room to spare. I keep performer pay separate from staff wages so you can run that math for every booking.
It's tracked as bar revenue, not part of the ticket price, so you're seeing it clearly. Worth knowing when you're pricing shows.
If you pay one $2,000 or more this year and they are not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I keep that list running through the season so it is ready.
The tax side
The tax side of a comedy or magic club.
Most of what goes wrong here is mixing performer pay with staff wages, and drink minimum money with ticket revenue.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Sound and lighting equipmentStage sound systems and lighting rigs can usually be written off up to $2,560,000 under Section 179 in the year bought, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA touring performer, sound tech, or magician who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Employee or contractorA house comic or magician who performs on a regular schedule at your booking and direction may be closer to an employee than a touring act paid per show. The accountant's read matters here.
- 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 comedy and magic clubs miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Sound and lighting equipment
- Stage and green room supplies
- Liquor liability insurance
- Bar tools and glassware
- Ticketing app fees
- Performer travel and lodging
- Card processing fees
- Signage and marquee upkeep
- Sound tech certifications
- Cleaning and janitorial service
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 comedy club year, kept every month.
Weekend headliner shows carry most weeks, and the calendar swells around holiday party season. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and of taxes on their own schedule. 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 touring performers is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how the summer booking calendar changed the number.
- October
Before the holiday season
Corporate holiday party bookings start filling the calendar. Gus looks at sound and lighting equipment worth buying before December.
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 comedy and magic clubs. 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 comedy club owners ask first.
Can Gus separate performer pay from staff wages?
Yes. Touring headliner splits and house performer pay get their own category apart from bartenders, door staff, and sound techs, so you can see what a night's talent actually cost.
Does the two-drink minimum count as ticket revenue?
No. Gus keeps it as bar revenue collected at the table, separate from the ticket price, so both numbers stay honest and you can see what the bar actually earns per seat.
Does Gus handle our liquor license or excise tax?
No, that stays with you or your accountant to file. Gus keeps bar spending and bar sales sorted cleanly all year, and if he notices a renewal date approaching, he will say so.
Are our house comics employees or contractors?
It depends on how regularly they perform and how much you direct their schedule. Gus flags the pattern and the accountant makes the final call.
Our books mix ticket sales, bar tabs, and performer pay into one number. Can Gus fix that?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts each into its own category, the accountant checks it, 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.
More in indoor entertainment
We keep books for the business next door too.
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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