Music, art & performing arts businesses

Books and taxes for custom framing shops.

Retail walk-in tickets, a wholesale trade account with a local photographer, moulding and glass that costs more every order, and a backlog of jobs in progress. 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
MayExample month
$7,400
what you made

May came in at $7,400. The Harmon Gallery trade account paid its thirty-day invoice for six museum frames, so that landed later than the job itself.

  • Retail counter, framingRetail framing tickets
  • Harmon Gallery, net 30Wholesale trade accounts
  • Larson-Juhl orderMoulding and glass
  • UPS Freight, large pieceShipping and delivery
  • Shop rentShop rent and utilities
Money in$19,800
Money out$12,400
Set aside for taxes$1,550
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Custom framing books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees ticket totals and calls it revenue. Framing shops sell a mix of moulding, glass, mat board, and labor on one ticket, run trade accounts on their own payment terms, and often carry a backlog of jobs paid for but not yet finished. When the books do not separate those, you cannot tell what a job actually earns.

  1. 1

    Materials and labor get billed as one flat price

    A $220 framing job includes moulding, UV glass, and mat board that together cost $95, but the ticket shows one number. Without splitting it, you cannot tell if your pricing still covers rising material costs.

    What we doSplits material cost from labor on each job type, so you can see the real margin, not just the ticket total.
  2. 2

    Trade account terms get mixed with retail cash

    A wholesale account with a local photographer pays net 30, while a walk-in customer pays at pickup. Combined in one column, you cannot tell what is actually collected versus what is still owed.

    What we doTracks trade account receivables separately from retail cash, so you know exactly what is outstanding and from whom.
  3. 3

    A big moulding order distorts one month

    Ordering a bulk supply of a popular moulding profile from Larson-Juhl makes one month's expenses spike, while the jobs that actually use that moulding stretch out over the next several months.

    What we doKeeps material purchases in a steady line and flags when a stock-up, not slow business, is what made a month look thin.
  4. 4

    Jobs paid up front sit as a backlog nobody tracks

    A customer pays for a museum-quality frame job that takes three weeks to complete. Counted as income the day it is paid, the books do not reflect what is still owed in finished work.

    What we doHolds job deposits as work owed until the piece is picked up, so income lines up with jobs actually completed.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a custom framing shop.

Set up once for how jobs get sold and what they cost to build. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Retail framing ticketsWalk-in customers paying at drop-off or pickup.
  • Wholesale trade accountsDesigners, photographers, and galleries billed on net terms.
  • Print and art salesPrints or small art pieces sold alongside framing.
  • Conservation and museum framingHigher-end preservation jobs for institutions or collectors.

Money out

  • Moulding and glassFrame stock, UV glass or acrylic, and mat board from Larson-Juhl or a similar supplier.
  • Shop tools and equipmentMat cutters, joiners, and fitting tools for the workshop.
  • Shop rent and utilitiesThe workshop and showroom space.
  • Shipping and deliveryFreight for large or fragile pieces going out to customers.
  • Marketing and signageLocal ads, a website, and in-store signage.
  • InsuranceCoverage on customer artwork while it is in your shop.

What we watch for you

  • Materials cost ratio

    Moulding and glass cost against ticket price, to see if pricing keeps up with supplier increases.

  • Trade receivables

    What wholesale accounts owe on net terms, so nothing outstanding gets forgotten.

  • Backlog value

    Jobs paid for but not yet finished, so income reflects completed work, not deposits.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe in taxes, tracked against ticket income every month, so filing season is no surprise.

Ask Gus

Things framing shop 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.

A gallery account owes me for six frames on a net 30 invoice. Do I count that as income now?

I log it as owed to you once the invoice goes out, but I keep it separate from cash in hand until it actually gets paid, so you can see what is still outstanding.

I just placed a big moulding order to restock for the season. Why does this month look so bad?

That was a stock-up, not a slow month. I keep material purchases steady in the books and flag it when a bulk order is the real reason a month looks thin.

Do I need to charge sales tax on framing labor, or just the materials?

That depends on your state, and it is usually the full ticket. I flag every sale so the accountant confirms exactly what your state requires.

The tax side

The tax side of a custom framing shop.

Most of what goes wrong here is materials and labor blurred together, and sales tax rules that differ by state on a job that is part product and part service.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Sales tax on framing jobsA framing job usually counts as a taxable sale of tangible goods, often including the labor portion. Rules vary by state, so the accountant confirms what applies to you.
  • Shop equipment and Section 179Mat cutters, joiners, and other shop equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them, with 100 percent bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost shop owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
  • Self-employment taxA sole proprietor or partner shop owes 15.3 percent self-employment tax on net profit, on top of income tax.

Deductions custom framing shops miss

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

  • Moulding and mat board stock
  • UV glass and acrylic
  • Mat cutters and joiners
  • Shop rent and utilities
  • Shipping supplies and crates
  • Business liability insurance
  • Signage and storefront displays
  • Website and online booking tools
  • Continuing framing and conservation classes
  • Delivery vehicle expenses

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 custom framing shop year, kept every month.

Jobs come in steady but the mix of retail and trade work shifts with the season. Your taxes come on a schedule, and your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    The shop year begins

    Last year's return gets started, trade account receivables are reconciled, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed, no scramble

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

  3. July

    Midyear ticket check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and how the year's trade versus retail mix is running.

  4. October

    Before the gift season rush

    Photo gifts and holiday framing orders often pick up. Gus looks at whether restocking moulding now is 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 custom framing shops. 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 framing shop owners ask first.

How do you handle a job I get paid for up front but takes weeks to finish?

The deposit is held as work owed until the piece is picked up. That way income shows up when the job is actually done, not just when the cash landed.

Do trade accounts need to be tracked differently than retail customers?

Yes. Gus tracks what each trade account owes on its payment terms separately from retail cash, so you always know what is outstanding and from whom.

I buy moulding in bulk a few times a year. Does that wreck my monthly numbers?

It can look that way, but Gus flags a bulk order so a stock-up month does not get mistaken for a slow one.

Do I charge sales tax on the labor part of a framing job?

Usually the whole ticket is taxable, but it depends on your state. Gus flags every sale so the accountant confirms the exact rule where you operate.

Can Gus tell me if my pricing still covers material costs?

He tracks materials against ticket prices so you can see the trend. Pricing decisions are yours, but you will have the numbers to make them with.

My records are behind from a busy season. Can you still take this over?

Yes. Send the bank statements and any trade account invoices you have. Gus sorts it, 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 music, art & performing arts businesses

We keep books for the business next door too.

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