Bars & nightlife
Books and taxes for dive bars and neighborhood taverns.
A regular's running tab that closes out on Friday, quarters from the pool table and jukebox, a cheap domestic beer order, and cash that moves faster than a card swipe. 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
March came in at $7,400. Cash made up close to half the deposits again this month, so I kept it against the card total to make sure both are landing where they should.
- Cash deposit, barCash bar sales
- Square payout, barCard bar sales
- Coin-op collection, pool and jukeboxGame machine revenue
- Beer distributor invoiceBeer purchases
- Payroll, bartendersWages and tip pool
Why your books are different
A dive bar's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and a beer bill. Your bar runs on cash more than most, thin margins on cheap well drinks and domestic beer, running tabs that carry regulars for days, and coin-op games that bring in quarters nobody thinks to track.
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1
Cash volume is easy to lose track of
A bar that takes in a lot of cash, night after night, can lose track of exactly how much came in if there is no consistent way it gets counted and deposited, and gaps between what was rung up and what hit the bank are hard to explain after the fact.
What we doWorks from the bank deposits and whatever till count the owner sends, and flags a pattern that looks like cash is falling short of the till. -
2
Running tabs blur into the night they close
A regular who runs a tab for several days and settles up on Friday actually drank across multiple nights, and if the tab is only counted the day it closes, an owner cannot tell which nights were actually busy.
What we doKeeps running tabs visible against the nights they were opened, so a big Friday close does not hide a quiet week underneath it. -
3
Coin-op game revenue goes uncounted
Quarters from a pool table, dart board, or jukebox add up over a month, but they are easy to skip counting since they trickle in outside the register, and left untracked, that revenue effectively disappears from the books.
What we doKeeps coin-op collections in their own category so pool table and jukebox money shows up as real revenue, not a rounding error. -
4
Thin margins hide when a price has not kept up
Cheap well drinks and domestic beer run on thin margins to begin with, and if liquor cost creeps up while prices stay the same out of habit, the bar can go from barely profitable to losing money on its most popular pours without anyone noticing.
What we doTracks liquor cost against drink sales every month, so a shrinking margin on the cheap stuff shows up before it becomes a real problem. -
5
A remodel or new cooler looks like a repair
A new walk-in cooler, a remodeled bar top, or replaced flooring is a real capital purchase, but on a bank statement it can look like ordinary maintenance and get expensed the wrong way.
What we doFlags large equipment and remodel 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 neighborhood tavern.
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
- Cash bar salesCash tabs and drinks counted from the till.
- Card bar salesDrinks rung through Square or a similar system.
- Game machine revenuePool table, dart board, and jukebox collections.
- MerchandiseBranded shirts, hats, and koozies sold at the bar.
Money out
- Beer purchasesDomestic and cheap draft beer from your distributor.
- Well liquor purchasesHouse pours and mixers for the rail.
- Wages and tip poolBartender pay, kept apart from pooled tips.
- Game machine maintenancePool table felt, dart boards, and jukebox repair.
- Card processing feesWhat the card processor keeps before you get paid.
- Liquor license and insuranceLicense renewal and liquor liability coverage.
- Building and lease costsRent, utilities, and upkeep for the space.
What we watch for you
- Cash to card ratio
How much comes in cash against card, watched for shifts worth explaining.
- Pour cost
Liquor and beer cost against drink sales, tracked as margins stay thin.
- Game machine revenue
Pool and jukebox collections against what those machines cost to keep.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things dive 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.
Usually all in the year you buy it. I logged the cooler as equipment and flagged the purchase so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
It adds up more than most owners think. I keep it in its own line so it shows up as real revenue instead of getting lost outside the register total.
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 neighborhood tavern.
Most of what goes wrong here is cash tracking and thin margins. That, plus equipment filed the wrong way 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.
- Coolers, taps, and bar equipmentA walk-in cooler, draft system, or bar remodel can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Cash income reportingAll cash a bar takes in is taxable income whether or not it is ever run through a card processor. Keeping an honest, consistent count matters more here than almost anywhere else.
- Contractor 1099sA pool league host, trivia host, or repair contractor 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 part time.
Deductions dive bars and neighborhood taverns miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Pool table felt and cues
- Jukebox licensing and repair
- Dart board replacement
- Draft line cleaning
- Card processing fees
- Liquor liability insurance
- Liquor license renewal
- Branded staff uniforms
- Bar stool repair
- Ice machine repair
- Pest control service
- Cleaning supplies
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 neighborhood tavern year, kept every month.
Regulars keep the room steady most weeks, with a bump around big games and holidays. 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for hosts and contractors is ready, and your monthly set-aside is planned.
- 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 whether summer patio traffic changed the number.
- October
Before the holidays
Before the holiday season brings regulars back in force, Gus looks at equipment needs and anything worth doing 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 dive bars and neighborhood taverns. 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 dive bar owners ask first.
We take in a lot of cash. Can Gus still keep the books straight?
Yes. Gus works from your bank deposits and whatever till count you send, and flags a pattern that looks like cash is falling short of the count, without needing every dollar run through a card.
Does the pool table and jukebox money really matter?
It adds up more than it looks like night to night. Gus keeps game machine collections in their own category so that revenue shows up honestly instead of disappearing outside the register total.
Our margins are thin on well drinks. Can Gus help catch that?
He tracks liquor cost against drink sales every month, so a shrinking margin shows up while there is still time to adjust pricing, rather than after a bad quarter.
Do I write off a new cooler or draft system all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.
My books are a mess and have been for years. 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.
More in bars & nightlife
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Arcade bars (barcades)
- Beer gardens
- Cigar lounges
- Hookah lounges
- Karaoke bars
- Mobile bars & bartending services
- Self-pour taprooms
- Nightclubs
- Speakeasies
- Wine bars
- Cocktail bars
- Sports bars
- Bottle shops & craft beer stores
- Cideries
- Craft distilleries
- Custom-crush & alternating proprietor wineries
- Homebrew & winemaking supply shops
- Kombucha brewers
- Meaderies
- Vineyards (grape growers)
- Artisan cheese makers
- Bagel shops
- BBQ sauce & rub brands
- Candy & chocolate makers
- Charcuterie board & grazing table businesses
- Commissary & shared commercial kitchens
- Cottage food producers
- Custom cake studios
- Farmers market vendors
- Food hall vendors
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