Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for event planners.

Project fees billed on net-30 terms, client budgets you manage but never own, contract producers for big activations, and a calendar that swings from corporate galas to milestone parties. 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
$14,000
what you made

May came in at $14,000 in real planning fees. The Grand Ballroom deposit for Meridian's gala was client budget money, so it never touched your revenue line.

  • Meridian Corp gala invoiceProject planning fees
  • Client event budget depositClient-held budgets
  • Grand Ballroom depositClient-held budgets
  • Freelance producer feeContract staff
  • Cvent subscriptionSoftware
Money in$41,000
Money out$27,000
Set aside for taxes$3,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An event planner's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business runs on client money you hold but never own, net-30 invoices that pay months after the work is done, and contract producers who show up for one project and not the next. When the books do not know that, your real earnings disappear into money that was never yours.

  1. 1

    Client budgets look like your revenue

    A corporate client wires you $40,000 to cover the venue, catering, and AV for their gala, and if that lands in your general income, your actual planning fee gets lost inside money that was never yours to keep.

    What we doKeeps client-held event budgets apart from your planning fee, so real revenue is never overstated.
  2. 2

    Net-30 invoices hide when you actually get paid

    Corporate clients often pay 30 to 60 days after the event, so the month you did the work and the month you got paid rarely match, and a slow payer can make a busy month look empty.

    What we doTracks what is invoiced against what is actually collected, so you can see who still owes you.
  3. 3

    Contract producers look like payroll

    You bring in a freelance producer or day-of staff for a big activation, paid per project, and if it is treated like a steady payroll cost, you cannot tell which events actually needed the extra hands.

    What we doTies contract staff pay to the project that used them, so cost per event stays honest.
  4. 4

    A retainer hides project costs

    Some clients pay a flat monthly retainer for ongoing event support, and if project-specific costs for their events get buried inside that same retainer income, you cannot tell whether the retainer actually covers the work.

    What we doKeeps retainer income separate from what each project actually costs to run, so you can see if the retainer is priced right.
  5. 5

    Sponsorship dollars get mixed with your fee

    At a sponsored event, sponsor payments meant to cover event costs sometimes land in your account alongside your own planning fee, making it look like the event brought in far more than it did.

    What we doSeparates sponsor-designated funds from your planning fee, so what you actually earned is clear.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an event planning business.

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

  • Project planning feesYour fee for a single corporate, social, or fundraising event.
  • Retainer feesFlat monthly pay from clients you support year-round.
  • Client-held event budgetsMoney given to you to cover venue, catering, or AV, not your revenue.
  • Sponsorship pass-throughSponsor dollars designated to cover event costs, kept apart from your fee.
  • Day-of coordination feesFlat fees for clients who plan their own event and need you for the day.

Money out

  • Contract staff and producersFreelance help paid per project, not a fixed payroll cost.
  • Vendor payments made for clientsVenues, caterers, and AV companies paid from client-held budgets.
  • SoftwareCvent, HoneyBook, or similar event management tools.
  • MarketingPortfolio website, styled shoots, and listing fees.
  • InsuranceProfessional liability coverage.
  • Office and storageSpace to store décor, signage, and event supplies.
  • TravelFlights and hotels tied to a specific out-of-town event.

What we watch for you

  • Outstanding invoices

    What corporate clients still owe on net-30 terms, so a slow payer does not look like a bad month.

  • Client budgets on hand

    Money held for clients' events, kept apart from what you have actually earned.

  • Cost per project

    Contract staff and vendor costs against what each project billed.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things event planners 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 corporate client wired me $40,000 to cover their gala. Is that all my income?

No, that is client-held budget money. I keep it apart from your planning fee so your real revenue is not overstated.

One client has not paid their invoice from six weeks ago. Does that mess up the books?

It just shows as outstanding. I track what is invoiced against what is actually collected, so you can see who still owes you.

I hired a freelance producer for one big activation. How is that tracked?

Tied to that project, not treated like payroll, so you can see exactly what the activation cost you.

The tax side

The tax side of an event planning business.

Most of what goes wrong here is mixing your fee with money you are only holding on a client's behalf. Budgets, sponsorships, and contractors all need their own lane.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Contractor 1099sFreelance producers, day-of staff, and other contractors not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Client-held budgets are not incomeMoney a client gives you to cover event costs on their behalf usually is not counted as your revenue. The accountant confirms this against how your contracts are written.
  • Self-employment tax and quarterly estimatesIf you are not on your own payroll, you owe 15.3 percent self-employment tax and are expected to pay estimated tax four times a year rather than waiting for April.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of qualified business income before it is taxed, which can lower what is owed in a strong project year.

Deductions event planners miss

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

  • Freelance producer fees
  • Cvent or HoneyBook subscription
  • Styled shoot costs
  • Website and portfolio hosting
  • Travel for out-of-town events
  • Professional liability insurance
  • Continuing education and conferences
  • Printed proposals and materials
  • Phone and tablet for site visits
  • Storage for décor and signage
  • Client gifts
  • Trade association dues

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

An event planner's year, kept every month.

Corporate galas, weddings, and fundraisers all run on different calendars. Gus keeps the return on its own schedule. 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 contract producers is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before the year's first proposals go out.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed while spring's corporate and social events ramp up, so tax season never competes with a full calendar.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether outstanding invoices are catching up to the work you have done.

  4. October

    Before the year-end push

    Corporate holiday parties and year-end galas fill the calendar. Gus looks at what is worth buying before December and what next year's retainers look like.

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 event planners. 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 event planners ask first.

Can Gus tell the difference between my fee and a client's event budget?

Yes. Client-held budgets are kept apart from your planning fee, so your real revenue never looks bigger than it is.

My corporate clients pay on net-30 terms. Does that complicate things?

No. Gus tracks what is invoiced against what is actually collected, so a slow payer shows up as outstanding, not as a bad month.

I hire different freelance producers depending on the project. How does that get tracked?

Each producer's pay is tied to the project it was for, so you can see the real cost of any event that needed extra hands.

Do sponsor payments count as my income?

Only the part that is actually your fee. Sponsor money meant to cover event costs is kept separate, so what you earned stays honest.

My books are behind from juggling too many projects. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most planners 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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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