Live events & performance
Books and taxes for event promoters.
A venue deposit paid months out, ticket sales that trickle in, an artist guarantee due the night of the show, and a sponsor check that lands late. Gus sorts each event apart, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September cleared $12,600. The advance you paid the headliner in August finally showed up against this month's show, not last month's.
- Eventbrite payoutTicket sales
- Sponsor check, local brewerySponsorships
- Wire, artist guaranteeArtist guarantees
- Venue deposit, downtown hallVenue rental
- Insurance rider, event coverageInsurance
Why your books are different
A promoter's books go wrong the same way, event after event.
A generalist sees deposits and bills on a calendar. Your business is a string of one-off shows, each with its own venue deposit, artist advance, ticketing payout, and settlement. When the books do not track each show apart, you cannot tell which one actually made money.
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1
A venue deposit paid months early looks like this month's expense
A deposit paid in March to hold a hall for a September show reads like a March cost, when it really belongs against a show that has not happened yet.
What we doHolds venue deposits against the event they are for, so an early payment does not distort a month that otherwise looks fine. -
2
Artist advances and final guarantees land in different months
A headliner often gets a deposit weeks before the show and the balance the night of, sometimes in cash. Split across two months and two accounts, the true cost of the show is easy to lose track of.
What we doKeeps both halves of a guarantee tied to the same event, so the full cost of the show shows up together, not spread across the calendar. -
3
One blended number instead of a settlement for each show
A promoter running twenty shows a year who looks at one annual total cannot tell which date turned a profit and which one, despite a packed house, lost money on the guarantee.
What we doTags ticket sales, fees, and every cost to the event they belong to, so each show gets its own settlement, not just the year's. -
4
Sponsorship checks that arrive late get missed or misfiled
A sponsor who commits before the show often does not pay until after it happens, and a late check can land weeks later looking like an unrelated deposit.
What we doKeeps sponsorship commitments on a list and matches the check to the right event when it finally lands. -
5
Ticketing fees get lost inside the payout
An app pays out ticket money days later, already short its fee, and booked as the full sale amount, the fee never gets counted as a real cost of putting on the show.
What we doBooks the full ticket price as the sale and the app's cut as its own expense, so both numbers stay honest.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an event promoter.
Set up once for how a show makes money and where it goes. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Ticket salesAdvance and door sales run through Eventbrite, See Tickets, or DICE.
- SponsorshipsLocal business and brand money committed ahead of the show.
- VIP and package salesMeet and greets, premium seating, or bundled merchandise.
- Vendor and exhibitor feesBooth or table fees for events that include a market or expo element.
- Concessions cutAny share of bar or food sales the promoter takes from the venue.
Money out
- Artist guaranteesDeposits and final payouts to headliners and support acts.
- Venue rentalDeposits and balances paid to halls, fields, or fairground space.
- Production and stagingSound, lighting, and stage crew hired for the show.
- MarketingLocal ads, social boosts, and printed posters for each event.
- InsurancePer-event liability riders required by the venue.
- Ticketing app feesWhat Eventbrite, DICE, or See Tickets keeps before payout.
- Permits and securityAssembly permits, crowd management, and door staff.
- Travel and lodgingFlights, hotels, and ground transport for touring acts and crew.
What we watch for you
- Per-show settlement
What each event actually cleared once guarantees, fees, and crew are paid.
- Guarantee-to-gross ratio
How much of ticket revenue an artist's fee eats up, before you book them again.
- Sponsorship coverage
How much of a show's cost is already covered before a single ticket sells.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number already known.
Ask Gus
Things event promoters 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.
It does not have to. I hold that deposit against the September show instead of counting it the month it went out, so March keeps its real number.
Both halves get tied to the same event, so you see the full guarantee against that one show, not split across two months.
That is a real strategy question above my pay grade to settle alone. I put together your event history and sent it to the accountant to talk through with you.
The tax side
The tax side of promoting events.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing: a deposit booked too early, a guarantee split across months, and a crew paid cash that never got a 1099.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Contractor 1099s for artists and crewAn artist, sound engineer, or stagehand paid $2,000 or more over the year outside payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list show by show.
- Matching deposits and expenses to the right eventA venue deposit or artist advance paid ahead of a show belongs to that show's numbers, not the month the payment went out. Getting the timing right keeps each event's profit honest.
- 1099-K from ticketing appsA ticketing app issues a 1099-K once an account crosses $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. All ticket income is taxable whether or not that form arrives.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated promotion businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when every show's numbers are booked correctly.
Deductions event promoters miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Per-event insurance riders
- Ticketing app fees
- Crew radios and headsets
- Assembly and noise permits
- Printed posters and flyers
- Barricades and fencing rental
- Artist travel and lodging
- Merchant card processing fees
- Site security staffing
- Contract and rider legal review
- Box office cash bags
- Trailer and equipment transport
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 promoter's year, kept every month.
Shows book across the calendar with deposits paid months ahead. Gus keeps that timeline lined up against the tax one. 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 artists and crew 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 whether the summer show run changed the number.
- October
Booking season
Fall is when many promoters lock next year's dates and deposits. Before you commit, Gus looks at what the year is actually clearing.
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 event promoters. 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 promoters ask first.
I run shows in multiple states. Does that change my books?
It can change what you owe where, since sales and admissions rules vary by state and city. Gus keeps every show's numbers straight, and the accountant flags anything state-specific worth a closer look.
Can Gus track a deposit I paid months before the show actually happens?
Yes. Gus holds early deposits and advances against the event they belong to, so an early payment does not distort a month that otherwise looks fine.
My biggest expense is a cash payout the night of the show. Is that a problem?
No, as long as it gets logged. Send what you have from the settlement sheet or the till, and Gus books it as that event's guarantee.
How do I know if a show actually made money?
Gus tags every ticket sale, fee, and cost to its event, so you get a real settlement number for each show, not just a yearly total.
Do I need 1099s for artists I only book once?
If you pay them $2,000 or more in the year and they are not on payroll, yes, by January 31, even for a single show. Gus tracks it across every event you run.
My books are behind from a busy touring season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements and settlement sheets you have, and Gus sorts them event by event. Most promoters 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