Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for event rental companies.

Rental package fees, damage deposits, delivery crews that get called in on busy weekends, and a warehouse full of chairs and tables that wear out over time. 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. The new chiavari chairs are a big buy, so I logged them as equipment, since you will rent them out for years, not a one-time supply.

  • May 10 wedding rental packageRental fees
  • Damage deposit refunds processedDamage deposit refunds
  • New chiavari chair inventoryRental inventory
  • Delivery crew payrollDelivery and setup crews
  • Warehouse leaseWarehouse rent
Money in$42,000
Money out$28,000
Set aside for taxes$3,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

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

A generalist sees rental invoices and a warehouse bill. Your business is deposits that are not your money until you keep them, inventory bought in tens of thousands of dollars at a time, and crews that work some weekends and not others. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.

  1. 1

    Damage deposits get counted as income

    A refundable deposit taken to cover a broken chair or a stained tablecloth is not your money until you keep it, and booked as revenue, it inflates the month until it is returned.

    What we doKeeps damage deposits apart from rental revenue, so a refund does not throw off your month later.
  2. 2

    A big inventory buy wrecks the month

    A new run of chiavari chairs or farm tables can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as a regular expense, it makes that month look like a disaster.

    What we doFlags large inventory purchases as equipment, so a big buy does not distort a single month.
  3. 3

    Delivery crews look like a fixed payroll cost

    Crews get called in for big weekends and sit idle in the slow season, and if their pay is treated like steady payroll, you cannot tell what delivery and setup actually cost per event.

    What we doTies crew pay to the events that needed them, so cost per event stays honest.
  4. 4

    Warehouse rent looks like it belongs to one order

    Warehouse rent runs every month whether you delivered five events or fifteen, and charged against a single order, that order looks far less profitable than it was.

    What we doKeeps warehouse rent in its own steady line, separate from any one order.
  5. 5

    Inventory wear and tear never gets counted

    Chairs, tables, and decor degrade with every use and eventually need replacing, and if that ongoing cost is not tracked, the business can look more profitable than it really is.

    What we doFlags patterns in replacement inventory spending, so wear and tear shows up in the numbers.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an event rental company.

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

  • Rental package feesThe charge for tables, chairs, and decor bundled for an event.
  • Damage depositsHeld apart from revenue until actually kept for damage.
  • Delivery and setup feesCharged separately from the rental items themselves.
  • Rush and short-notice feesExtra charged for orders booked on short notice.
  • Design consultation feesCharged for helping plan a room layout or decor scheme.

Money out

  • Rental inventoryTables, chairs, and decor bought to rent out repeatedly.
  • Delivery and setup crewsHired help for busy weekends.
  • Warehouse rent and utilitiesWhere inventory is stored between events.
  • Vehicle fleet and fuelTrucks that move inventory to and from events.
  • InsuranceLiability and inventory coverage.
  • Rental softwareBooking and inventory tracking tools.
  • Damage deposit refundsDeposits returned once items come back in good shape.

What we watch for you

  • Damage deposits held

    Money sitting in the account that is not yet yours to count as revenue.

  • Cost per event

    Crew pay and delivery against what each rental package actually billed.

  • Inventory replacement rate

    How much goes to replacing worn pieces, so wear and tear does not hide in the numbers.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things event rental company 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.

We charge a damage deposit on every rental. Is that money mine the day it comes in?

Not until you actually keep it. I hold it apart from rental revenue so a refund later does not throw off your month.

I bought a new run of chiavari chairs for $18,000. Why does this month look terrible?

That is a big equipment buy, not a supply run. I flag it so it does not make the month look worse than it is, and the accountant can decide how it gets written off.

My delivery crew works some weekends and not others. How is that tracked?

Tied to the events that needed them, not treated like steady payroll, so you can see the real cost of any given weekend.

The tax side

The tax side of an event rental company.

Most of what goes wrong here is deposits that are not really yours yet and inventory bought in big batches.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Rental inventory as a business assetTables, chairs, and decor bought to rent out repeatedly are usually treated as business equipment. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and the accountant decides how much to take now.
  • Delivery crew 1099sCrew members not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Employee or contractorA crew member who works your schedule, drives your trucks, and reports to you regularly may look more like an employee than a contractor. Gus flags it so the accountant can look at how you are set up.
  • Sales tax on rentalsMost states tax equipment rentals like tables, chairs, and decor. Rules vary by state, so the accountant checks what applies to you.

Deductions event rental companies miss

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

  • Rental inventory purchases
  • Delivery vehicle fuel
  • Warehouse rent and utilities
  • Rental software subscriptions
  • Liability and inventory insurance
  • Crew wages and uniforms
  • Website and online catalog
  • Bridal show booth fees
  • Packing blankets and dollies
  • Repair parts for chairs and tables
  • Business cards and branding
  • Card processing fees

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 rental company's year, kept every month.

Weekends fill up fast in spring and fall and go quiet in winter. 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for delivery crews is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your calendar.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed right as the spring booking rush hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's event count is on pace.

  4. October

    Before the last fall weekends

    The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at inventory worth buying before December and what the winter months need to cover.

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 rental companies. 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 rental company owners ask first.

Are damage deposits counted as income right away?

No. They are held apart from revenue and only become income if you actually keep one for damage.

I bought a big batch of new inventory before the season. Why does that month look bad?

It gets flagged as a large equipment buy, so the order does not distort that month's real picture.

My delivery crew only works some weekends. How is their pay tracked?

Tied to the events they worked, not treated like steady payroll, so you can see the real cost of any given weekend.

Do I charge sales tax on rentals?

Usually, since most states tax equipment rentals. The accountant checks what applies to you.

My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?

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

More in wedding & event vendors

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