Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for event security companies.
Guard staffing that swings from one guard to eight, company and individual licensing, overtime for events that run past midnight, and equipment that costs real money. 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
September came in at $7,000. The state license renewal for the company landed this month, so I kept it apart from individual guard licensing costs.
- September 13 wedding security detailEvent security contracts
- Guard payroll, weekend shiftsGuard staffing
- State security license renewalLicensing
- Liability insurance premiumInsurance
- Radios and metal detectorsEquipment
Why your books are different
An event security company's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees contract fees and a payroll bill. Your business is guard staffing that swings from one to eight people, a company license and individual guard licenses that are two different costs, and events that run into overtime. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
-
1
Guard pay swings by headcount and event size
A 400-guest gala needs eight guards and a small rehearsal dinner needs one, and if pay is not tied to the specific event, you cannot tell which contracts are actually worth the staffing.
What we doTies guard pay to the event it staffed, so cost per contract stays honest. -
2
Company and individual licensing get confused
Your security firm carries its own state license and each guard often needs an individual license too, and if the two get lumped together, you cannot tell what compliance is really costing you or which renewals are coming due.
What we doKeeps company licensing apart from individual guard licensing costs. -
3
Overtime for late-night events gets buried
Weddings and galas often run past midnight, and overtime pay for guards on those events is a real cost that a flat hourly estimate misses.
What we doTies overtime pay to the specific event that required it. -
4
Background check costs look like a hiring expense every time
Background checks for new guards are a real recurring cost of building your team, and buried in general expenses, you lose track of what bringing on new staff actually costs.
What we doKeeps background check costs in their own line. -
5
Equipment purchases wreck the month
Radios, metal detectors, and other security equipment can cost thousands at once, and filed as a routine expense, it makes that month look like a loss.
What we doFlags equipment purchases as their own category.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an event security 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
- Event security contractsThe base fee for staffing an event.
- Armed guard premium feesExtra charged for licensed armed staff.
- Overtime chargesExtra billed when an event runs past its planned hours.
- Consultation feesCharged for planning security coverage ahead of an event.
- Booking depositsHeld when a contract is signed, often months out.
Money out
- Guard staffingPay tied to the specific event each guard worked.
- LicensingCompany and individual guard licenses, tracked apart.
- InsuranceLiability coverage for the business.
- EquipmentRadios, metal detectors, and other gear.
- Background check feesRequired for onboarding new guards.
- UniformsBranded and required attire.
- MarketingVenue partnerships and website costs.
What we watch for you
- Cost per event
Guard pay against what each contract actually billed.
- Licensing renewals due
So a lapsed license does not stop a booking.
- Overtime against contract value
Whether late-running events are priced to cover the extra pay.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things event security 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.
Tied to that specific event, so you can see if the staffing cost was actually worth what the contract paid.
No, I keep them apart, so you can see what each renewal costs and when it is coming due.
Yes, so you can see if late-running events are actually priced to cover it.
The tax side
The tax side of an event security company.
Most of what goes wrong here is licensing costs that get mixed up and guard pay that needs to stay tied to the job.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Guard classificationGuards who work your shifts and follow your dispatch are usually employees, not contractors, even if paid per event. The accountant checks how your team is classified.
- Licensing as an ordinary costCompany and individual security licenses are usually ordinary deductible business costs. Gus keeps them tracked apart so nothing lapses unnoticed.
- Equipment for the businessRadios, metal detectors, and other security equipment bought for the business can usually be written off in the year purchased. The accountant decides how much to take now.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions event security companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Guard wages
- Company and individual licensing
- Liability insurance
- Radios and metal detectors
- Background check fees
- Uniforms
- Website and venue partnerships
- Continuing training
- Vehicle costs for site visits
- Business cards and branding
- Card processing fees
- Phone plan for dispatch
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 security company's year, kept every month.
Wedding and gala season fills the calendar fast, then eases up. 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, licensing renewals get checked, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your calendar.
- 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.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's contract count is on pace.
- October
Before the last fall events
The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at equipment worth buying before December and what the winter months need to cover.
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 security 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 security company owners ask first.
How is guard pay tracked for events of different sizes?
Each guard's pay is tied to the specific event they worked, so you can see if the staffing cost was worth what the contract paid.
Are company and guard licenses the same cost?
No. They are tracked apart, so you can see what each renewal costs and when it is coming due.
Does overtime for late events get tracked separately?
Yes. Overtime is tied to the specific event, so you can see if late-running bookings are priced to cover it.
Are background check fees a real business cost?
Yes. They are kept in their own line, so you can see what bringing on new staff actually costs.
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.
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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