Specialty food makers & markets
Books and taxes for farmers market vendors.
Tuesday, Saturday, and Sunday markets, cash boxes, card readers, weather-dependent traffic, and produce that will not wait until next weekend. 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
July came in at $3,500 across your three weekly markets. Saturday's rained-out market brought in half of a normal day, so I flagged it rather than let it drag down the whole month's average.
- Tuesday market cash boxMarket sales, Tuesday
- Saturday market card readerMarket sales, Saturday
- Wholesale produce supplierProduct cost
- Market association booth feesBooth fees
- Canopy weight replacementBooth equipment
Why your books are different
A multi-market vendor's books go wrong across too many Saturdays.
You are not running one storefront with steady hours. You are setting up and tearing down at two or three different markets a week, each with its own fee, its own crowd, and its own weather. When the books do not track that, you cannot tell which markets are actually worth showing up to.
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1
Sales from different markets get blended into one number
A Tuesday farmers market and a Saturday one can draw completely different crowds and completely different sales, but combined into one weekly total, you cannot tell which market is worth the early morning setup.
What we doKeeps each market day's sales in its own category, so you can compare which markets actually earn their spot on your schedule. -
2
A rained-out or slow day skews the whole month
One canceled or rained-out market can make a month look like a bad stretch, when really it was one bad day surrounded by normal ones.
What we doFlags an unusually slow or missed market day so it reads as the one-off it was, not a sign the business is slipping. -
3
Cash from a cash box rarely gets fully counted
A day of cash sales often gets partly spent on gas or lunch before it makes it to the bank, so the books never see the full amount actually taken in.
What we doRecords each market day's full cash total as you report it, before anything gets spent, so income is not understated. -
4
Unsold produce at the end of a hot day is never written off
Produce that does not sell by the end of a market day often cannot be sold the next weekend, and that loss usually never gets subtracted from the books.
What we doTracks unsold or spoiled product as its own cost so the real loss from a slow or overstocked day is visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a farmers market vendor.
Set up once for how you sell across your markets and what you buy. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Market sales by dayEach weekly market kept in its own line, cash and card combined.
- Wholesale or CSA salesStanding orders to restaurants or subscription customers, where offered.
- Special event salesOne-off festivals or pop-up markets outside your regular schedule.
- Pre-order pickup salesOrders reserved online or by phone and picked up at the market booth.
Money out
- Product costProduce, baked goods, or other product bought or grown for resale.
- Booth feesWeekly vendor fees paid to each market's association.
- Booth equipmentCanopy, tables, weights, and display racks.
- Vehicle and fuelDriving and loading costs for hauling product to multiple markets.
- Card reader feesWhat Square or a similar reader kept from card sales.
- Permits and licensesVendor permits and any required food handler or scale certification.
What we watch for you
- Sales per market day
What each weekly market brings in on average, the clearest sign of which are worth the drive.
- Cash share of sales
How much of your income is cash versus card, useful for catching gaps in what gets recorded.
- Unsold product loss
What gets tossed or discounted at the end of a market day, a real cost worth tracking.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things farmers market vendors 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.
Based on the last few months, Tuesday brings in about half of what Saturday does after the booth fee. Worth weighing against the drive and the setup time.
I flagged that day, so it will not make the whole month look worse than it was. Your other market days held steady.
Many states exempt raw, unprocessed produce from sales tax, but baked goods or prepared items often are not exempt. That depends on your state and your products, so I flagged it for a real check.
The tax side
The tax side of a farmers market vendor.
Most of what matters here is keeping cash income honest and multiple market days tracked apart, so the return reflects what really came in each week.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Cash incomeAll cash taken in at a market is taxable income, whether or not it ever hits a bank account. Recording each market day's full total keeps this straight.
- Cost of goods soldProduce or product bought for resale counts as cost of goods once it sells. Unsold product left at the end of a market day is a loss, not a deduction, until it is written off.
- Self-employment taxProfit from vending is subject to 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit before it is taxed. It comes out right only when every market's sales and costs are tracked cleanly.
Deductions farmers market vendors miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Produce or product for resale
- Weekly booth fees
- Canopy and tables
- Vehicle mileage between markets
- Card reader fees
- Vendor permits
- Scale calibration
- Cooler and ice for perishables
- Signage and price tags
- Cash box and change fund
- Rain gear and tarps
- Farmers market 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
A farmers market vendor's year, kept every month.
Outdoor market season runs warm months, and winter often means fewer markets or none at all. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax deadlines through both. 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, and you get a monthly set-aside built around your market season, so tax time does not surprise you during the slow months.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your business return is filed and signed, right as outdoor market season is picking back up.
- July
Midseason check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and which markets are actually earning their spot on your schedule.
- October
Before the season winds down
Outdoor markets start ending for the year in most regions. Gus looks at what this season brought in and what next year's schedule should look like.
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 farmers market vendors. 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 farmers market vendors ask first.
Can Gus tell me which of my markets is actually worth it?
Yes. Each market day is kept in its own category, so you can compare what each one brings in after booth fees and driving time.
I only take cash at some markets. Does that need to be tracked differently?
It still counts as income either way, and Gus records each market day's full cash total as you report it, so nothing gets lost between the cash box and the bank.
Do I owe sales tax on the produce I sell?
Many states exempt raw, unprocessed produce, but rules vary and processed or prepared items are often treated differently. Gus flags what looks taxable so you can confirm with your state.
A rained-out Saturday wrecked my month. Can that get factored in?
Yes. Gus flags an unusually slow or canceled market day so it reads as the one-off it was, not a sign of a real problem.
My books are behind from a busy market season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have and he sorts them by market day and cost. 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 specialty food makers & markets
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Artisan cheese makers
- BBQ sauce & rub brands
- Candy & chocolate makers
- Charcuterie board & grazing table businesses
- Commissary & shared commercial kitchens
- Cottage food producers
- Custom cake studios
- Fudge & candy shops
- Honey producers & apiaries
- Hot sauce brands
- Jerky makers
- Maple syrup producers
- Pickles & fermented food makers
- Popcorn shops
- Salsa & dip brands
- Seafood markets
- Sourdough & microbakeries
- Spice blenders & seasoning brands
- Butcher shops & meat markets
- Ethnic grocery stores
- Specialty grocers & delis
- Bottle shops & craft beer stores
- Cideries
- Craft distilleries
- Custom-crush & alternating proprietor wineries
- Homebrew & winemaking supply shops
- Kombucha brewers
- Meaderies
- Vineyards (grape growers)
- Arcade bars (barcades)
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