Arts & music education
Books and taxes for film and theater camps.
Camp week deposits paid months early, seasonal counselor payroll, a guest choreographer for one week, and screening night at the end. 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 $10,500 once counselor payroll and the screening night were counted. I kept the guest editing instructor's pay separate from counselor wages, since one is a contractor and one is not.
- UltraCamp week depositsCamp session fees
- Screening night ticketsScreening ticket sales
- Counselor payroll batchCounselor wages
- Costume and set suppliesCostume and set materials
- Background check renewalsStaff background checks
Why your books are different
Film and theater camp books go wrong in the same five places.
A generalist wants one steady monthly number. Your income arrives in deposits months before camp opens, your staff is seasonal, and the season ends with a screening or a performance that costs money to put on. When the books do not follow the camp calendar, nothing about the year adds up right.
-
1
Deposits paid in April count as July's income
Families pay a deposit for a July session back in April, and if that money is booked the day it lands, spring looks like a strong month for a camp that has not run a single week yet, while July, when the real cost of running camp hits, looks thin by comparison.
What we doRecognizes camp session income against the week it actually covers, so the month a camp week runs is the month it counts. -
2
Scholarships get handled as a quiet discount, not a tracked one
A camp that gives a few campers a scholarship, often funded by donor contributions, sometimes just deposits the reduced amount and moves on. That hides both what the camp actually charges and what the scholarship fund is really covering.
What we doKeeps full tuition and scholarship amounts visible side by side, so the camp can see what it charges and what it gives away. -
3
Seasonal counselors and a guest specialist get paid the same way
A counselor who works the camp's schedule for eight weeks straight is almost always an employee, while a guest choreographer or editing coach brought in for a single week usually is not. Paying both the same way muddles who owes what.
What we doKeeps seasonal counselor wages and one-off specialist pay in separate lines, so each is handled the way it should be. -
4
Screening or performance night gets buried in general camp costs
Renting a screen and projector, or a stage and lights, for the end-of-camp show is a real cost on top of running the weeks themselves, and folded into general expenses, the camp cannot tell if the show is worth what it charges for tickets.
What we doKeeps screening or performance income and costs in their own line, so the final show shows what it actually earned. -
5
Cameras and editing computers get filed as camp supplies
A set of cameras, tripods, and editing computers bought before the season starts can cost thousands, and lumped in with craft supplies and snacks, it muddies a month and misses a write-off it usually qualifies for.
What we doFlags camera and editing gear the day it shows up, logs it as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how to write it off.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a film or theater camp.
Set up once for how your camp gets paid and what it spends. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Camp session feesWeekly deposits through UltraCamp or CampMinder, recognized against the week they cover.
- Registration depositsThe non-refundable hold families pay to reserve a spot before the season fills.
- Screening or performance ticketsTickets sold for the end-of-camp film screening or stage show.
- Scholarship fund donationsDonor contributions kept apart from tuition, used to cover scholarship spots.
Money out
- Counselor wagesSeasonal payroll for staff who work the full camp schedule.
- Specialty instructor payOne-off fees for a guest choreographer, editing coach, or set designer.
- Costume and set materialsFabric, paint, and building supplies for the end-of-camp production.
- Camera and editing gearCameras, tripods, and editing computers used across the film program.
- Staff background checksRequired screening for anyone supervising campers.
- Camp registration softwareUltraCamp or CampMinder fees for enrollment and billing.
- Screening or performance venueRental for the screen, stage, or theater used for the final show.
What we watch for you
- Enrolled camper count
The base each week's session fees rest on. A steady enrollment matters more than one strong week.
- Counselor wage share
Seasonal payroll against camp income. It shows what staffing actually costs against what the season brings in.
- Screening night net
Ticket income minus venue and production cost. It tells you if the final show paid for itself.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things film and theater camp 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.
I keep the full tuition price and the scholarship amount both visible, so you can see what camp actually costs and what the scholarship fund is covering.
Usually, yes. A counselor working your set schedule on your campus is almost always an employee, seasonal or not. I keep their pay in payroll, not contractor pay.
If she is paid $2,000 or more across the year and is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. I keep a running total so nothing gets missed.
The tax side
The tax side of a film or theater camp.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and who counts as staff: deposits counted before camp runs, a seasonal counselor treated like a contractor, and camera gear filed like a craft supply.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Employee or contractorA counselor who works your set schedule on your campus for the season is almost always an employee. A guest specialist brought in for a single week, paid a flat fee, usually counts as a contractor.
- Contractor 1099sAny guest instructor or specialist paid $2,000 or more across the year who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that running total.
- Camera and editing equipmentCameras, tripods, and editing computers can usually be written off the year you buy them, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- The pass-through deductionMost camp owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions film and theater camps miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Costume and set materials
- Camera and editing gear
- Camp registration software
- Background check fees
- Screening or performance venue
- Counselor training materials
- Camp liability insurance
- Marketing and enrollment ads
- Craft and prop supplies
- Field trip transportation
- First aid and safety supplies
- Business phone line
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 camp year, kept every month.
Deposits start in the spring, and the whole season happens in a few summer weeks. Your taxes come on a schedule either way. Your team keeps you ahead of 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 early deposits for the summer season begin rolling in ahead of when they will be earned.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed while spring enrollment builds toward a full summer roster.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand mid-season, what you will owe, and whether enrollment and counselor payroll changed the number.
- October
After the season
With the season wrapped and the screening night behind you, Gus looks at gear worth buying and anything worth doing before December.
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 film and theater camps. 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 film and theater camp owners ask first.
We collect deposits months before camp starts. When does that count as income?
Gus recognizes it against the week the camp session actually runs, not the day the deposit lands, so spring does not look inflated and summer does not look thin.
Our counselors only work eight weeks in the summer. Do they need W-2s?
Usually, yes. A counselor working your set schedule on your campus is almost always an employee, seasonal or not, and Gus keeps their pay in payroll rather than contractor pay.
We give a few full scholarships each summer, funded by donors. How does that work?
Gus keeps the full tuition price and the scholarship amount both visible, so you can see what camp actually costs to run and what the scholarship fund is covering, rather than just a smaller deposit with no explanation.
We paid a guest choreographer for one week of camp. Does she need a 1099?
If she is paid $2,000 or more across the year and is not on payroll, yes, by January 31. Gus keeps a running total for every guest specialist so nothing crosses that line unnoticed.
Can we write off cameras and editing computers bought just for camp?
Usually, yes, in the year you buy them. Gus logs the gear as equipment and the accountant confirms how to write it off.
What happens to the books when we refund a family for a cancelled week?
Gus books the refund against the week it was tied to, so a cancellation reads as exactly that instead of showing up as an unexplained drop in income.
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