Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for florists.

Wedding contracts with deposits, everyday walk-in sales, wholesale flower buys that swing week to week, and stock that wilts before it sells. 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
$10,000
what you made

May came in at $10,000. Mother's Day retail sales ran heavy this month, so I kept them apart from your wedding contracts to see which side is really carrying you.

  • May 17 wedding balanceWedding contracts
  • Walk-in and counter salesRetail sales
  • Flower market, wholesale buyWholesale flowers
  • Cooler repairCooler and equipment
  • Delivery van fuelDelivery
Money in$31,000
Money out$21,000
Set aside for taxes$2,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A florist's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and receipts. Your business is a Saturday wedding and a steady stream of counter sales landing in the same register, wholesale prices that swing week to week, and stock that wilts before it sells. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.

  1. 1

    Wedding contracts and walk-in sales blur together

    A Saturday wedding and a steady stream of $60 counter arrangements both land in the same register, and lumped together, you cannot tell whether weddings or everyday retail actually pay the bills.

    What we doKeeps wedding contract income apart from walk-in retail sales, so you can see which side is really carrying the shop.
  2. 2

    Wholesale flower buys look inconsistent

    Prices at the flower market swing week to week, and a big pre-wedding buy can make one week's cost look wildly different from the next, hiding whether a wedding was actually priced right.

    What we doTies wholesale flower costs to the wedding or order that needed them, so real margin is visible.
  3. 3

    Spoiled and unsold stock never gets counted

    Flowers that do not sell in time get tossed, and that loss quietly eats into margin if nobody tracks it, so a shop can look profitable on paper while spoilage is draining it.

    What we doFlags patterns of wholesale spending running high against sales, so spoilage does not hide in the numbers.
  4. 4

    The deposit is not spending money yet

    A couple books a fall wedding in the spring and pays a deposit, and if it is treated like this month's earned income, the books overstate what has actually been worked.

    What we doFlags booked wedding deposits not yet worked, so you always know how much of the balance is spoken for.
  5. 5

    Delivery costs get buried in general expenses

    Fuel, vehicle upkeep, and a driver's time for wedding-day deliveries and daily retail orders both come out of one vehicle budget, making it hard to see what delivering actually costs against what you charge for it.

    What we doKeeps delivery costs in their own line, so you can see whether delivery fees cover the real cost.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a florist.

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

  • Wedding and event contractsDeposits and final payments for weddings and larger events.
  • Retail and walk-in salesEveryday counter arrangements and bouquets.
  • Delivery feesCharges collected for getting orders to their destination.
  • Standing ordersWeekly or monthly arrangements for regular customers.
  • Wire service ordersOrders taken through FTD, Teleflora, or similar networks.

Money out

  • Wholesale flowers and greeneryBought at the flower market or from growers.
  • Hard goodsVases, ribbon, floral foam, and containers.
  • Cooler and refrigerationEquipment that keeps stock from wilting.
  • Delivery vehicle and fuelThe van that gets arrangements out the door.
  • Design laborHourly floral designers on busy weeks.
  • Wire service feesWhat FTD or Teleflora keep on wire-in orders.
  • Shop rent and utilitiesStorefront lease, electric, and water.

What we watch for you

  • Wedding deposits on hand

    How much of the balance belongs to weddings not yet worked, so it is never mistaken for spare cash.

  • Wholesale cost against sales

    Flower costs against what you sold, so a bad wholesale week does not hide inside a good sales week.

  • Cost per wedding

    Wholesale flowers and labor against what each wedding actually billed.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things florists 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 had a big wedding and a steady week of counter sales. How do I know which one actually pays the bills?

I keep wedding contracts apart from walk-in sales, so you can see which side is really carrying the shop.

Flower prices at the market jumped this week for a big order. Does that mess up the month?

I tie wholesale costs to the wedding or order that needed them, so you can see the real margin on that one job, not just an average.

Some flowers did not sell before they wilted. Is that worth tracking?

Yes. I watch for wholesale spending that runs high against what actually sold, so spoilage does not quietly eat your margin.

The tax side

The tax side of a florist's business.

Most of what goes wrong here is mixing two kinds of income and letting a swinging wholesale bill hide the real story.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Sales tax on flower salesMost states tax the sale of flowers and arrangements as tangible goods, even the wedding ones. Rules vary by state, so the accountant checks what applies to you.
  • Contractor 1099sDelivery drivers or freelance designers not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Cooler and equipment depreciationWalk-in coolers and refrigeration equipment bought for the business can often be written off in the year purchased, or spread out. The accountant decides with your whole year in view.
  • 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 florists miss

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

  • Wholesale flowers and greenery
  • Hard goods and containers
  • Cooler and refrigeration repairs
  • Delivery vehicle fuel
  • Design labor
  • Wire service fees
  • Shop rent and utilities
  • Liability insurance
  • Website and online ordering
  • Bridal show booth fees
  • 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

A florist's year, kept every month.

Weddings, holidays, and everyday retail all peak on their own schedule. Gus keeps the return on its own timeline. 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 drivers and designers is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before wedding booking season floods your inbox.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed right as spring weddings and the Mother's Day rush hit, so tax season never competes with your busiest weeks.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's weddings changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday rush

    Holiday retail season is next. Gus looks at cooler capacity and equipment worth buying before December.

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 florists. 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 florists ask first.

Can Gus tell wedding income apart from everyday retail sales?

Yes. Wedding contracts and walk-in retail sales are kept in their own lines, so you can see which side of the shop is really carrying the business.

Flower prices change every week at the market. Does that confuse the books?

No. Wholesale costs are tied to the order that needed them, so you can see real margin on any given job, not just an average.

What happens to flowers that do not sell before they wilt?

Gus watches for wholesale spending that runs high against what actually sold, so spoilage shows up instead of quietly eating your margin.

Do I charge sales tax on wedding flowers?

Usually, since most states tax flower sales as tangible goods. The accountant checks what applies to your state.

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

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