Organic, social & brand marketing

Books and taxes for freelance UGC creators.

Payouts landing from three or four different marketplaces, a couple of brands paying you on retainer, gear you bought out of pocket, and a home setup that is part studio, part living room. 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
AprilExample month
$4,100
what you made

April came in at $4,100. Insense, Billo, and one direct brand deposit all landed this month, so I matched each one to what you actually delivered.

  • Insense payoutMarketplace gig income
  • Billo payoutMarketplace gig income
  • Direct brand retainer, skincare co.Retainer income
  • Ring light and phone mountGear and equipment
  • Editing app subscriptionEditing software
Money in$6,200
Money out$2,100
Set aside for taxes$1,300
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Freelance creator books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees a bunch of small deposits and a personal bank account mixed in. Your business is payouts from three or four different marketplaces landing at different times, a retainer or two paid directly, and gear you bought yourself that doubles as personal equipment. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell what you actually made this month.

  1. 1

    Payouts from different marketplaces never get matched to gigs

    Insense, Billo, and JoinBrands all pay out on their own schedule with names that do not say which video or brand it was for, so a deposit shows up with no clear tie to the work that earned it.

    What we doMatches each marketplace payout to the gig or brand behind it, so you can see what any single deal actually paid, not just a pile of unlabeled deposits.
  2. 2

    Gear doubles as personal equipment

    The phone, ring light, and microphone used for paid content are the same ones used for everyday life, so it is easy to either claim too much or miss a legitimate write-off entirely.

    What we doTracks gear bought for the work as its own category and has the accountant sort out the business share when something serves double duty.
  3. 3

    A retainer deal looks the same as a one-off gig

    A brand paying you every month to post content looks identical in the bank to a single marketplace payout for one video, so it is hard to tell how much of your income is steady versus how much depends on picking up new gigs.

    What we doKeeps retainer income separate from marketplace gig income, so you can see how much of your month is guaranteed before the rest comes in.
  4. 4

    A big payout year triggers a form you were not expecting

    Once total payments through a marketplace or payment app cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year, a 1099-K arrives that you were not tracking toward, and it does not match what you kept in your head.

    What we doTracks total payouts across every marketplace all year, so a 1099-K in January matches numbers you already know, not a surprise.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a freelance creator.

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

  • Marketplace gig incomePayouts from Billo, Insense, JoinBrands, and similar marketplaces.
  • Retainer incomeBrands paying you directly every month for ongoing content.
  • Usage rights feesExtra one-time payments when a brand pays to keep running your content as an ad.
  • Referral incomeFees or credits earned for sending a brand or fellow creator to a marketplace.

Money out

  • Gear and equipmentRing lights, microphones, phone mounts, and camera accessories.
  • Editing softwareApps used to edit and caption your videos.
  • Props and suppliesProducts or props bought specifically for a shoot.
  • Home studio costsThe share of your space and setup used for shooting content.
  • Business phone and internetThe portion used for filming, editing, and client communication.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer income

    The guaranteed piece of your month, separate from gig-to-gig marketplace payouts.

  • Gig income by marketplace

    Which marketplace is actually worth your time once you can see totals side by side.

  • Gear spend

    What you are putting back into equipment against what you are bringing in.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things freelance creators 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 got paid from three different marketplaces this month and none of the deposit names make sense. Can you sort that out?

Yes. I matched each payout to the gig it came from, so you can see what Insense, Billo, and the rest actually paid you this month.

I bought a new ring light and phone mount. Can I write those off?

Usually, yes, for the share used in your content. I logged it as gear so the accountant can confirm how much of it counts.

I made more than $20,000 through these apps this year. Am I going to owe a bunch of extra tax I did not plan for?

That crosses the line where a 1099-K shows up, but it does not mean new tax, just a form that should match what you already set aside. I have been tracking your total all year.

The tax side

The tax side of a freelance creator.

Most of what goes wrong here is not knowing what counts and what does not. Marketplace income that never gets added up, gear that serves double duty, and a set-aside nobody started until the bill came due.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Form 1099-K from marketplacesOnce total payouts through a marketplace or payment app cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in 2026, a 1099-K arrives. All the income is taxable either way, whether or not a form shows up.
  • Self-employment taxAs a self-employed creator, you owe 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Quarterly estimated taxesTaxes are due as the money is made, not just once a year. Payments are due April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
  • The pass-through deductionMost self-employed creators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. Above roughly $200,000, the accountant checks how much of it still applies.

Deductions freelance UGC creators miss

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

  • Ring lights and tripods
  • Microphones and phone mounts
  • Editing app subscriptions
  • Props bought for a shoot
  • Home studio space
  • Business phone and internet
  • Marketplace membership fees
  • Backdrop and lighting gear
  • Storage and cloud backup
  • Business bank or card 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 freelance creator's year, kept every month.

Gigs come in whenever a brand needs new content, but tax deadlines do not move. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Start the year off right

    Last year's return gets started, any 1099-K or 1099-NEC forms get matched to what you tracked, and you get a monthly set-aside so the next return is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed on time

    Your return is filed and signed. No scramble for cash, since the set-aside has been building every month since January.

  3. July

    Midyear look-in

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether your retainer deals are covering more of the year than gig work.

  4. October

    Before holiday gigs

    Brands ramp up holiday content orders. Gus looks at gear you might need and anything worth doing 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 freelance UGC creators. 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 freelance creators ask first.

I get paid through Billo, Insense, and a couple of direct brand deals. Can Gus keep that straight?

Yes. Gus matches each payout to the gig or brand it came from, so you can see what any single marketplace or deal actually paid you this month.

Do I need to send anyone a 1099, or just worry about receiving them?

As a freelance creator, you mostly receive forms rather than send them. Gus tracks your total payouts all year so any 1099-K or 1099-NEC that shows up in January matches what you already expect.

My camera and phone are used for content and for everyday life. How does that get handled?

Gus tracks what you spend on gear as its own category, and the accountant sorts out the business share when something serves double duty between work and personal use.

One brand pays me every month and the rest is one-off marketplace gigs. Does that matter for my books?

It helps to see the difference, and Gus already tracks it. Retainer income sits apart from gig income, so you can see how much of your month is guaranteed before anything else comes in.

I have never tracked any of this and just spend what lands in my account. Can this still get fixed?

Yes. Send the bank and marketplace statements you have. Gus sorts out what was income and what was a business cost, the accountant checks it, and most people know where they stand inside 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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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