Paint, craft & maker studios
Books and taxes for glass fusing studios.
Walk-in glass projects paid today and picked up after a two-day kiln cycle, dichroic glass that costs more than plain sheet, and the occasional cracked piece. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
May made $7,200. Mother's Day jewelry projects were most of it, and I logged the two pieces that cracked in the kiln as a loss instead of letting them quietly eat your glass budget.
- Walk-in project feesFusing projects
- Class registrationsClass tuition
- Bullseye Glass orderGlass sheet and frit
- Kiln electric billFiring costs
- Studio rentRent and utilities
Why your books are different
A glass fusing studio's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees project fees and supply bills. Your business is sheet glass that costs five times more in one color than another, a kiln cycle that takes two days, and pieces that sometimes crack before pickup. When the books do not know that, a normal month of breakage looks like a mystery loss.
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1
Dichroic and specialty glass gets averaged with plain sheet
A sheet of dichroic or art glass can cost several times what plain cathedral glass runs, so if every glass purchase gets lumped into one generic supply line, you cannot see whether pricier project options are actually priced to cover their real material cost.
What we doKeeps glass and frit purchases visible against project pricing, so premium glass options can be priced to actually cover what they cost. -
2
Breakage disappears into the numbers
A piece that cracks in the kiln during a fusing or slumping cycle never turns into a paid pickup, but the glass and the firing electric already left the register. Untracked, it just looks like margins are thinner than expected.
What we doKeeps an eye on the gap between glass bought and projects picked up, and flags it when the pattern looks like more than normal breakage. -
3
Payment happens before the piece is finished
A customer pays for a project the day they choose their glass, but the piece is not ready until after a multi-day kiln cycle, sometimes two separate firings for fusing and slumping. Timing rarely causes real problems here, but a big group class paid for today and picked up next week can shift which week looks busy.
What we doKeeps project income tied to the week the work was done, so pickup week does not carry income that was actually earned earlier. -
4
A bulk glass order distorts one month
A large sheet glass order from a supplier like Bullseye or Spectrum can cover several months of projects, but if the whole bill lands in one month's books, that month looks like it barely made money.
What we doKeeps glass purchases in one steady line and flags a bulk order so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a bad one. -
5
A new kiln gets filed as a supply
A second or third kiln for a growing fusing studio can cost several thousand dollars. Filed as a studio supply, it muddles a normal month and never gets the equipment treatment it should on the return.
What we doFlags large equipment purchases the day they show up and logs them as equipment, not supplies.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a glass fusing studio.
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
- Fusing projectsWalk-in glass pieces, priced by size and glass type chosen.
- Class tuitionBeginner and technique classes on cutting and layering glass.
- Party bookingsBirthday and small group fusing sessions, booked with a deposit.
- Retail finished glassReady-made glass art sold off the shelf.
- Gift card redemptionsMoved into revenue only when a card is actually used.
Money out
- Glass sheet and fritCathedral, opalescent, and dichroic glass from suppliers like Bullseye or Spectrum.
- Firing costsKiln electric for fusing and slumping cycles.
- Kiln shelves and primerKiln wash, shelf paper, and mold replacements.
- Studio rent and utilitiesSpace and power for the kilns and cutting stations.
- Instructor payClass and private lesson instructors.
- MarketingLocal ads and holiday gift promotion.
- InsuranceGeneral liability, given the cutting equipment and hot kilns.
- Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.
What we watch for you
- Glass cost per project
What glass actually costs against what a project is priced at, by glass type.
- Breakage rate
How often a piece cracks before pickup, so it does not quietly eat your margin.
- Kiln cycle throughput
How many projects move through firing each week against how many kilns you run.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things glass fusing 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.
Yes, I logged the glass and firing cost as a loss rather than letting it blend into your regular material spend. Two in a month is normal, it is worth a look if it becomes more.
That split depends on your state, so I keep the project fee and any retail glass sales separate and the accountant sorts out what is taxable where you operate.
Usually it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a glass fusing studio.
Most of what goes wrong here is glass treated like a flat monthly bill instead of inventory, and equipment filed as supplies.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Glass and frit as inventorySheet glass and frit bought in bulk are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the piece sold. Tracking roughly what is on the shelf keeps the return accurate.
- Kiln depreciationKilns and kiln furniture bought for the studio can usually be written off in the year they are bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Sales tax on projects and retailMany states tax the physical glass piece a customer takes home, even when a class fee or instruction charge is treated differently. Where that line falls depends on your state.
- Instructor 1099sAny class instructor not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions glass fusing studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Sheet glass and frit
- Kiln shelves and primer
- Glass cutters and grinder pads
- Kiln elements and repairs
- Instructor pay
- Studio rent and utilities
- Liability insurance
- Local social ads
- Card processing fees
- Safety glasses and gloves
- Gift wrap and packaging
- Cleaning supplies
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 glass fusing studio year, kept every month.
Mother's Day jewelry, summer classes, and a holiday retail push all pull differently. Your team keeps you ahead of the calendar and the return 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, the instructor 1099 list is finalized, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how the Mother's Day and spring class season shaped the year so far.
- October
Before holiday retail
Gus looks at glass stock levels, kiln capacity for the gift rush, and any equipment worth buying 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 glass fusing studios. 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 glass fusing owners ask first.
Does a cracked piece in the kiln show up in my books?
Yes. Gus tracks the gap between glass purchased and projects picked up, and logs a broken piece as a loss instead of letting it disappear into your regular material costs.
How does Gus handle expensive glass like dichroic next to plain sheet?
He keeps glass purchases visible against what projects are priced at, so you can see whether pricier glass options actually cover their real cost.
A big group class booking paid today but picks up next week. Does that confuse the numbers?
No. Gus ties the income to the week the work was actually done, so pickup timing does not shift which week looks busy.
Is a bulk glass order going to make a month look bad?
Gus keeps glass purchases in a steady monthly line and flags a big stock-up, so a heavy-buying month is not read as a slow one.
Can Gus tell me if a new kiln is worth the cost?
That decision is yours. Gus flags the purchase and logs it as equipment, and the accountant tells you how it gets written off.
My books are behind from tracking projects on a clipboard. Can Gus still help?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners 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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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