Paint, craft & maker studios

Books and taxes for glassblowing studios.

Make-your-own-ornament sessions with a gaffer, a furnace that runs around the clock whether the hot shop is busy or not, and working artists renting bench time after hours. Gus sorts 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
NovemberExample month
$11,700
what you made

November made $11,700. Ornament-making experiences carried the month, and I kept the furnace gas bill in its own line since it runs the same whether the hot shop is packed or quiet.

  • Ornament experience bookingsGuided experiences
  • Bench rental, working artistsStudio memberships
  • Reichenbach glass orderColor glass and rods
  • Natural gas, furnaceFurnace fuel
  • Gaffer pay, weekend sessionsInstructor pay
Money in$34,500
Money out$22,800
Set aside for taxes$2,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A glassblowing studio's books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees session fees and a utility bill. Your business runs a furnace at working temperature around the clock, color glass that costs wildly different amounts depending on the shade, and gaffers who guide a customer's hands through blowing their own piece. When the books do not know that, a quiet week looks like a crisis instead of a normal one.

  1. 1

    Furnace fuel is a fixed cost, not a variable one

    A glassblowing furnace stays at working temperature continuously, so the gas or electric bill barely changes whether the hot shop hosted twelve guided sessions this week or two. Lumped in with regular utilities, a slow week can look like a financial problem when it is really just a quiet week against a bill that never drops.

    What we doKeeps furnace fuel in its own line so a slow week reads as slow demand, not as a cost spiraling out of control.
  2. 2

    Color glass gets averaged into one generic supply line

    A rod of imported color glass from a supplier like Reichenbach or Zimmermann can cost many times what clear glass runs, so if every glass purchase gets treated the same, session pricing that includes premium colors may not actually cover what those colors cost.

    What we doKeeps color glass purchases visible against session pricing, so premium color options can be priced to cover their real cost.
  3. 3

    Bench rental income looks like flat, steady money

    Working artists who rent furnace and bench time after hours pay a predictable fee, but if that income is not tracked against how many hours the furnace is actually booked, an owner cannot tell whether there is room to rent more time or the schedule is already full.

    What we doKeeps bench rental revenue visible against hours booked, so you know whether the hot shop has room to take on more renters.
  4. 4

    Guest gaffers get paid inconsistently

    A gaffer who guides guided experience sessions on weekends and a different one who teaches a weeklong intensive can end up paid two different ways for similar work, which muddies both payroll and the year-end contractor list.

    What we doTracks who worked, how often, and how they were paid, and flags the pattern so the accountant can weigh in on classification.
  5. 5

    Safety gear and tools get lost in supplies

    Heat-resistant gloves, jacks, blocks, paddles, and punties wear out and get replaced often, and thrown into a general supplies line they hide how much it actually costs to keep a hot shop running safely.

    What we doKeeps tool and safety gear replacement in its own line, so you can see that cost clearly instead of guessing at it.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a glassblowing 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

  • Guided experiencesMake-your-own ornament, paperweight, or cup sessions with a gaffer.
  • Studio membershipsBench and furnace time rented by working artists after hours.
  • Classes and workshopsMulti-session technique classes for beginners and intermediate students.
  • Retail finished glassFunctional and sculptural pieces sold in the studio.
  • Private and corporate eventsGroup bookings paid with a deposit.

Money out

  • Furnace fuelNatural gas or propane and electric to keep the furnace at working temperature.
  • Color glass and rodsClear and color glass from suppliers like Reichenbach or Zimmermann.
  • Tools and safety gearJacks, blocks, paddles, punties, and heat-resistant gloves.
  • Instructor payGaffers who lead guided sessions and classes.
  • Studio rent and utilitiesSpace and ventilation for the hot shop.
  • InsuranceGeneral liability, given the open flame and molten glass.
  • MarketingLocal ads and holiday ornament promotion.
  • Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.

What we watch for you

  • Furnace utilization

    Guided sessions and bench rentals booked against furnace hours available.

  • Color glass cost per session

    What color glass actually costs against what a session is priced at.

  • Bench rental revenue

    Steady income from working artists, worth tracking as its own line.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things glassblowing studio 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.

This week was slow but the gas bill was the same as always. Is something wrong?

No, that is normal. The furnace runs at temperature all week regardless of bookings, so I keep fuel in its own line instead of letting a quiet week look like a cost problem.

I have two gaffers, one on payroll and one who just does weekend sessions. Does that need to change?

It might not, but I track how each one is paid and scheduled, and if the weekend gaffer starts looking like an employee in practice, the accountant will flag it.

Is a new furnace liner a repair or something bigger?

Bigger, most likely. I logged it as equipment, not a repair, and flagged it so the accountant can decide how it gets written off.

The tax side

The tax side of a glassblowing studio.

Most of what goes wrong here is a fixed furnace cost mistaken for a variable one, and equipment mistaken for a repair.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Furnace and equipment depreciationFurnaces, annealers, and glory holes bought or rebuilt for the studio can usually be written off, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025. A liner replacement is often treated differently than routine maintenance.
  • Color glass as inventoryGlass rods and cullet bought in bulk are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the piece made. Tracking roughly what is on hand keeps the return accurate.
  • Gaffer classificationA gaffer who works your schedule, uses your furnace, and follows your session format is usually an employee, even part time. Gus tracks the pattern for the accountant to decide.
  • Contractor 1099sAny gaffer or instructor not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

Deductions glassblowing studios miss

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

  • Color glass and rods
  • Furnace refractory and liners
  • Jacks, blocks, and paddles
  • Heat-resistant gloves and gear
  • Gaffer and instructor pay
  • Studio rent and utilities
  • Liability insurance
  • Local social ads
  • Card processing fees
  • Kiln and annealer elements
  • Safety signage and ventilation upkeep
  • 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 glassblowing studio year, kept every month.

Holiday ornament sessions, a spring workshop push, and a summer stretch of bench rentals 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the gaffer and instructor 1099 list is finalized, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and how bench rentals and classes have tracked against the furnace's fixed cost.

  4. October

    Before ornament season

    Gus looks at color glass stock, gaffer scheduling, and any equipment worth buying before the holiday guided experience rush hits.

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 glassblowing 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 glassblowing studio owners ask first.

Why does the furnace gas bill stay high even in a slow week?

Because the furnace runs at working temperature continuously. Gus keeps fuel in its own line so a quiet week does not look like a cost overrun when it is just the fixed price of staying ready.

How does Gus handle color glass that costs so much more than clear?

He keeps color glass purchases visible against what sessions and pieces are priced at, so premium colors can be priced to actually cover what they cost.

My gaffers are paid different ways depending on the session. Is that a problem?

Gus tracks how each one is paid and scheduled all year, so the pattern is clear and the accountant can weigh in on classification before it becomes a habit.

Does bench rental income for working artists get mixed in with guided sessions?

No. Bench rental is kept in its own category, separate from guided experiences and classes, so you can see what each part of the business brings in.

Is a furnace rebuild a repair or a bigger deduction?

Often bigger. Gus flags major furnace work the day it happens and logs it as equipment rather than a routine repair, and the accountant decides how it gets written off.

My books are behind from running the studio off a notebook. 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.

More in paint, craft & maker studios

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