Consumer photography & video

Books and taxes for headshot studios.

A company invoice for forty employee headshots, an individual actor's booking paid on the spot, and a retouching upsell in between. Gus keeps each one straight, 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
SeptemberExample month
$14,500
what you made

September made $14,500. A law firm's forty-person headshot day paid on a net-30 invoice, so I am tracking that as owed until the check actually clears.

  • Acme Law headshot invoiceCorporate bookings
  • Individual booking, cardIndividual sessions
  • Retouching upsell, PayPalRetouching add-ons
  • Studio backdrop refreshStudio and props
  • Booking software renewalSoftware subscriptions
Money in$34,000
Money out$19,500
Set aside for taxes$3,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A headshot studio runs two different businesses out of one calendar.

A generalist sees deposits and invoices. Your business is a company that pays on a thirty-day invoice for forty employees in one afternoon, and an actor who pays by card the moment the shoot ends. When the books do not separate them, you cannot tell which one is actually paying the bills.

  1. 1

    Corporate invoices sit unpaid for weeks

    A law firm or agency books a full-day batch of employee headshots and pays on a net-30 invoice, sometimes longer. Counted as income the day the shoot happens, the books show cash that has not actually landed yet.

    What we doTracks corporate invoices as owed until the payment clears, so your monthly number reflects money actually in the bank.
  2. 2

    Retouching upsells get lost inside the session fee

    A client pays the base session fee, then pays again for extra retouching or additional final images. Lumped together, you cannot tell how much of your revenue is coming from the upsell versus the booking itself.

    What we doKeeps retouching and add-on sales in their own line, so you can see what upsells are actually worth to the studio.
  3. 3

    A studio lighting upgrade gets filed as supplies

    A backdrop wall, a new strobe kit, or a tethering setup for a studio refresh can cost several thousand dollars. Filed as a supply purchase, it wrecks the month it was bought and hides what the studio actually earned.

    What we doFlags studio equipment purchases as equipment the day they show up and gets the accountant's call on how they get written off.
  4. 4

    A batch corporate day looks like one big month

    A single large corporate contract can bring in more in one day than several weeks of individual bookings, making that month look unusually strong and the next one look weak by comparison, when nothing about the business actually changed.

    What we doKeeps corporate and individual bookings in separate lines, so a single batch day does not distort how the rest of the month reads.
  5. 5

    A studio manager paid hourly looks like a contractor

    Front desk or studio manager help paid by the hour but working your posted schedule and using your equipment is usually an employee, not a contractor, even when the studio is small.

    What we doKeeps a running note on regular studio help so the accountant can flag a worker classification question before it becomes a habit.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a headshot 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

  • Corporate bookingsBatch employee headshot days invoiced to a company.
  • Individual sessionsActors, agents, and professionals booking on their own.
  • Retouching add-onsExtra retouching or additional final images sold after the shoot.
  • Digital delivery upgradesFaster turnaround or extra formats sold as an add-on.
  • Studio time rentalsHours rented out to other photographers when the studio is open.

Money out

  • Studio backdrops and propsBackdrop walls, paper rolls, and set pieces.
  • Camera and lighting gearBodies, lenses, and strobes logged so they get written off right.
  • Editing and retouching softwareEditing suites and retouching plugins.
  • Booking and invoicing softwareScheduling tools and invoicing systems for corporate clients.
  • Studio rent and utilitiesLease, power, and internet for the studio space.
  • Front desk or assistant payHourly help booking clients and running the studio.
  • Liability and equipment insuranceCoverage for the studio and the gear inside it.

What we watch for you

  • Outstanding invoices

    Corporate invoices not yet paid, so a big booked day is not mistaken for cash already in the bank.

  • Individual versus corporate share

    How much of the month came from companies versus walk-in bookings, so you know where the demand actually sits.

  • Retouching add-on rate

    How often clients buy retouching upgrades, worth knowing before changing package pricing.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month against both invoiced and paid work, so nothing catches you off guard in April.

Ask Gus

Things headshot 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.

A law firm booked forty headshots but pays on a 30-day invoice. Why isn't that in this month's number yet?

Because the cash is not in the bank yet. I am tracking it as owed and will count it the month the payment actually clears.

Do retouching upsells need their own category?

Yes, that is exactly what I keep separate, so you can see how much of your revenue is the base session versus the upgrade.

My front desk person is only part time. Does that matter for taxes?

It might. If she works your schedule and uses your equipment, she is likely an employee even part time. I flagged it for the accountant to confirm.

The tax side

The tax side of a headshot studio.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing on corporate invoices and labels on studio help. Getting both right keeps the monthly number honest.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Studio equipment write-offsCameras, lighting kits, and backdrop systems bought for the business can usually be written off in the year purchased, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • Worker classification for studio helpFront desk staff or studio assistants who work your schedule and use your equipment are usually employees, not contractors, even if paid hourly and part time.
  • Contractor 1099sA freelance retoucher or photographer helping on a corporate day who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC once paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of qualified business income off their taxable income. Getting it right depends on the books being accurate every month, not scrambled together in April.

Deductions headshot studios miss

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

  • Camera bodies and lenses
  • Studio lighting kits
  • Backdrop systems
  • Retouching software
  • Booking software fees
  • Studio rent and utilities
  • Front desk hourly pay
  • Liability insurance
  • Website and portfolio hosting
  • Continuing education

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 headshot studio year, kept every month.

Corporate contracts and individual bookings run on different clocks. Your team keeps both straight all year, not just at tax time. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Set the year's invoicing pace

    Last year's return gets started, the contractor 1099 list is finalized, and a monthly set-aside is planned for the year of corporate and individual bookings ahead.

  2. April

    Filed between corporate days

    Your return is filed and signed, and the set-aside has already covered what you owe since January, corporate calendar or not.

  3. July

    Midyear invoice check

    A look at how corporate contracts and individual bookings compare so far this year, and what that means for what is still owed.

  4. October

    Fall corporate season

    Companies often refresh employee headshots before year-end reports and new hires. Gus keeps invoices tracked as those batch days book up.

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 headshot 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 headshot studio owners ask first.

Can Gus handle corporate clients who pay on invoice terms?

Yes. He tracks invoiced work as owed until the payment clears, so your monthly number reflects money actually in the bank, not just work booked.

Do I need to separate corporate and individual bookings in my books?

It helps. Gus keeps them in separate lines so you can see which side of the business is actually carrying the month.

My studio manager is part time. Does that change anything for taxes?

It might. Someone working your schedule with your equipment is usually an employee even part time, and Gus flags that for the accountant to confirm.

How does Gus handle retouching upsells?

He keeps them in their own category, separate from the base session fee, so you can see how much extra retouching and upgrades actually earn.

Do I write off a new lighting kit all at once?

Often you can. Studio equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and the accountant makes that call with your whole year in view.

My books are a mess from a busy corporate season. Can Gus still help?

Yes. Send what you have, including any outstanding invoices, and Gus works through the backlog so you know where the studio actually stands.

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