Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for horse and carriage services.
Livestock care that runs whether or not you have a booking, carriage repairs, driver and handler staffing, and weather that limits some summer afternoons. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
October came in at $5,000. The farrier visit and vet checkup both landed this month, so I kept them in livestock care, apart from carriage upkeep.
- October 4 wedding carriage bookingCarriage rental fees
- Veterinary and farrier visitLivestock care
- Carriage wheel repairCarriage maintenance
- Driver and handler payStaffing
- Boarding facility rentBoarding
Why your books are different
A horse and carriage service's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees carriage bookings and vet bills. Your business is horses that need care whether or not you are booked, a carriage that needs its own upkeep separate from the animals, and weather that can limit a summer afternoon. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
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1
Livestock care looks like a routine supply cost
Feed, veterinary visits, and farrier work are ongoing costs of keeping horses healthy and working, and buried in general expenses, you cannot tell what it actually costs to keep your horses ready for the season.
What we doKeeps livestock care in its own line, apart from carriage upkeep and general supplies. -
2
Carriage repairs get mixed with livestock costs
Wheel repair, upholstery work, and paint touch-ups on the carriage itself are a different cost than caring for the horses, and blended together, you cannot tell whether it is the animals or the equipment eating into your margin.
What we doKeeps carriage maintenance apart from livestock care. -
3
Boarding costs run even when you are not booked
Horses need feed, shelter, and care whether or not you have a wedding this weekend, and if boarding costs get charged against a single event, that event looks far less profitable than it was.
What we doKeeps boarding in its own steady line, separate from any one booking. -
4
Weather limits get missed in the pricing
Extreme heat can mean horses cannot work certain summer afternoons in some climates, and if that lost capacity is not accounted for, a slow summer month can look like a mystery instead of an expected seasonal pattern.
What we doShows the year's trend alongside the month, so weather-driven slow stretches read as expected. -
5
The deposit is not spending money yet
A couple books a fall wedding months out 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 deposits for events not yet worked, so you always know how much of the balance is spoken for.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a horse and carriage service.
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
- Carriage rental feesThe base charge for a wedding or event ride.
- Booking depositsHeld when a couple books, often months out.
- Photo session add-onsCouples renting the carriage just for photos.
- Holiday and seasonal bookingsRides booked for holiday events outside wedding season.
- Extended route feesExtra charged for a longer route or added time.
Money out
- Livestock careFeed, veterinary visits, and farrier work.
- Carriage maintenanceWheel repair, upholstery, and paint touch-ups.
- BoardingShelter and upkeep, running whether or not you are booked.
- StaffingDriver and handler pay for each event.
- Horse trailer and transportThe vehicle that moves horses to and from events.
- InsuranceLivestock and liability coverage.
- Licensing and permitsRequired registrations for horse-drawn vehicles.
What we watch for you
- Livestock care cost per horse
What each horse actually costs to keep working, tracked apart from carriage upkeep.
- Cost per event
Staffing and transport against what each booking actually billed.
- Boarding costs against bookings
How much boarding runs whether or not you are booked, so a slow month does not look like a crisis.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things horse and carriage service 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.
I keep it as livestock care, apart from carriage upkeep, so you can see what it actually costs to keep your horses ready.
Carriage maintenance and livestock care stay in separate lines, so you can see whether it is the animals or the equipment eating into your margin.
No, I show the year's trend alongside the month, so a slow stretch from weather reads as expected, not as a problem.
The tax side
The tax side of a horse and carriage service.
Most of what goes wrong here is mixing the cost of the animals with the cost of the equipment.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Carriages and trailers as business assetsCarriages and horse trailers bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy them. The accountant decides how much to take now with your full year in view.
- Livestock care as an ordinary costFeed, veterinary care, and farrier work are usually ordinary deductible business costs when the horses work in the business. Gus keeps them tracked separately from carriage upkeep.
- Contractor 1099sAny driver or handler not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- 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 horse and carriage services miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Horse feed and supplements
- Veterinary and farrier visits
- Carriage repair and upholstery
- Boarding facility fees
- Horse trailer maintenance
- Driver and handler wages
- Livestock and liability insurance
- Licensing and permits
- Website and booking fees
- 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 horse and carriage service's year, kept every month.
Spring and fall bring the most bookings, and summer heat can slow things down. Gus keeps the return on its own schedule. 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 1099 list for drivers and handlers is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your calendar.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as spring bookings ramp up, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether summer heat is slowing bookings the way it usually does.
- October
Before the last fall bookings
The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at what is worth buying before December and what the winter boarding months need to cover.
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 horse and carriage services. 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 horse and carriage service owners ask first.
Is livestock care a regular supply cost?
No. It is kept in its own line, apart from carriage upkeep, so you can see what it actually costs to keep your horses ready for work.
How does Gus tell carriage repairs apart from horse care?
They stay in separate lines, so you can see whether it is the animals or the equipment eating into your margin.
Does summer heat affect the books?
Gus shows the year's trend alongside the month, so a slow stretch from weather reads as expected instead of a mystery.
Does boarding count against a specific event?
No. It stays in its own steady line, since horses need care whether or not you are booked that weekend.
My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most owners 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