Personal & lifestyle services

Books and taxes for image consultants.

A corporate workshop invoiced net-30, one-on-one executive coaching packages, color analysis sessions, and travel to a client's office across town. Your own bookkeeper stays on 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
SeptemberExample month
$7,800
what you made

September brought in $7,800. The corporate workshop invoice finally paid out after 40 days, so I booked it to the month it landed, not the month you ran the session.

  • Corporate workshop invoice paidCorporate contracts
  • Executive coaching packageIndividual coaching
  • Color analysis session feesColor and style analysis
  • Flight for on-site workshopTravel for client work
  • Presentation materials printingWorkshop materials
Money in$11,200
Money out$3,400
Set aside for taxes$1,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Image consultant books go wrong in the same four places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business mixes corporate contracts that pay on net-30 terms, one-on-one coaching packages, and standalone color analysis sessions, plus travel to run a workshop on-site. When the books do not know that, the monthly number is a guess.

  1. 1

    Corporate invoices pay weeks after the work happens

    A company that books you for an executive presence workshop often pays 30 to 60 days after the session, so a strong month of client work can look thin on paper until the invoice actually clears.

    What we doBooks corporate contract income to the month it is received and flags outstanding invoices so a payment lag does not read as a slow month.
  2. 2

    Coaching packages get counted before the sessions happen

    A client who buys a six-session executive coaching package upfront has paid for work spread across months. Booking the whole payment as income the day it lands overstates that month.

    What we doKeeps prepaid coaching packages visible against sessions actually delivered, so one signup does not inflate a single month.
  3. 3

    Corporate and individual work blur together

    A corporate workshop contract prices and pays very differently than an individual color analysis session, and lumped into one revenue line, you cannot see which side of the business is actually growing.

    What we doKeeps corporate contracts, individual coaching, and standalone sessions in separate lines so each is visible on its own.
  4. 4

    Travel for on-site work gets lost in general expenses

    Flights, hotels, and mileage for running a workshop at a client's office are real costs of that specific job, but buried in general spending they make it hard to see if a far-away contract was actually worth taking.

    What we doKeeps client travel in its own line so you can see what a contract actually nets after the cost of getting there.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an image consulting business.

Set up once for how corporate and individual clients pay. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Corporate contractsCompany-booked workshops and executive coaching, invoiced on standard terms.
  • Individual coachingOne-on-one packages for personal image and presence work.
  • Color and style analysisStandalone color analysis and wardrobe assessment sessions.
  • Speaking and workshop feesFlat fees for group workshops or conference speaking.

Money out

  • Travel for client workFlights, hotels, and mileage for on-site workshops.
  • Workshop materialsPrinted guides, presentation supplies, and handouts.
  • Marketing and websiteWebsite hosting, photography, and promotion of your practice.
  • Continuing educationCertifications and courses in image consulting or executive coaching.
  • Business insuranceLiability coverage for corporate and in-person work.

What we watch for you

  • Corporate contract share

    How much of revenue is corporate work versus individual coaching. It shows which side is actually growing.

  • Outstanding invoices

    What corporate clients owe but have not yet paid. It keeps a slow-paying month from looking like a slow month of work.

  • Travel cost per contract

    What it costs to get to an on-site job against what the contract pays. It shows if a far-away booking is worth it.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe in April, tracked every month so it never arrives as a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things image consultants 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 month looks slow but I know I did a big corporate workshop.

That invoice is still outstanding at 35 days. I have it flagged, and it will show up in the month it actually pays, not the month you ran it.

Is it worth taking that out-of-state corporate contract next month?

Once travel is factored in, your last out-of-state job netted about 60 percent of the contract price. I will have that number ready when you decide.

Do I need to separate corporate work from my individual clients?

I already do. Keeping corporate contracts apart from individual coaching is how you see which side of the business is paying.

The tax side

The tax side of an image consulting business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing. Corporate invoices paid late, packages counted too early, and a set-aside nobody started until April.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment tax on consulting feesFor an image consulting business, self-employment tax runs 15.3 percent on top of regular income tax when the owner is not paid through payroll, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Mileage for on-site workshopsDriving to a client's office or an in-person workshop can be deducted at 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026.
  • 1099s for workshop helpAnyone you bring in to help run a large workshop who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026.
  • The pass-through income breakFor an image consulting business, the pass-through deduction lets an owner take up to 20 percent of business profit off taxable income, a figure that only comes out right when the books are kept right all year.

Deductions image consultants miss

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

  • Travel for client and workshop work
  • Workshop materials and printing
  • Presentation equipment
  • Website and portfolio photography
  • Continuing education and certifications
  • Trade association dues
  • Home office space for planning
  • Phone and video call software
  • Business insurance
  • Client gifts within reasonable limits
  • Color analysis tools and swatches
  • Conference and networking 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

An image consultant's year, kept every month.

Corporate budgets and personal coaching demand shift through the year, and invoices land on their own schedule. 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

    Open the year

    For an image consulting business, last year's return gets started in January, and a monthly set-aside means April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed on time

    For an image consulting business, the return is filed and signed in April, with no surprise bill since the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Six-month check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether corporate contract timing changed the number.

  4. October

    Before budget season

    Companies often plan next year's training budgets in the fourth quarter. Gus looks at any moves worth making 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 image consultants. 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 image consultants ask first.

My corporate client pays 45 days after the workshop. Does that mess up my books?

No. Gus books that income to the month it actually arrives and flags what is still outstanding, so a payment lag does not make a good month look slow.

Can Gus keep corporate work separate from individual coaching?

Yes. Corporate contracts, individual coaching, and standalone sessions are each kept in their own line, so you can see what part of the business is growing.

Are my flights and hotels for an on-site workshop deductible?

Yes, travel for client work is a legitimate business expense. Gus keeps it in its own line so you can see what a contract nets after travel costs.

I sell coaching packages upfront. Does that inflate my income?

Gus keeps prepaid packages visible against sessions actually delivered, so a big signup does not make one month look bigger than the work done.

My books are behind from focusing on client work. Is that fixable?

Yes, it is fixable. Send the bank statements you have and Gus sorts through the gap, with the accountant checking it, typically 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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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