Music, art & performing arts businesses
Books and taxes for independent fine artists.
A painting sold straight from Instagram, a gallery cut on a piece placed on consignment, a commissioned portrait paid in two parts, and months where nothing sells at all. 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
December came in at $5,400. Three holiday commissions sold direct, and the Baxter Gallery finally paid out on the piece it sold back in October.
- Instagram DM saleDirect art sales
- Baxter Gallery payoutGallery consignment income
- Commission deposit, portraitCommissioned work
- Blick Art MaterialsStudio supplies
- Home studio utility shareStudio and home studio costs
Why your books are different
Independent fine artist books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist expects steady monthly revenue. Independent fine artists sell directly, through galleries that take a cut, and on commission, often with months of nothing followed by a burst of sales. When the books do not separate those, it is hard to prove the studio is a real business and not a hobby that sometimes sells.
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1
A home studio blurs into the rest of the house
A spare room used for painting also stores holiday decorations and doubles as a guest room twice a year. Without a clear line, the home studio deduction gets guessed at or skipped entirely.
What we doKeeps a simple record of studio square footage and use, so a legitimate home studio deduction is not left on the table. -
2
Gallery payouts arrive weeks after the actual sale
A piece sells at a gallery in October, but the payout, already reduced by the gallery's commission, does not land until December. Recorded the day it is deposited, it looks like December income when the sale happened two months earlier.
What we doTracks gallery sales as they happen and matches the payout when it arrives, so you always know what a piece actually sold for. -
3
Irregular income looks like a business in trouble
Three months with no sales followed by a $4,000 commission is normal for this work, but looked at one month at a time, it can look like the business is failing when it is simply how the work sells.
What we doTracks income across the full year instead of one slow month at a time, so a normal dry spell does not look like a crisis. -
4
Personal pieces and business sales get tangled together
A painting given to a friend or sold at a garage sale outside the regular business gets mixed in with real studio sales, muddying what the business actually made and inviting questions about whether it is a business at all.
What we doKeeps personal art activity separate from business sales, so the books reflect a real trade with real evidence behind it.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an independent fine artist.
Set up once for how work sells and what keeps the studio running. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Direct art salesSales made through Instagram, a personal website, or in person.
- Gallery consignment incomeYour share of a sale after a representing gallery's commission.
- Commissioned workCustom pieces, often paid in a deposit and a final payment.
- Print and licensing salesPrints sold through Etsy or art licensed for use on products.
Money out
- Studio suppliesPaint, canvas, and materials from Blick or a similar supplier.
- Studio and home studio costsRent or a portion of home costs tied to a dedicated studio space.
- Framing for sale-ready piecesFraming done before a piece is sold or shown.
- Shipping to buyersPacking and freight for pieces sold and shipped out.
- Art fair and show feesBooth fees and entry costs for fairs and open studios.
- MarketingWebsite hosting, social media promotion, and photography of finished work.
What we watch for you
- Months since last sale
How long since the last piece sold, since irregular income is normal but worth tracking.
- Commission kept
What a gallery's cut leaves you on a consigned sale, against the full listed price.
- Cost per piece
Material and framing cost against sale price, to see which work is actually worth your time.
- The set-aside
What you will owe in taxes, tracked against whatever sold that month, so filing season is no surprise.
Ask Gus
Things independent fine artists 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.
No, that is normal for this work. I track your year as a whole, not one slow month at a time, so a dry spell does not read as trouble.
I logged the sale in October when it actually happened, and matched the December payout to it, so the timing lines up with the real sale, not just when the check arrived.
That is above my pay grade to answer exactly, but I keep a record of how the space is used so the accountant can work out what is fair to claim.
The tax side
The tax side of an independent fine artist.
Most of what goes wrong here is proving the studio is a real business, and getting sale timing right when a gallery pays out later than the sale itself.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Hobby-loss scrutinyA studio that shows losses for several years in a row can get questioned about whether it is really a business. Clean books, real invoices, and a separate account are the best evidence that it is.
- Home studio deductionA space used regularly and only for the business can often support a home studio deduction. Mixed personal use makes this harder to claim, so keeping the space dedicated matters.
- Self-employment taxProfit from an independent art business owes 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax.
- The pass-through deductionMost independent artists can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions independent fine artists miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Paint, canvas, and studio supplies
- Framing for pieces to sell
- Shipping and packing materials
- Art fair and show booth fees
- Website and portfolio hosting
- Photography of finished work
- A dedicated home studio space
- Continuing art classes and workshops
- Business liability insurance
- Mileage to shows and deliveries
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 independent fine artist year, kept every month.
Sales come in bursts around shows, commissions, and gallery placements. Your taxes come on a schedule, and your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
The studio year begins
Last year's return gets started, gallery payouts are reconciled, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed, quiet April
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because whatever sold since January has already been feeding the set-aside.
- July
Midyear studio check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how this year's mix of direct and gallery sales is running.
- October
Before the holiday commission rush
Holiday gift sales and commissions often bring the year's busiest stretch. Gus looks at what is worth doing 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 independent fine artists. 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 independent fine artists ask first.
I only sell a few pieces a year. Is that enough to count as a real business?
It can be, especially with clean books, a separate account, and real records behind each sale. Irregular sales are normal for this work and do not by themselves make it a hobby.
Do I need to track a piece I gave away or sold to a friend outside my usual channels?
It helps to keep those separate from your regular business sales, so the books show what the business actually earned, not a mix of personal and business activity.
Can I deduct my home studio if I also use the room for guests sometimes?
Mixed use makes it harder to claim, though it may still be possible depending on how the space is used. Gus keeps a record so the accountant can work out what is fair to claim.
How does a gallery consignment sale get recorded if I do not find out about it right away?
Gus logs it once you know a sale happened and the payout amount, matching it to that sale so the timing reflects reality even if you were not told immediately.
Do I owe sales tax when I sell a painting directly to a collector?
Usually yes, in states that have a sales tax, on the full sale price. Gus flags direct sales so the accountant confirms what your state requires.
My records are scattered across Venmo, Instagram, and cash. Can you still help?
Yes. Send whatever you have, even if it is scattered. Gus sorts it, the accountant checks it, and most artists 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