Live events & performance

Books and taxes for independent movie theaters.

Box office sales split with the distributor, concessions that carry the real margin, a private rental screening, and a membership that renews every month. Gus sorts each apart, 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
$9,200
what you made

November cleared $9,200. The distributor's percentage of ticket sales is booked as a film rental cost, not folded into concessions.

  • Vista box office depositBox office sales
  • Concessions, popcorn and drinksConcessions
  • Film distributor, percentage rentalFilm rental fees
  • Projector bulb, digital projectorEquipment and repair
  • NCM ad reel invoiceAdvertising and trailers
Money in$47,000
Money out$37,800
Set aside for taxes$2,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An independent theater's books go wrong the same way every week.

A generalist sees a box office deposit and a concessions till. Your business is a percentage of every ticket owed back to a distributor, a concessions margin that carries the theater, a rental screening billed differently than a public showtime, and a membership program that renews on its own schedule.

  1. 1

    The distributor's cut looks like part of the ticket sale

    A studio or distributor usually takes a percentage of each ticket, sometimes on a sliding scale by week of release, and if that split is not tracked separately, the theater's real ticket revenue is overstated.

    What we doBooks the full ticket price as the sale and the distributor's percentage as a film rental cost, so both numbers are honest.
  2. 2

    Concessions and box office get treated as one register

    Popcorn and drinks often carry a much higher margin than ticket sales split with a distributor, and blended into one number, an owner cannot see which side of the business is really paying the bills.

    What we doKeeps box office and concessions in their own lines, so you can see which one is carrying the theater.
  3. 3

    Private rental screenings get priced and booked like a regular showtime

    A birthday party buyout or a corporate rental screening is usually billed as a flat fee, not a per-ticket split with a distributor, and mixed into regular box office it hides how much rentals are really worth.

    What we doKeeps private rental income in its own category, separate from public box office sales.
  4. 4

    A membership program's monthly fee gets counted the day it is charged

    A monthly membership that includes a set number of free tickets is really a bundle of future admissions, and counting the whole fee as revenue the day it is charged overstates income before those tickets are even used.

    What we doKeeps membership revenue in its own line and flags it for the accountant, since bundled memberships often need a specific approach to when the income is counted.
  5. 5

    A digital projector replacement gets filed as a repair

    A digital cinema projector or a new sound system can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as maintenance it muddles the month and misses a bigger write-off.

    What we doFlags large equipment purchases the month they show up, logs them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how to write them off.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an independent theater.

Set up once for how the theater makes money and where it goes. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Box office salesPublic ticket sales through the box office or a Fandango-style app.
  • ConcessionsPopcorn, candy, and drinks sold at the counter.
  • Private rental screeningsBuyouts for parties, corporate events, or community groups.
  • MembershipsMonthly or annual passes that bundle admissions and perks.
  • Advertising and sponsorshipsPre-show ad reel fees and lobby sponsorship signage.

Money out

  • Film rental feesThe percentage owed back to distributors on each ticket sold.
  • Projection and equipmentDigital projectors, servers, and sound systems, logged so they get written off right.
  • Concessions inventoryPopcorn, syrup, candy, and cups bought from a food service supplier.
  • Box office and concessions staffWages for ticket takers, concessions, and projection staff.
  • Advertising and trailersAd reel fees and marketing for upcoming releases.
  • Building and HVACAuditorium upkeep, seating repair, and climate control.
  • InsuranceGeneral liability coverage for the theater and its screenings.
  • Licensing and softwarePoint-of-sale, ticketing, and digital cinema server licensing fees.

What we watch for you

  • Concessions margin

    What concessions clear against box office, since it usually carries more of the real profit.

  • Distributor split

    The average percentage owed back on ticket sales, useful when booking a new release.

  • Membership growth

    How many active memberships are renewing, a steadier income than single tickets.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number already known.

Ask Gus

Things independent theater 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.

Why does a sold-out weekend for a big release not show as our biggest profit?

A new release often has the highest distributor split. I book the full ticket price as the sale and the distributor's cut as a film rental cost, so you can see the real margin on that weekend.

We started a monthly membership with free tickets included. How does that get counted?

I keep membership fees in their own line for now and flagged it for the accountant, since bundled memberships often need a specific approach to when that income actually counts.

Do we need a 1099 for the projectionist we bring in for special screenings?

If he is not on payroll and you pay him $2,000 or more this year, yes, by January 31. I keep that list as the special screenings come up.

The tax side

The tax side of running a movie theater.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels: a distributor split folded into ticket sales, membership fees counted too early, and equipment filed as a repair.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Distributor film rental feesThe percentage owed back to a distributor on ticket sales is a real cost of doing business, not a reduction to gross sales. Keeping it as its own line keeps the return accurate.
  • Depreciation of projection and sound equipmentDigital projectors, servers, and sound systems can usually be written off the year they are bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099s for projectionists and techniciansA projectionist, technician, or event host paid $2,000 or more over the year outside payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when box office, concessions, and rentals are all booked correctly.

Deductions independent movie theaters miss

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

  • Projector bulb and lens repair
  • Digital cinema server licensing
  • Popcorn oil and seasoning
  • Concessions cups and packaging
  • Auditorium seat repair
  • HVAC maintenance
  • Point-of-sale software fees
  • Marquee and lobby signage
  • Ad reel production fees
  • Card processing fees
  • Trade association dues
  • Screen and curtain repair

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 movie theater's year, kept every month.

Release calendars shape a theater's year as much as the tax calendar does. Gus keeps both in view. 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 1099 list for technicians is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside 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

    Summer blockbuster check

    Where you stand halfway through the year, and whether the summer release slate changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday rush

    Holiday releases usually bring the year's biggest weekends. Before they hit, Gus looks at equipment plans and anything worth doing 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 independent movie theaters. 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 theater owners ask first.

How does Gus handle the percentage we owe distributors on ticket sales?

He books the full ticket price as the sale and the distributor's cut as a film rental cost, so your real ticket revenue and your real cost both stay honest on the books.

Our concessions run through a different point-of-sale than the box office. Is that a problem?

No. Gus works from your bank deposits and keeps box office and concessions apart no matter which system rang them up.

We rent the theater out for private screenings sometimes. How is that tracked?

As its own category, separate from public box office sales, so you can see what private rentals are really worth to the business.

We just launched a monthly membership program. Does Gus handle that?

Yes. He keeps membership revenue in its own line and works with the accountant on the right way to count bundled admissions, since that can differ from a straight ticket sale.

Do we need to track our ad reel and sponsorship income separately?

It helps, and Gus does it either way, so you can see how much of the theater's income comes from the screen versus advertising.

Our books are behind after a slow stretch. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have and Gus sorts them month by month. 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.

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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