Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for Instagram influencers.

Brand partnership invoices, LTK commissions, PR boxes that count as income, and a paid content package here and there. Your own bookkeeper sorts 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
OctoberExample month
$14,600
what you made

October came in at $14,600. The PR box from a mattress brand went on the books as gifted product, since it was worth logging even without a check attached.

  • Brand invoice, Marlow HomeSponsorships
  • LTK commission payoutAffiliate commissions
  • Content assistant, UpworkContractor pay
  • Adobe Creative CloudEditing software
  • Studio rental, half dayContent production
Money in$27,800
Money out$13,200
Set aside for taxes$3,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An influencer's books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees invoices and calls it done. Your income comes from brand partnership invoices paid on their own schedule, LTK commissions that trickle in monthly, and PR boxes with no invoice attached at all. When the books do not separate them, nobody can tell what a partnership actually paid.

  1. 1

    A brand invoice gets paid two seasons late

    A fall campaign shot in September might not get paid until December, once the brand's own invoice cycle runs its course, so the income shows up long after the work and looks disconnected from it.

    What we doMatches brand payments to the campaign they belong to, not just the month the check clears, so you can see what each partnership actually paid.
  2. 2

    PR boxes never make it onto the books

    A steady stream of skincare, home goods, or clothing arrives with no invoice and no cash, so the value of it never gets counted even though it was sent because of the account, not as a personal gift.

    What we doFlags PR product the month it shows up and has the accountant put a fair value on what is meant to be compensation, not a personal gift.
  3. 3

    LTK and affiliate commissions blend into brand money

    A steady trickle of small commissions from shopping links looks the same in the bank as a big brand check, so the recurring part of the income disappears into one lump with the one-time deals.

    What we doKeeps affiliate commissions in their own line, separate from brand invoices, so the part of the income that repeats stands out.
  4. 4

    A content shoot costs more than the deal paid

    A partnership that pays $1,500 can require a studio rental, a stylist, and a content assistant that add up to more than the check, and it is easy to keep taking deals that lose money without a clear view of the cost per shoot.

    What we doTracks production costs against each deal's payment so you can see which partnerships are actually worth the shoot.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an influencer account.

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

  • Brand partnershipsSponsored posts and campaigns invoiced directly to a brand or its agency.
  • Affiliate commissionsLTK, Amazon, and other shopping link payouts.
  • Gifted productPR boxes and product sent in exchange for a post, valued by the accountant.
  • UGC feesContent made for a brand's own channels rather than posted on yours.
  • Digital product salesPresets, templates, or guides sold directly to followers.

Money out

  • Content productionStudio rental, props, and styling for a shoot.
  • Editing softwareAdobe Creative Cloud, Lightroom presets, and mobile editing apps.
  • Assistant and editor payAnyone helping with shooting, editing, or scheduling.
  • Wardrobe not covered by a brandClothing and props bought for content, not personal wear.
  • Travel for brand tripsCosts beyond what a brand directly covers.

What we watch for you

  • Recurring share

    How much of the month came from affiliate commissions against one-time brand checks.

  • Cost per shoot

    What a partnership costs to produce against what it actually paid.

  • Payment lag

    How long a brand takes to pay after a campaign posts, so cash flow is not a surprise.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so a big campaign season does not become a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things influencers 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 brand sent me $2,000 worth of furniture instead of paying cash. Do I owe on that?

Usually yes. I logged it as gifted product this month, and the accountant puts a fair value on it since it was sent for the post, not as a personal gift.

Why does this month look thin when I posted three brand deals?

Two of those brands pay on a 60-day cycle. I matched the campaigns to when the work happened, so you can see it is timing, not a slow month.

Should I set up an LLC now that brand deals are steadier?

That is above my pay grade. I have your numbers ready, and the accountant can walk through what makes sense for where you are.

The tax side

The tax side of running an influencer account.

Most of what goes wrong here is what never gets counted at all: gifted product, a UGC fee paid outside the usual invoice, or a friend paid to help shoot with no record.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Gifted product is still incomePR boxes sent in exchange for a post count as income at what they are worth, even with no cash involved. Gus flags it and the accountant values it.
  • Form 1099-K from payment appsStripe and PayPal send a 1099-K once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Brand and affiliate income is taxable whether or not a form arrives.
  • Paying an assistant $2,000 or moreA content assistant or editor not on payroll, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus tracks that total all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost influencer businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.

Deductions Instagram influencers miss

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

  • Studio and location rental
  • Props and styling
  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Presets and editing apps
  • Wardrobe for content only
  • Content assistant pay
  • Travel beyond what a brand covers
  • Business phone plan
  • Backdrop and lighting gear
  • Website hosting for a media kit
  • Business liability insurance
  • Storage and backup drives

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 influencer's year, kept every month.

Brand campaigns book out by season, but your books do not wait for the invoice to clear. The team is on them every month, all year. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Get ahead of the year

    Last year's return gets started, the assistant's 1099 is prepared, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April stays quiet.

  2. April

    Signed, sealed, filed

    The return is signed and on file with the IRS. Nothing to scramble for, since the set-aside has been building every month since January.

  3. July

    A look at the first half

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether spring and summer campaigns changed the number.

  4. October

    Before holiday campaigns pay out

    Fall and holiday brand deals often get invoiced now and paid later. Gus looks at what is coming 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 Instagram influencers. 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 influencers ask first.

Do I owe tax on PR boxes I never asked for?

If it was sent in exchange for a post or tag, usually yes, at what it is worth. Gus flags gifted product so the accountant can value it correctly.

A brand paid me through their agency, not directly. Does that change anything?

No. Gus matches the payment to the campaign it was for regardless of which account it came from, so the income still lands in the right month.

I sell presets on the side. Can Gus keep that separate from brand deals?

Yes. Digital product sales get their own line so you can see what steady product income looks like apart from one-time partnerships.

My content assistant is a friend I pay in cash. Is that a problem?

It needs a record either way. Gus tracks the total paid, and if it clears $2,000 this year she gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

My books have never been organized. Can Gus start now?

Yes. Send the bank and payment app statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people 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