DTC brands

Books and taxes for jewelry brands.

An Etsy payout, a custom ring deposit, consignment pieces in a boutique, and gold prices that never sit still. Gus 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
$9,500
what you made

October came in at $9,500. Gold prices jumped again this month, so I flagged your ring band costs before you finalize November's price list.

  • Etsy payoutMarketplace sales
  • Custom ring depositCustom orders
  • Precious metal supplier invoiceMaterials and gemstones
  • Insured postal shippingShipping and insurance
  • Etsy adsAdvertising
Money in$34,000
Money out$24,500
Set aside for taxes$2,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A jewelry brand's books go wrong around price, deposits, and stock that is not really yours yet.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your business is metal prices that move without warning, custom pieces paid for in two parts, and stock sitting in a boutique that is still yours. When the books do not know that, margin quietly disappears.

  1. 1

    Gold and silver prices move the cost of a piece you already priced

    A ring priced in January using that month's gold price can cost meaningfully more to remake by fall if metal prices climb, and a fixed price list quietly erodes margin nobody notices until it is gone.

    What we doFlags a jump in metal cost against what a piece sells for, so pricing can catch up before margin disappears.
  2. 2

    A custom order deposit is not a sale yet

    A customer pays half down for a custom engagement ring that will not be finished for six weeks, and booking the deposit as a completed sale overstates income before the piece is even made.

    What we doBooks a custom deposit as money owed on an open order, until the piece ships and the balance is paid.
  3. 3

    Consignment pieces sitting in a boutique are not sold

    Jewelry placed on consignment still belongs to you until it sells, and treating it as a sale the day it goes on the shelf overstates revenue for stock that might come right back.

    What we doKeeps consignment inventory on your books until the boutique reports an actual sale.
  4. 4

    Shipping insurance is its own real cost

    A single necklace can be worth more than an entire box of a lower-cost product, and the insurance to ship it safely adds up fast if it just gets lumped into general shipping.

    What we doKeeps shipping insurance in its own line so you can see what protecting high-value pieces actually costs.
  5. 5

    Small amounts of metal and stone do not average like fabric

    Buying gold, silver, or stones a few ounces or carats at a time means the cost per piece can swing from one purchase to the next, and averaging it too broadly muddies which designs are actually profitable.

    What we doTies each material purchase to the pieces it goes into, so you know what a specific design really costs to make.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a jewelry brand.

Set up once for how you sell and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Marketplace salesEtsy and similar sites, kept separate since each takes its own cut.
  • Site salesOrders through your own storefront.
  • Custom and engagement ordersDeposits and balances on made-to-order pieces.
  • Consignment salesReported by boutiques once a piece actually sells.

Money out

  • Materials and gemstonesGold, silver, and stones, tied to the pieces they go into.
  • Bench and setting laborA jeweler's time to make or set a piece.
  • Shipping and insuranceGetting a finished piece to a customer safely.
  • PackagingBoxes and pouches for a finished piece.
  • AdvertisingMeta and Etsy ad spend driving traffic to listings.
  • Card and marketplace feesWhat Etsy and payment processors keep before you get paid.
  • Appraisal and hallmark verificationChecking a piece's karat or authenticity.

What we watch for you

  • Material cost per piece

    Metal and stone cost against what a piece sells for, so a price list survives a market swing.

  • Custom order backlog

    Deposits collected for pieces not yet finished, so income is not counted before the work is done.

  • Consignment on hand

    What sits in boutiques unsold, so it is never mistaken for revenue you already have.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked from finished sales, not deposits still waiting on a piece.

Ask Gus

Things jewelry brand 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.

Gold jumped again. Do I need to reprice everything?

Maybe. I flag when a material cost has moved enough to eat into a piece's margin, and the accountant helps you decide what to do about the price list.

A customer put down half for a custom ring that won't be done for six weeks. Is that a sale yet?

Not fully. I book it as a deposit on an open order and count the sale once the piece ships and the balance clears.

A boutique has three necklaces of mine on consignment. Do those count as sold?

Not until the boutique tells us one sold. Until then they are still your inventory, just sitting somewhere else.

The tax side

The tax side of a jewelry brand.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and title. A deposit counted too soon, consignment stock treated as sold, and a set-aside nobody started until the holiday rush ended.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Inventory and cost of goodsYou deduct the cost of what sold, not what is sitting in a display case. Metal and stones bought for future pieces are an asset until a piece ships, not a write-off the day you buy them.
  • 1099-K from marketplaces and processorsEtsy and Shopify Payments report your volume to the IRS once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Every dollar is taxable whether or not the form arrives.
  • 1099-NEC for contractorsA freelance bench jeweler, photographer, or designer paid $2,000 or more in a year who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owners can deduct up to 20 percent of qualified business income before tax, with the break phasing down above $201,750 single and $403,500 joint. It only comes out right when custom deposits and consignment sales were both tracked correctly.

Deductions jewelry brands miss

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

  • Precious metal and gemstones
  • Bench and setting labor
  • Shipping insurance
  • Jewelry boxes and pouches
  • Appraisal and hallmark fees
  • Listing photography
  • Meta and Etsy ad spend
  • Craft fair and trade show booth fees
  • Card and marketplace fees
  • Trademark and brand registration
  • Insurance for inventory on hand
  • Bench tools and equipment

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 jewelry brand's year, kept every month.

Engagement season and the holidays bring the biggest pushes, and custom orders keep coming the rest of the year. Your team is on the books every month, not only when a ring gets ordered. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Post-holiday reset

    Holiday sales wind down, and proposal season keeps custom ring orders coming. Gus gets last year's return moving while keeping deposits tracked as open orders.

  2. April

    Filed and settled

    The business return is filed and signed. The set-aside has covered it since January, so there is no scramble.

  3. July

    Slow season stock-up

    The slowest stretch of the year, and a common time to buy metal and stones ahead of the holiday rush. Gus keeps those purchases as inventory, not an expense that sinks a quiet month.

  4. October

    Holiday pieces in production

    Custom orders and holiday stock both ramp up. Gus looks at what is worth buying before December and keeps deposits separate from finished sales.

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 jewelry brands. 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 jewelry brand owners ask first.

Do I owe tax on a custom order deposit before the ring is finished?

Not fully. Gus books the deposit as money owed on an open order, and the sale counts once the piece ships and the balance is paid, so income lines up with the work actually done.

How does Gus handle jewelry I have on consignment at a few boutiques?

It stays your inventory until a boutique reports a sale. Gus keeps consignment pieces off your revenue until that happens, so nothing counts as sold twice.

Gold and silver prices keep moving. Does that mess up my books?

No. Gus ties each metal purchase to the pieces it goes into, so your cost per piece reflects what you actually paid, even as prices shift from one buy to the next.

Do I need separate insurance for shipping a $2,000 necklace versus a $40 pair of earrings?

That is a call for your insurer, but whatever you pay for shipping insurance is a real cost, and Gus keeps it in its own line so you can see what protecting higher-value pieces adds up to.

I sell on Etsy and my own site. Does Gus handle both?

Yes. Etsy and site sales get pulled in separately since each takes its own cut, and you see both channels honestly, side by side.

My books are behind because I never tracked custom deposits properly.

Send your bank statements and order records. Gus sorts out what was a deposit and what became a finished sale, and 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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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