Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for linen rental companies.
Laundering after every event, stain and damage deposits, seasonal color trends that mean buying hundreds of pieces at once, and linens that wear thin over time. 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
October came in at $8,000. The new sage green line is this season's color, so I logged it as inventory, separate from your laundering costs.
- October wedding linen ordersLinen rental fees
- Industrial laundering serviceLaundering
- New sage green linen lineLinen inventory
- Stain deposit refunds processedDamage deposit refunds
- Delivery van fuelDelivery
Why your books are different
A linen rental company's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees rental invoices and a cleaning bill. Your business is laundering that costs almost as much as new stock, stain deposits that are not your money until you keep them, and a seasonal color trend that means buying hundreds of pieces at once. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
-
1
Laundering costs disappear into general expenses
Every linen gets washed after every event, and that recurring cost can rival what you spend on new inventory, but buried in general expenses, you cannot tell what keeping linens clean actually costs you.
What we doKeeps laundering costs in their own line, apart from inventory purchases. -
2
Damage deposits get counted as income
A deposit taken to cover a wine-stained tablecloth is not your money until you keep it, and booked as revenue, it inflates the month until it is returned.
What we doKeeps damage deposits apart from rental revenue, so a refund does not throw off your month later. -
3
A seasonal color trend buy wrecks the month
A new popular color or fabric can mean an order of hundreds of pieces at once, and filed as a regular expense, it makes that month look like a loss even though the new stock will rent out all season.
What we doFlags seasonal inventory buys as equipment purchases, not routine supply costs. -
4
Wear and tear from washing never gets counted
Linens fade, thin, and eventually get pulled from rotation after repeated washing, and if that ongoing replacement cost is not tracked, the business can look more profitable than it really is.
What we doFlags patterns in replacement inventory spending against sales, so the true cost of the wash cycle shows up. -
5
Quick turnaround costs get missed
A Saturday-to-Saturday turnaround means rush laundering, and rush fees from your laundering service can cost more than routine cleaning, hard to see if fast turnaround jobs are priced to cover it.
What we doKeeps rush laundering fees in their own line, apart from routine cleaning costs.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a linen rental company.
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
- Linen rental feesTablecloths, napkins, and chair covers rented out per event.
- Damage and stain depositsHeld apart from revenue until actually kept.
- Rush turnaround feesCharged for quick same-week turnarounds.
- Custom sourcing feesFees for finding a specific color or fabric on request.
- Delivery feesCharged separately from the rental itself.
Money out
- LaunderingIn-house or outsourced cleaning after every event.
- Linen inventoryNew stock and seasonal colors bought to rent out.
- Damage deposit refundsDeposits returned once linens come back clean.
- Delivery vehicle and fuelGetting linens to and from events.
- Warehouse and storageWhere inventory is kept between rentals.
- InsuranceInventory and liability coverage.
- Repair and mendingSmall fixes that extend a linen's life.
What we watch for you
- Laundering cost against rentals
What keeping linens clean actually costs against what you rented out.
- Damage deposits held
Money sitting in the account that is not yet yours to count as revenue.
- Inventory replacement rate
How much goes to replacing worn linens, so wear and tear does not hide in the numbers.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things linen rental company 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.
I keep it in its own line, apart from inventory purchases, so you can see what keeping linens clean actually costs you.
Not until you actually keep it. I hold it apart from rental revenue so a refund later does not throw off your month.
That is a seasonal stock buy, not routine supplies. I flag it so it does not make the month look worse than it is.
The tax side
The tax side of a linen rental company.
Most of what goes wrong here is a recurring cleaning bill and stock bought hundreds of pieces at a time.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Linen inventory as a business assetNew linen stock bought to rent out repeatedly is usually treated as business equipment rather than a routine supply cost. The accountant decides how it gets written off.
- Sales tax on rentalsMost states tax rental income on linens and similar equipment. Rules vary by state, so the accountant checks what applies to you.
- Contractor 1099sA subcontracted driver or repair seamstress not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions linen rental companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Linen inventory purchases
- Laundering service fees
- Delivery vehicle fuel
- Warehouse and storage rent
- Liability and inventory insurance
- Repair and mending supplies
- Website and online catalog
- Bridal show booth fees
- Packaging and delivery bins
- Business cards and branding
- Rush laundering fees
- Card processing 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
A linen rental company's year, kept every month.
Colors trend in and out of season and washing never really stops. Gus keeps the return on its own schedule. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for any contract help is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your calendar.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as spring booking season hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest weeks.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's rental volume changed the number.
- October
Before the last fall push
Fall weddings are still booking. Gus looks at inventory worth ordering before December and what the winter months need to cover.
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 linen rental companies. 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 linen rental company owners ask first.
Is laundering just a regular supply cost?
No. It is kept in its own line, apart from inventory purchases, so you can see what keeping linens clean actually costs you.
Are stain deposits counted as income right away?
No. They are held apart from revenue and only become income if you actually keep one for damage.
I ordered new season colors. Why does that month look bad?
It gets flagged as a seasonal stock buy, so the order does not distort that month's real picture.
How does Gus track linens that wear out over time?
By watching for replacement spending running high against sales, so the wash cycle's real cost shows up instead of hiding.
My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. 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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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