Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for live wedding bands.
Booking deposits, one fee that has to become six paychecks, instrument and PA gear, and travel for out-of-town gigs. 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
May came in at $8,000. The $6,200 reception fee got split six ways after the show, so I kept band member pay in its own line, apart from your own take.
- May 24 reception feeEvent fees
- September booking depositBooking deposits
- Band member payouts, May 24Band member pay
- Sound engineer feeContract sound engineer
- Sprinter van maintenanceVehicle and transport
Why your books are different
A live wedding band's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees one fee land in the account. Your business is that fee turning into six paychecks, a sound engineer hired just for the night, and gear that costs as much as a used car. When the books do not know that, your real take-home disappears into the band's.
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1
One fee has to become six paychecks
A $6,200 reception fee lands in one account, and if it is all counted as the bandleader's income before it gets split among the other five musicians, the books overstate what you actually kept.
What we doKeeps band member payouts in their own line, separate from the bandleader's own pay, so real take-home is clear. -
2
The deposit is not spending money yet
A couple books a September wedding in May and puts down a deposit, and if it is treated like this month's earned income, the books overstate what has actually been played.
What we doFlags booked deposits for gigs not yet worked, so you always know how much of the balance is actually spoken for. -
3
Instruments and PA gear look like a supply run
A new PA system, amps, or a backline replacement can run thousands of dollars, and filed as a supply purchase it wrecks that month's number and misses the chance to write it off properly.
What we doFlags equipment purchases as their own category, so the accountant can decide how to write them off. -
4
A hired sound engineer blends into band pay
Some gigs need a hired sound engineer who is not a regular band member, and if their pay is not kept apart from the musicians' payouts, you cannot see what running sound actually costs.
What we doKeeps contract sound engineer pay in its own line, apart from band member payouts. -
5
Travel for an out-of-town gig gets buried
A wedding three states away means hotel rooms, van fuel, and meals for the whole band, and lumped into general expenses, it is hard to tell if a far-away gig was worth the fee.
What we doTies travel costs to the specific gig that required them, so real profit per booking is visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a live wedding band.
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
- Event and reception feesThe full booking fee before it gets split among the band.
- Booking depositsHolds collected when a date is signed, often a year out.
- Ceremony music add-onsA smaller ensemble or acoustic set booked for the ceremony.
- Transition setsCocktail hour or transition music billed apart from the main reception set.
- Private party bookingsRehearsal dinners or anniversary parties booked outside weddings.
Money out
- Band member payWhat goes out to the other musicians after each gig.
- Contract sound engineersHired help running sound for bigger shows.
- Instruments and PA equipmentGear bought, upgraded, or repaired.
- Vehicle and transportThe van or trailer that hauls the band and gear.
- InsuranceInstrument coverage and liability.
- Rehearsal spaceRented practice time before a big season.
- MarketingWebsite, demo videos, and The Knot or WeddingWire listings.
What we watch for you
- Booked deposits on hand
How much of the balance belongs to gigs not yet worked, so it is never mistaken for spare cash.
- Cost per gig
Band pay, sound engineer fees, and travel against what each gig actually billed.
- Bandleader take-home
What is left after band member payouts, so your real income is not confused with the full fee.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things wedding band leaders 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. I keep what goes out to the other five musicians in its own line, band member pay, so your real take-home is what is left after that.
Apart from what the band members made, so you can see what running sound for that gig actually cost.
Usually, tied to that gig. I keep it linked to the booking so the accountant can confirm it with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a live wedding band.
Most of what goes wrong here is one fee doing the work of several paychecks. Band pay, travel, and gear all need to stay in their own lane.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Instruments and PA equipmentGear bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy it. How much to take now is a call the accountant makes with your full year in view.
- Band member 1099sMusicians paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who are not on payroll get a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps a running total for each one.
- Splitting one fee among many peopleWhen one event fee gets split among band members, each person's share is usually their own income to report, not yours. Gus tracks who got paid what all year.
- 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 live wedding bands miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Contract sound engineer fees
- Instruments and PA equipment
- Rehearsal space rental
- Sheet music and arrangements
- Liability and instrument insurance
- Van or trailer for gear
- Fuel and vehicle maintenance
- Demo videos and website
- Bridal show or showcase fees
- Stage attire
- Backup gear and cables
- 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 live wedding band's year, kept every month.
Spring and fall Saturdays fill the calendar fast, then go quiet. Your team keeps you ahead of both the calendar and the return. 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 band members is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your inbox.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as the spring booking rush hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's gig count is on pace.
- October
Before the last fall gigs
The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at gear worth buying 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 live wedding bands. 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 wedding band leaders ask first.
Can Gus split a gig fee among six band members?
He keeps each member's payout in its own line, so your real take-home never gets confused with what the whole band earned.
Do I need a 1099 for every band member?
If you pay someone $2,000 or more in 2026 and they are not on payroll, yes. Gus keeps a running total for each person all year.
We drove hours for an out-of-state wedding. Is travel deductible?
Usually, when it is tied to that gig. Gus keeps it linked to the booking so the accountant can confirm it.
Do I write off a new PA system all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank 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