Small manufacturers & fabricators
Books and taxes for luthiers and instrument makers.
A build commission deposit, a repair and setup job, a set of aged tonewood, and lacquer that needs weeks to fully cure. Your own bookkeeper stays on it all year, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April came in at $5,400. A repair and setup job closed out this month, separate from the Castellan build, which is still months from done.
- Castellan build commission depositBuild commission deposits
- Setup and fret work, walk-inRepair and setup work
- Aged spruce and rosewood setTonewood inventory
- Lacquer and finishing suppliesFinish materials
- Tuning machines and hardwareInstrument hardware
Why your books are different
Instrument maker books go wrong over wood that waits years before it becomes a build.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your shop holds tonewood that may sit aging for years before it becomes part of a commission, sprays a finish that needs weeks to fully cure before it can be buffed and strung, and does quick repair and setup work alongside builds that take months. When the books do not track that arc, buying good wood looks like a loss and a slow build month looks worse than it is.
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1
A build commission deposit reads as a finished sale
A customer pays a deposit on an instrument that may not be finished for six months or more, and if that deposit is counted as income right away, the month looks better than it is while the instrument still owed goes unseen.
What we doHolds build commission deposits as money still owed until the instrument is delivered, then moves it to income so the timeline matches reality. -
2
Aged tonewood looks like a loss the year it is bought
A set of tonewood bought to age for future builds may not become part of an instrument for years, and if the full cost hits the books the day it is bought, that year looks worse than it really is for wood that will pay off later.
What we doTracks tonewood inventory apart from wood already assigned to an active build, so buying good stock does not read as a loss. -
3
Finish curing time gets lost between spraying and stringing
A sprayed lacquer finish needs weeks to fully cure before it can be buffed, and an instrument can sit finished-looking but unsellable for that whole stretch, which makes a build's timeline hard to explain from the bank statement alone.
What we doKeeps a build's finish stage tracked as work in progress until it is buffed, strung, and ready to sell. -
4
Repair work and build commissions blend into one number
Quick setup and repair jobs bring in steady cash while a long build is still months from paying off, and lumped together you cannot see which kind of work is actually keeping the shop afloat.
What we doKeeps repair and setup work separate from build commissions, so each shows its true contribution to the month.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an instrument maker.
Set up once for how commissions and repair work get paid and what a build costs. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Build commission depositsHeld as money owed until an instrument is delivered.
- Final build paymentsThe balance due once an instrument is finished.
- Repair and setup workFret work, setups, and repairs on instruments already sold.
- Sales of finished stock instrumentsInstruments built on spec rather than to a commission.
Money out
- Tonewood inventoryWood held for future builds, tracked apart from wood assigned to an active commission.
- Finish materialsLacquer, French polish shellac, and buffing supplies.
- Instrument hardwareTuning machines, bridges, pickups, and fittings.
- Equipment loan or leasePayments on the spray booth and bench tools.
- Shop rent and utilitiesIncludes finishing booth ventilation and humidity control.
- Strings and setup suppliesConsumables used on repair and setup jobs.
- Trade show and workshop costsLuthier gatherings and instrument shows.
What we watch for you
- Aging wood value
What is sitting in tonewood stock not yet assigned to a build, so buying good wood does not look like a loss.
- Build margin
What a commission actually earns once wood, hardware, and finish are counted against the deposit and final payment.
- Repair versus build share
How much of the month's income comes from quick repair work versus long builds.
- Days to get paid
How long a final build balance sits before a customer settles it.
Ask Gus
Things instrument maker 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.
Not as a loss. I track it as inventory for future builds, so buying good wood ahead of when you need it does not make this year look worse than it is.
Not until it is buffed and strung. I keep it as work in progress through the cure, so the sale lands in the books when the instrument is actually ready.
If he is not on payroll and you pay him $2,000 or more this year, he gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep that list running as we go.
The tax side
The tax side of an instrument making business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing on deposits and knowing what aged wood and finish stage a build is actually in at year end.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Bench tools and spray boothsShop equipment such as a spray finishing booth can usually be written off, often in the year it is bought. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 covers up to $2,560,000.
- Build commission depositsA deposit taken before an instrument is delivered is money you owe the customer, not income, until the build is finished and the final invoice is issued.
- Tonewood on handWood bought and sitting in the shop at year end, whether aging or assigned to an active build, gets valued and matched against what actually sold, rather than expensed the day it was bought.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when build deposits and tonewood inventory are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions luthiers and instrument makers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Tonewood and aging stock
- Lacquer and finishing supplies
- Tuning machines and hardware
- Strings and setup consumables
- Buffing wheels and compound
- Humidity control for the shop
- Trade show and workshop fees
- Safety gear and respirators
- Small hand tools
- Shop insurance
- Photography of finished instruments
- Freight for wood and hardware orders
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 instrument making year, kept every month.
Commissions land on their own timeline, not a season. Your taxes still run on one. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Builds reviewed
Open deposits and wood on hand get sorted, last year's return gets started, and your monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Bench year filed
The accountant files and signs your return. Since the set-aside has been running since January, a stretch spent mostly on one long build does not turn into an April surprise.
- July
Midyear bench check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether this year's commissions are running ahead of or behind last year's.
- October
Before the bench closes
Gus looks at any spray booth or bench equipment buy worth making before December and flags it for the accountant's call on depreciation.
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 luthiers and instrument makers. 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 luthiers and instrument makers ask first.
How does Gus handle a deposit on a build commission?
He holds it as money you still owe the customer, not income, until the instrument is delivered. That keeps a strong deposit month from overstating what you actually earned.
I buy tonewood years before I use it. Does that skew my books?
No. Gus tracks it as inventory for future builds, so a good wood purchase does not read as a loss the year it happens.
Do we have to change how we quote a commission?
No. Keep quoting builds however you already do. Gus reads it off your bank statement, and if a deposit is unclear he asks once and remembers your answer.
I do repair and setup work between builds. Should that be tracked separately?
Yes, and Gus does that automatically. It shows how much of your income comes from quick repair work versus long commissions.
My books are behind after a long build took most of my attention. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts build deposits and repair income apart, the accountant checks the result, and most makers know where they stand within a week.
Do I write off a new spray booth all at once?
Often you can. A spray booth or bench tool bought for the business can usually be deducted the year it is bought, though sometimes spreading it out fits a shop's year better. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
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