Skin, nails & body art
Books and taxes for nail salons.
Walk-ins, appointments, techs paid a commission split, cash tips at the chair, and gel and acrylic that gets bought in bulk. 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
December came in at $9,400. Holiday nail art bookings ran the tables full, and I kept your six techs' commission payouts separate so you can see who filled their books.
- Square payoutService appointments
- Tech commission payoutTech commissions
- NSI supply orderGel and acrylic supplies
- Cash tips loggedTips
- Pedicure chair serviceEquipment maintenance
Why your books are different
Nail salon books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees a deposit and a supply invoice. Your business is six techs on different commission splits, walk-ins paid in cash, tips that move fast, and gel and acrylic that gets bought by the case. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell which tech, or which chair, actually pays.
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1
Cash tips at the chair go untracked
A tech handed a $10 cash tip after a fill often does not record it anywhere, which understates income for both the tech and the salon and can look worse than a simple mistake if it is ever questioned.
What we doAsks for tips to be logged the same day, in any form, so they show up as income and get taxed once, correctly. -
2
Six techs' commissions get lumped into one payroll number
When every tech's commission split gets paid out of one register and logged as a single expense, an owner cannot tell which tech is filling her chair and which one is barely covering her split.
What we doKeeps commission payouts tracked by tech where the data allows it, so pay and performance both show up. -
3
A bulk gel and acrylic order wrecks a month
Polish, gel, acrylic powder, and dip powder bought in bulk from a supplier like NSI or CND makes a slow booking month look expensive and the next quiet restock month look great.
What we doKeeps supply spend in one steady line and flags when a bulk order is the reason a month's costs look high. -
4
Pedicure chair repairs get filed as small supplies
A pedicure chair's plumbing, jets, or motor can cost hundreds of dollars to fix, and filed as a regular supply cost, it muddles the month instead of showing up as real equipment upkeep.
What we doFlags chair and equipment repairs in their own line, so real maintenance cost is visible over time.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a nail salon.
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
- Service appointmentsManicures, pedicures, and enhancements booked through Square.
- Walk-in paymentsCash and card payments from clients without an appointment.
- TipsCash, card, and app tips, logged as they come in.
- Retail salesPolish, cuticle oil, and nail care kits sold at the desk.
Money out
- Tech commissionsCommission splits paid to techs, kept apart from base wages.
- Gel and acrylic suppliesPolish, gel, acrylic and dip powder, and tips and files.
- Equipment maintenancePedicure chair plumbing, jets, and UV lamp repairs.
- Retail inventoryProduct bought to resell at the desk.
- Studio rentSalon lease.
- Licensing and insuranceNail technician license renewal and liability insurance.
What we watch for you
- Tip income logged
Cash and app tips actually recorded, so income is not quietly understated.
- Tech share
Commissions paid against what each tech brings in, so a split can be judged as fair or not.
- Cost per service
Gel and acrylic spend against services booked, tracked from your own numbers.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things nail salon 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.
Yes. Ask each tech to log tips the same day, in any form. It protects them and the salon, and it is taxed once, correctly, either way.
That bulk order shows up this month, but it gets used over many weeks of services. I flagged it as a stock-up, not a jump in your regular costs.
Whether that makes her an independent contractor instead of an employee depends on how much control you keep over her schedule and tools. That one is above my pay grade, so a real accountant is looking at it.
The tax side
The tax side of a nail salon.
Most of what goes wrong here is tips and worker classification. Cash tips missed, techs misclassified, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Tip income and reportingTips are taxable income whether they come in cash, on a card, or through an app, and self-employment or payroll tax applies depending on how the tech is paid.
- Worker classification for commission techsA tech who works your schedule, uses your chairs, and follows your rules is usually an employee, even if paid a commission split instead of a wage.
- Contractor 1099sAny true independent tech or contractor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Quarterly estimated taxesNothing withholds tax from tip and service income automatically, so most owners pay estimated taxes April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
Deductions nail salons miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Gel, acrylic, and dip powder
- Nail files, buffers, and tips
- Pedicure chair maintenance
- UV and LED lamp bulbs
- Sanitizing and disinfectant supplies
- License renewal and liability insurance
- Square subscription
- Retail display fixtures
- Towels and pedicure liners
- Marketing and lead fees
- Uniforms with your logo
- 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 nail salon year, kept every month.
Holiday nail art and prom and wedding season drive the busiest stretches. Your team keeps you ahead of both the rush and the tax deadlines. 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 true contractors is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer pedicure season changed the number.
- October
Before the holidays
Holiday nail art season is close. Gus looks at supply stock-ups and equipment worth buying before December.
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 nail salons. 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 nail salon owners ask first.
Can Gus track tips separately for each tech?
Where the data allows it, yes. He keeps tip income visible against service income, and reminds you to log cash tips so nothing gets missed.
My techs are paid different commission splits. Does that complicate the books?
No. Gus keeps each tech's commission payouts tracked against their booked services, so you can see performance by chair, not just one lump payroll line.
Does a big gel and acrylic order hurt my monthly numbers?
It shows up as a cost this month, but Gus flags a bulk buy so it does not read as a spike in your regular spending. That product gets used across many future services.
Are my commission techs employees or contractors?
A tech who works your schedule and uses your chairs is usually an employee, even on a commission split. Gus flags any tech whose setup looks off, and the accountant makes the final call.
My books have always been mostly cash and never tracked well. Can that get fixed?
Yes. Bring in whatever records you have, cash logs included. Gus sorts what he can from your deposits and notes, the accountant reviews it, and most owners see a real picture 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