Consumer photography & video

Books and taxes for newborn and maternity photographers.

A maternity, newborn, and first-year package paid up front but delivered across five sessions. Gus tracks what has actually been earned, 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
JuneExample month
$7,600
what you made

June earned $7,600. Three families paid for the full maternity through one-year package this month, but I only counted the newborn session that actually happened in June.

  • Táve package paymentsMilestone packages
  • Hospital fresh 48 feeSession fees
  • Posh Baby prop orderProps and wraps
  • Beanbag posing suppliesStudio equipment
  • Newborn safety course feeTraining and certification
Money in$21,000
Money out$13,400
Set aside for taxes$1,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A newborn photographer's books do not match the calendar they get paid on.

A family pays once for a package that unfolds over a full year of a baby's life. Your business is prepaid milestones, in-home sessions, and props bought long before a due date. When the books count the payment instead of the session, every month looks wrong.

  1. 1

    A milestone package gets counted in one month

    A family pays $1,800 up front in June for a maternity session, a newborn session, and sittings at three and six months and one year. Counted as June income, the books show a spike that has nothing to do with June's actual work.

    What we doTracks each milestone package against the sessions that have actually happened, so a month only shows the work delivered in it.
  2. 2

    Prop and wrap orders arrive in bulk

    Baskets, wraps, headbands, and backdrops for newborn sessions are often ordered in a single large purchase to last several months. One order can make a slow booking month look like a heavy expense month for no real reason.

    What we doKeeps prop and wrap purchases in one steady line and tells you when a stock-up, not a slow month, explains a thin number.
  3. 3

    Fresh 48 hospital sessions get booked like studio work

    A same-day hospital session paid on the spot and a planned in-home newborn session paid weeks later are different jobs with different costs, but they often land in the same revenue line and hide which one actually pays better.

    What we doKeeps hospital sessions separate from planned in-home and studio sessions, so you can see what each one really earns.
  4. 4

    Safety training and certification fees get lost as supplies

    Newborn posing safety courses and certifications are a real, recurring cost of doing this work safely, but they often get buried in a general supplies category where nobody notices what training actually costs each year.

    What we doKeeps training and certification fees in their own line, so the cost of staying current is visible, not hidden.
  5. 5

    A referral from a doula or midwife goes unrecorded

    A free or discounted session traded for referrals from a doula, midwife, or birth center is common in this business, but a session given away for referrals is still worth something and belongs on the return.

    What we doAsks about referral trade arrangements as they come up and gets a fair value logged before the return is filed.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a newborn and maternity business.

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

  • Milestone packagesMaternity through one-year packages, tracked against the sessions actually delivered.
  • Single session feesStand-alone maternity or newborn bookings paid at the time of the shoot.
  • Fresh 48 hospital sessionsSame-day hospital sessions paid on the spot.
  • Print and album ordersWall art, albums, and keepsake prints ordered after the session.
  • Digital collection upgradesFull digital image sets sold as an add-on.

Money out

  • Props, wraps, and basketsNewborn posing props and wraps bought in seasonal batches.
  • Studio posing equipmentBeanbags, posing pillows, and support gear.
  • Training and certificationNewborn safety and posing courses and renewals.
  • Camera and lighting gearBodies, lenses, and soft lighting logged as equipment.
  • Editing and gallery softwareEditing subscriptions and client gallery hosting.
  • In-home session travelMileage and travel costs to a family's home or the hospital.
  • Liability insuranceCoverage that matters more with a newborn in the room.

What we watch for you

  • Milestone package backlog

    Prepaid packages against sessions not yet delivered, so a strong payment month is not mistaken for a strong earning month.

  • Average package value

    What a full maternity through one-year package earns once every session is counted.

  • Prop and wrap spend

    What props actually cost across a quarter, since bulk orders make one month look misleading.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month from the day a milestone package is paid, not just at tax time.

Ask Gus

Things newborn photographers 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.

A family paid for the full year package this month. Why isn't that all counted as income now?

Because most of it has not been earned yet. I am only counting the newborn session that happened this month, and the rest as each milestone gets shot.

I gave a doula a free session for referrals. Does that matter for taxes?

Usually, yes, at what the session is worth. I logged it so the accountant can value it properly when the return gets filed.

Do I need a business license to shoot in clients' homes?

That is a real accountant question since it depends on your city. I flagged it for a call rather than guess.

The tax side

The tax side of a newborn and maternity business.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing. A package paid once but earned over a year, and a set-aside that should start the month you get paid, not the month you shoot.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Prepaid milestone packagesIncome from a package spanning several sessions usually belongs to the months the sessions happen, not the month the client paid. Keeping that straight matters for an accurate monthly and annual picture.
  • Cameras and posing equipmentCamera bodies, lenses, and studio posing equipment bought for the business can usually be written off in the year purchased, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • Referral trade sessionsA session traded with a doula, midwife, or birth center for referrals is still income at its fair value, even without cash changing hands.
  • Self-employment taxA sole proprietor or single-member LLC owner pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, on wages up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.

Deductions newborn and maternity photographers miss

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

  • Newborn props and wraps
  • Posing beanbags and pillows
  • Safety course fees
  • Camera and lighting gear
  • Editing software
  • Gallery hosting fees
  • Mileage to homes and hospitals
  • Liability insurance
  • Studio rent or home studio share
  • Continuing education

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 newborn and maternity year, kept every month.

Babies arrive on their own schedule all year. Your taxes come on a fixed one. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan around due dates

    Last year's return gets started and a monthly set-aside is planned around the milestone packages already on the books for the year ahead.

  2. April

    Filed while babies keep arriving

    Your return is filed and signed, with the set-aside already covering what you owe since January, no matter how the year's bookings land.

  3. July

    Midyear milestone check

    A look at how many milestone packages are still owed against sessions and what that means for what you will owe.

  4. October

    Before the holidays

    Family sessions often pick up before the holidays. Gus looks at any equipment worth buying and moves worth making before December.

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 newborn and maternity photographers. 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 newborn photographers ask first.

How does Gus handle a maternity through one-year package paid all at once?

He counts the income as each session in the package actually happens, not all in the month you got paid, so your monthly number reflects real work delivered.

Do prop and wrap purchases count as a business expense?

Yes. Baskets, wraps, and posing props bought for client sessions are ordinary deductible costs of doing this work.

I trade sessions with a local doula for referrals. Is that a problem?

Not a problem, but it usually needs to be reported at its fair value. Gus flags it so the accountant can value it correctly.

Do fresh 48 hospital sessions get tracked differently?

Gus keeps them in their own category so you can see what same-day hospital work earns separately from planned in-home sessions.

Can Gus track training and certification costs?

Yes. Safety courses and certifications are kept in their own line so you can see what staying current actually costs each year.

My books are behind because I have been slammed with sessions. Is that fixable?

Yes. Hand over the bank statements you have, and Gus sorts the backlog and tells you exactly where the business stands within a few days.

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