Small manufacturers & fabricators
Books and taxes for packaging manufacturers.
A client's die tooling payment, a print run invoice, a board stock order, and a setup fee for a short run. 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
November came in at $17,100. The new die for Alderman Goods is booked as their tooling, not shop equipment, since it only runs their box.
- Alderman Goods, die paymentClient die and plate payments
- Northfield Supply, print runProduction run invoices
- Corrugated board stockBoard and paper stock
- Ink and print suppliesPrint and finishing
- Short run setup laborSetup and changeover
Why your books are different
Packaging manufacturer books go wrong at the die and the setup.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your shop runs dozens of different box specs for different clients, some on dies the clients themselves paid for, and every changeover between runs costs setup time before a single box gets made. When the books do not track dies and setups by client, one account's tooling looks like shop equipment and short runs look less profitable than they should.
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1
Client-owned dies get mixed with shop equipment
A client who pays for a die or plate to run their specific box owns that tool, even though it sits at your press, but if that payment is booked like a production invoice, it looks like income instead of what it really is.
What we doKeeps client die and plate payments in their own category, separate from production revenue and separate from your own press equipment. -
2
Setup time disappears into the run cost
Changing a press over from one client's box spec to another's takes real labor before any boxes are produced, and on a short run, that setup time can cost more than the run itself if it is not tracked.
What we doKeeps setup and changeover labor in its own line so a short run's true cost against its price is visible. -
3
Board stock price swings never reach the quote
Corrugated board and paper stock prices can move noticeably over a year, and a job quoted in one season can cost more to run by the next if nobody is watching.
What we doTracks board stock cost as a share of what came in, so a price move gets caught before a year of quotes falls behind it. -
4
Many client specs blend into one material line
A shop running board stock, ink, and finishing supplies for a dozen different clients can lose track of which client's box specs are actually driving material cost.
What we doTags board and print material to the client and job it was bought for, so each account's real margin is visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a packaging manufacturer.
Set up once for how client runs and tooling get paid and what a box costs to produce. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Production run invoicesPer-order billing once a print or die cut run ships.
- Client die and plate paymentsWhat a client pays for tooling that belongs to them.
- Setup and prototype feesCharges for a new box design or a proof run.
- Storage and warehousingFees for holding finished cases before a client's pickup schedule.
Money out
- Board and paper stockCorrugated board and paper, tracked as prices move.
- Print and finishingInk, coatings, and laminate for printed packaging.
- Setup and changeoverLabor spent switching a press between client specs.
- Equipment loan or leasePayments on the corrugator, die cutting press, and printer.
- Shop rent and utilitiesBuilding costs for production and finished goods storage.
- Die and plate maintenanceSharpening and repair for dies still in service.
- Freight and shippingInbound board stock and outbound finished cases per client.
What we watch for you
- Margin by client
What each client's runs actually earn once board, print, and setup time are counted.
- Setup cost per short run
Changeover labor against a run's size, so short runs are priced to actually cover it.
- Board stock cost share
Material as a percent of sales. A jump means quotes need a look.
- Client tooling balance
What is owed on dies still being paid off, kept apart from your own press equipment.
Ask Gus
Things packaging manufacturer 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.
It counts as money in, but I keep it apart from your production revenue, since that die belongs to the client, not the shop, once it is paid off.
The changeover to set that run up took real time. I track setup labor on its own, so you can see when a short run's setup cost is eating the margin.
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 a packaging manufacturing business.
Most of what trips up a packaging shop's return is whose die is whose and what board stock is still on hand at year end.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Corrugators and die cutting pressesProduction equipment can usually be written off, often in the year it is bought. Section 179 covers up to $2,560,000 and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Client-owned dies and platesA die or plate a client paid for belongs to them for tax purposes, even while it runs at your press, so it usually does not sit on your own depreciation schedule.
- Board stock on handBoard and paper stock bought ahead and sitting in the shop at year end get valued and matched against what actually sold, rather than expensed the day they were 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 client dies and board stock are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions packaging manufacturers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Board and paper stock
- Ink and coating supplies
- Die maintenance and sharpening
- Setup and proofing materials
- Freight on incoming stock
- Forklift maintenance
- Safety gear and hearing protection
- Trade show and client sample costs
- Shop uniforms
- Small hand tools
- Waste and scrap cardboard hauling
- Shop insurance
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 packaging manufacturing year, kept every month.
Client runs land on their own schedule, 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
Dies reviewed
Year end board stock and client tooling balances get sorted, last year's return gets started, and your monthly set-aside is planned so April is already handled.
- April
Die year filed
The accountant files and signs your return. Since the set-aside has been running since January, a quarter heavy on die tooling and setups does not turn into a scramble.
- July
Midyear die check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether new client accounts this year changed the number.
- October
Before the year closes
Gus looks at any press or corrugator 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 packaging manufacturers. 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 packaging manufacturers ask first.
How does Gus handle a die a client pays us to build?
He keeps that payment apart from production revenue, since the die belongs to the client once it is paid off, even though it runs at your press.
Can Gus tell us if a short run is actually worth taking?
He tracks setup and changeover labor on its own, so you can see whether a short run's price actually covers the time it takes to set up.
Do we have to change how we quote a client's run?
No. Keep quoting a client's run however you already do. Gus reads it off your bank statement, and when a deposit is unclear he asks once and remembers your answer.
We run dozens of different box specs for different clients. Does that get confusing?
It stays clean if it is tracked from the start, which is what Gus does. Board stock and print material get tagged to the client and job they were bought for.
Our books are behind after adding a few new clients this year. Can that be fixed?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them by client and job, the accountant checks the result, and most owners see where they stand within a week.
Do I write off a new die cutting press all at once?
Often you can. A die cutting press 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