Paint, craft & maker studios
Books and taxes for paint-your-own-pottery studios.
Walk-in piece painting, birthday parties booked months out, gift cards sold at the holidays, and a kiln running most days. Gus sorts 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 brought in $14,600. Most of that was gift card sales that have not been earned yet, so I kept them out of your real revenue until someone actually paints.
- Square walk-in payoutPiece painting
- Acuity party depositsParty bookings
- Duncan Ceramics orderBisque inventory
- Kiln electric billFiring costs
- Holiday window adsMarketing
Why your books are different
A pottery studio's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees deposits and supply bills. Your business is bisque bought by the pallet, kilns running on a schedule, and a holiday rush built on cards nobody has redeemed yet. When the books do not know that, December looks flush and February looks broken.
-
1
Gift cards count as income too soon
A $40 gift card sold the week before Christmas is not earned until someone comes in and paints with it, sometimes in March. Counted as revenue the day it sells, your best month of the year hides how the studio actually did.
What we doKeeps gift card sales separate from earned revenue and moves the money over only when a card gets redeemed. -
2
A bisque order distorts one month
A big pallet order from a wholesaler like Duncan or Mayco covers three months of mugs, plates, and figurines, but if the whole bill lands in one month's books, that month looks like it barely made money.
What we doKeeps bisque purchases in one steady line and flags a stock-up so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a bad one. -
3
Party deposits get booked on the wrong day
A birthday party booked for a Saturday six weeks out pays a deposit now. Booked as income the day it lands, a slow week with three deposits for next month can look busy when the studio floor is actually quiet.
What we doTies party deposits to the date of the actual event, so this week's number reflects this week. -
4
The kiln gets filed as a supply
A replacement kiln or a second wheel for hand-building classes can run several thousand dollars. Filed as a studio supply, it muddles a normal month and never gets the equipment treatment it should on the return.
What we doFlags large equipment purchases the day they show up and logs them as equipment, not supplies. -
5
Retail glaze sales blur into piece painting
Selling finished pieces off a retail shelf and charging for a seat at the table both ring through the same register, so an owner cannot tell whether the shop side or the painting side is actually paying the bills.
What we doKeeps retail merchandise sales in their own category, separate from piece painting and class fees.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a pottery studio.
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
- Piece paintingWalk-in fees for choosing and painting a bisque piece.
- Party bookingsBirthday, bachelorette, and team events, deposit and balance kept apart.
- Memberships and punch cardsMonthly plans and prepaid painting passes.
- Gift card redemptionsMoved into revenue only when a card is actually used.
- Retail finished piecesReady-made pottery and gift items sold off the shelf.
Money out
- Bisque inventoryMugs, plates, and figurines bought from wholesalers like Duncan or Mayco.
- Glaze and paint suppliesUnderglaze, brushes, and the paint that gets used up every week.
- Firing costsKiln electric or gas, and element replacements.
- Party favors and setupTable decorations, aprons, and extras for booked events.
- Booking and scheduling feesAcuity Scheduling or Bookeo fees for classes and party slots.
- Studio rent and utilitiesSpace, water, and power for the whole shop.
- MarketingLocal Facebook and Instagram ads, especially before the holidays.
- Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.
What we watch for you
- Bisque cost per piece
What a mug or plate actually costs against the painting fee charged for it.
- Gift card liability
What has been sold but not redeemed, so a big December is not mistaken for earned money.
- Party booking rate
How many deposits turn into a paid, filled event.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things pottery studio 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.
Gift cards are not earned until someone paints with them. I kept about $6,100 of December's card sales out of this month's revenue since those visits have not happened yet.
That split varies by state, so I keep piece painting and retail sales in separate lines and the accountant sorts out what portion is taxable where you operate.
Might be, might not. It depends on how much you direct her schedule and materials. I track how she's paid and the accountant makes the call.
The tax side
The tax side of a pottery studio.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels. Gift cards booked too early, bisque treated like a monthly bill instead of inventory, and a kiln filed as a supply run.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Sales tax on bisque and retailMany states tax the physical piece a customer takes home even when the seat and instruction are not taxed the same way. Where that line falls depends on your state.
- Bisque as inventoryBulk bisque orders are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the piece sold. Tracking roughly what is on the shelf keeps the return accurate.
- Kiln and wheel depreciationA kiln, pottery wheel, or hand-building equipment can usually be written off in the year it is bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Instructor classificationA guest instructor who follows your class plan and uses your studio is usually an employee, even part time. Gus tracks the pattern for the accountant to decide.
Deductions paint-your-own-pottery studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Bisque and greenware stock
- Underglaze and paintbrushes
- Kiln elements and repairs
- Party favors and decorations
- Booking and scheduling fees
- Card processing fees
- Studio rent and utilities
- Liability insurance
- Local social ads
- Aprons and smocks
- Gift wrap and packaging
- Cleaning supplies
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 pottery studio year, kept every month.
Holiday gift cards, spring parties, and a summer camp season all move differently. Your team keeps you ahead of the calendar and the tax return both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Redemptions and returns
December's gift cards start getting redeemed, last year's return gets started, and the instructor 1099 list is finalized.
- 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 how summer camp bookings are shaping the year.
- October
Before the holiday rush
Gus looks at bisque stock levels, seasonal staffing, and any equipment worth buying before the gift card season hits.
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 paint-your-own-pottery studios. 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 pottery studio owners ask first.
Do gift cards count as income when I sell them?
Not in the books Gus keeps. A gift card is money you owe a visit for, not revenue yet. It moves into earned income when someone actually comes in and paints.
How does Gus handle a big bisque order?
He keeps material purchases in a steady monthly line and flags a large stock-up so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a slow one when you look at your numbers.
My party deposits come in weeks before the event. Does that mess up the books?
No. Gus ties the deposit to the date of the actual party, so a busy booking week does not inflate a quiet week on the studio floor.
Can Gus tell me if my painting fee actually covers the bisque cost?
He tracks material cost against piece painting revenue so you can see the gap. Pricing decisions are yours, but you will have the real numbers.
We run classes through Acuity. Does that change anything?
No. Keep booking the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement, and when a deposit is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
Is a new kiln a write-off this year?
Often yes. Equipment bought for the studio can usually be deducted in the year you buy it. 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