Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for party bus and limo services.
Fleet loan payments, driver pay and pooled gratuities, fuel that varies by the trip, and damage deposits on group bookings. 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
May came in at $12,000. The fleet loan payment for the new party bus came out this month, so I kept it apart from routine maintenance.
- May 17 wedding party bus bookingCharter fees
- Driver payroll, weekend shiftsDriver pay
- Limo fleet loan paymentFleet financing
- Fuel, fleet vehiclesFuel
- Damage deposit refund processedDamage deposit refunds
Why your books are different
A party bus and limo service's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees charter fees and a fuel bill. Your business is a fleet loan payment that is not a repair cost, drivers who split gratuities on top of wages, and damage deposits that are not yours until you keep them. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
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1
Fleet financing looks like a maintenance cost
A loan payment on a new party bus or limo is a fixed monthly obligation, and if it gets lumped in with routine repairs, you cannot tell whether a vehicle's maintenance costs are actually reasonable.
What we doKeeps fleet loan and lease payments in their own line, apart from maintenance. -
2
Driver tips and pay get tangled together
Drivers often split gratuities on top of their hourly pay, and if tips and wages are not tracked apart, you cannot tell what a booking really cost you in labor versus what customers added on their own.
What we doKeeps driver wages and tip distributions in separate lines. -
3
Damage deposits get counted as income
A deposit taken to cover a stained interior or broken glassware is not your money until you keep it, and booked as revenue, it inflates the month until it is returned.
What we doKeeps damage deposits apart from charter revenue, so a refund does not throw off your month later. -
4
Fuel costs blur between routine trips and long hauls
An airport run and a three-hour wedding charter burn very different amounts of fuel, and if fuel is not tracked against the booking that caused it, you cannot tell which trips are actually priced right.
What we doTies fuel costs to the charter that used them where possible, so pricing reflects real distance. -
5
A big vehicle purchase wrecks the month
Adding a new limo or party bus to the fleet can mean a down payment of tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as a regular expense, it makes that month look like a disaster.
What we doFlags large vehicle purchases as equipment, not routine costs.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a party bus and limo service.
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
- Charter and event booking feesThe base charge for a party bus or limo charter.
- Damage depositsHeld apart from revenue until actually kept for damage.
- Gratuity on invoicesTips collected upfront rather than in cash.
- Hourly overtime chargesExtra charged when a booking runs longer than planned.
- Airport and point-to-point transfersShorter trips billed apart from full event charters.
Money out
- Fleet financingLoan or lease payments on limos and party buses.
- Driver pay and tip distributionsWages and gratuity, kept in separate lines.
- FuelTied to the trip where possible.
- Vehicle maintenance and repairsRoutine upkeep, apart from loan payments.
- Commercial auto and livery insuranceRequired coverage for the fleet.
- Licensing and permitsLivery permits and required registrations.
- Damage deposit refundsDeposits returned once vehicles come back in good shape.
What we watch for you
- Cost per charter
Driver pay and fuel against what each booking actually billed.
- Damage deposits held
Money sitting in the account that is not yet yours to count as revenue.
- Fleet financing against revenue
How much of what you make each month is already spoken for by loan payments.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things party bus and limo 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.
No, I keep fleet financing in its own line, apart from maintenance, so you can see what the vehicle itself costs you versus what it costs to keep running.
Wages and tip distributions stay in separate lines, so you can see what a booking really cost you in labor.
Not until you actually keep it. I hold it apart from charter revenue so a refund later does not throw off your month.
The tax side
The tax side of a party bus and limo service.
Most of what goes wrong here is a fleet loan that is not a repair cost and drivers who look more like employees than contractors.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Vehicles as business assetsLimos and party buses bought for the business are usually treated as equipment. Heavy vehicles over 6,000 pounds have a $32,000 cap under Section 179, and the accountant sorts out what applies to your fleet.
- Driver classificationA driver who works your schedule, drives your vehicle, and follows your dispatch is usually an employee, not a contractor, even if paid per trip.
- Contractor 1099sAny true contract driver not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions party bus and limo services miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Fuel
- Vehicle maintenance and repairs
- Commercial auto and livery insurance
- Licensing and permits
- Driver wages
- Cleaning and detailing supplies
- Website and online booking
- Bridal show and prom fair fees
- Uniforms
- Dispatch software
- Card processing fees
- Business cards and branding
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 party bus and limo service's year, kept every month.
Prom, weddings, and holiday parties each bring their own busy stretch. Gus keeps the return on its own schedule. 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, worker classification gets a look, and a monthly set-aside is planned before spring booking season floods your calendar.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as prom and spring wedding season ramps up, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's charter count is on pace.
- October
Before the last fall weekends
The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at fleet needs worth addressing before December and what the winter months need to cover.
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 party bus and limo services. 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 party bus and limo owners ask first.
Is the loan payment on our fleet the same as a maintenance cost?
No. Fleet financing is kept in its own line, apart from repairs, so you can see what the vehicle itself costs you versus what it costs to keep running.
How is driver gratuity tracked apart from wages?
Wages and tip distributions stay in separate lines, so you can see what a booking really cost you in labor.
Are damage deposits counted as income right away?
No. They are held apart from revenue and only become income if you actually keep one for damage.
Are my drivers employees or contractors?
Drivers who work your schedule and drive your vehicles usually look like employees. Gus flags it so the accountant can look at how you are set up.
My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most owners know where they stand within 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