Organic, social & brand marketing

Books and taxes for PR firms.

Monthly media relations retainers, a crisis project that spins up overnight, wire service fees for every release, and travel to press events. Gus sorts all of it, 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
SeptemberExample month
$13,500
what you made

September came in at $13,500. A crisis client signed a two-week project on short notice, so I kept that project fee separate from your regular retainers, it will not repeat next month.

  • Retainer, Client ERetainer revenue
  • Crisis project, two weeksProject fees
  • Business Wire distributionWire distribution costs
  • Muck Rack subscriptionMedia database tools
  • Flight, press eventPress event travel
Money in$46,000
Money out$32,500
Set aside for taxes$3,400
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

PR firm books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees a client payment and a wire service charge. Your business is retainers that can spike overnight into a crisis project, wire distribution fees billed per release, and travel that comes in bursts around press events. When the books do not know that, a normal quiet month looks like trouble and a crisis month looks like growth.

  1. 1

    A crisis project looks like a bigger retainer

    A client calls with a reputation problem and signs a two-week project worth more than their usual monthly retainer. Booked as retainer income, it makes the recurring business look like it grew when the spike was really a one-time event.

    What we doKeeps project fees for crisis work separate from ongoing retainer revenue, so the recurring number stays the one you can trust.
  2. 2

    Wire distribution fees blend into client billing

    Business Wire or PR Newswire charges a real fee for every release sent out, and if that cost is not tracked apart from the client invoice, it is hard to tell whether a release actually made money for the firm after the wire cost.

    What we doKeeps wire distribution costs in their own line, so you can see what each release actually costs against what the client paid for it.
  3. 3

    Press event travel comes in bursts

    Flights and hotels for a product launch or a press event land in one heavy week, and that week can make a normal month look like travel spending spiked for no reason.

    What we doFlags press event travel as its own category, so a heavy travel month reads as an event, not a random jump in spending.
  4. 4

    Freelance writers brought on for a launch look like regular staff

    A freelance writer or media trainer brought in for one big launch gets paid like anyone else on the bench, so it is hard to tell what a single launch actually cost to staff.

    What we doTies freelance pay to the project it served, so launch costs stay visible against what that project brought in.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a PR firm.

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

  • Retainer revenueMonthly media relations work, billed through QuickBooks or Bill.com.
  • Project feesCrisis work, product launches, and other short, intense engagements.
  • Placement bonusesExtra fees tied to landing a major media placement, when a contract includes one.
  • Media training feesOne-time engagements coaching an executive before a big interview.

Money out

  • Wire distribution costsBusiness Wire, PR Newswire, and similar release distribution fees.
  • Media database toolsCision, Muck Rack, and Prowly subscriptions.
  • Contractor payoutsFreelance writers, media trainers, and crisis specialists brought on for a project.
  • Press event travelFlights, hotels, and meals tied to a launch or press event.
  • Coworking and officeShared office space or a home office setup.
  • Business developmentThe firm's own outreach and proposal tools.

What we watch for you

  • Retainer revenue

    The recurring piece of income that predicts next month, separate from crisis projects.

  • Wire cost per release

    What distribution actually costs against what a client pays for a release.

  • Contractor cost

    What freelance writers and specialists cost against project revenue.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month so a crisis project never throws off what April will cost.

Ask Gus

Things PR firm 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.

A crisis client paid us more this month than any retainer ever has. Is that going to throw off my numbers?

No. I kept the project fee separate from your retainer income, so you can still see the steady number underneath the spike.

Do I need to send a 1099 to the media trainer I brought on for one launch?

If you paid him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep that list running as we go.

Wire distribution fees feel like they are eating into what a release actually earns us. Can you show me that?

Yes. I keep those costs in their own line, so you can see net revenue on a release, not just what the client paid before the wire fee.

The tax side

The tax side of a PR firm.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing. A crisis project counted like a retainer, a launch specialist treated like an employee, 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.

  • Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, a freelance writer or media trainer, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the list all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated firms can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. Above roughly $200,000 single, the accountant checks how much of it still applies.
  • Self-employment taxA solo owner not paid through payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Quarterly estimated taxesTaxes are due as the money comes in, crisis project or not. Payments fall on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, and Gus tracks the set-aside toward each date.

Deductions PR firms miss

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

  • Cision or Muck Rack subscription
  • Wire distribution fees
  • Press event travel
  • Freelance writer payments
  • Media trainer fees
  • Business liability insurance
  • Coworking space
  • Business phone and internet
  • Conference tickets
  • Website hosting for the firm
  • Accounting and legal fees
  • Proposal and outreach software

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 PR firm's year, kept every month.

Crisis work can start on a Tuesday afternoon with no warning, but tax deadlines do not move. 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

    Get the year rolling

    Last year's return gets started, the freelance writer and media trainer 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Signed.

    Your return is filed and signed. No matter how a crisis project changed the year, the set-aside already covered April.

  3. July

    Halfway point check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether project work this year has changed the number.

  4. October

    Before launch season

    Fall product launches and year-end press events pick up. Gus looks at travel budgets and anything worth doing 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 PR firms. 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 PR firm owners ask first.

A crisis project brought in a lot more than a normal retainer month. Will that make my books look inflated?

No. Gus keeps project fees for crisis work separate from retainer income, so your recurring revenue stays the number you can trust from month to month.

Wire distribution fees add up fast. Can Gus show me what a release actually nets?

Yes. Wire distribution costs sit in their own category, apart from client billing, so you can see what a release earns after the distribution fee.

Do I need paperwork for the freelance writer or media trainer I bring on for a launch?

If you pay them $2,000 or more this year and they are not on payroll, they get a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list current across every project.

My travel spending is quiet most of the year, then huge around a few press events. Does that mess up my numbers?

No. Gus flags press event travel as its own category, so a heavy travel month reads as an event, not an unexplained jump in spending.

My books mix retainer clients and project work together with no real separation. Can that be sorted out?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus separates retainer income from project fees, the accountant checks it, and most owners know where they stand 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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We keep books for the business next door too.

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