Outdoor attractions & tours

Books and taxes for private museums.

Admission and memberships, private event rentals, gift shop sales, and insurance on artifacts you cannot simply replace. 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
MayExample month
$11,500
what you made

May came in at $11,500. The new climate-controlled display case for the textile collection is booked as equipment, not supplies.

  • Admission and membership batchAdmission and memberships
  • Private event rental depositEvent rentals
  • Fine arts insurance premiumArtifact insurance
  • Display case fabrication invoiceExhibit equipment
  • Docent payroll runDocent and staff wages
Money in$41,300
Money out$29,800
Set aside for taxes$3,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Private museum books go wrong in the same four places.

A generalist sees admission and a gift shop. Your business insures a collection that cannot simply be replaced, keeps climate control running to protect artifacts, and rents the building out for private events. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell what the collection actually costs to protect.

  1. 1

    Artifact insurance gets buried in general liability

    A fine arts or collections policy protects specific pieces at appraised values, which is different from general liability coverage for slip-and-fall claims. Lumped together, you lose track of what protecting the collection itself actually costs.

    What we doKeeps artifact and collections insurance in its own line, separate from general liability, so the real cost of protecting the collection is visible.
  2. 2

    Exhibit and display equipment looks like a supply purchase

    A climate-controlled display case or custom exhibit mounting can cost thousands and lasts for years. Filed as supplies, it drags one month's number down and hides what the museum actually invested in the collection.

    What we doFlags major exhibit and display equipment purchases, books them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how they get written off.
  3. 3

    Private event rentals get counted before the event happens

    A wedding or corporate rental booked months out with a deposit is not this month's income if the event has not happened yet. Counting it early overstates a slow month and understates the one where the venue actually gets used.

    What we doHolds event rental deposits until the event date, so income lands in the month the venue was actually used.
  4. 4

    Memberships get counted the day they sell

    An annual membership sold in one month pays for visits spread across the whole year. Counting the full amount up front overstates that month and understates the ones members actually use.

    What we doHolds membership money as prepaid and counts a share of it each month members actually visit, so the number matches real activity.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a private museum.

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

  • Admission and membershipsGate tickets and annual memberships, tracked separately.
  • Event rentalsPrivate buyouts for weddings and corporate events, tied to the event date.
  • Group and school bookingsField trips and guided group tours.
  • Gift shopMerchandise and catalog sales.
  • Donations and sponsorshipsGifts tied to exhibits or general support.

Money out

  • Artifact insuranceFine arts or collections coverage on specific pieces.
  • Exhibit equipmentDisplay cases, mounts, and lighting, logged as equipment.
  • Climate control and utilitiesHumidity and temperature control to protect the collection.
  • Docent and staff wagesGuides, front desk, and curatorial staff.
  • Security systemsAlarm monitoring and security staffing.
  • Building maintenanceUpkeep of the structure housing the collection.
  • General liability insuranceCoverage for visitors and the property, apart from the collection itself.

What we watch for you

  • Event rental share

    How much of the month comes from private event rentals versus admission.

  • Deferred membership balance

    How much membership money is still owed in visits, so a strong renewal month does not get spent as if it were already earned.

  • Insurance cost per year

    Artifact and general liability insurance tracked together, since it is often the largest fixed cost of the year.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things museum 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.

We paid our fine arts insurance premium this month. Is that the same as our liability insurance?

No, I keep them separate. Artifact insurance protects the collection itself, while general liability covers visitors and the building.

We built a new climate-controlled case for the textile exhibit. Does that come off this year?

Often it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it for the accountant, who decides how much gets written off now.

A couple booked our hall for a wedding next spring and paid a deposit. Does that count as income now?

Not yet. I hold event deposits until the event happens, so the income lands in the month you actually host it.

The tax side

The tax side of a private museum.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels: exhibit equipment filed as supplies, and memberships or rentals counted too early.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Exhibit and display equipment depreciationDisplay cases, mounts, and lighting systems are business equipment. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 can often write off exhibit work in the year it is done.
  • Deferred revenue on memberships and rentalsMembership dues and event rental deposits are not fully earned the day they are collected. They get recognized as income across the months the visits or events actually happen.
  • Worker classification for docents and guidesDocents and guides who work your posted schedule and follow museum procedures are usually employees, even part time or seasonal.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions private museums miss

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

  • Artifact and collections insurance
  • Display case and exhibit fabrication
  • Climate control equipment and repair
  • Security system monitoring
  • Docent training materials
  • Uniforms and staff shirts
  • General liability insurance
  • Signage and wayfinding
  • Building maintenance and repair
  • Gift shop fixtures
  • Event rental staffing
  • Booking app fees

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 private museum year, kept every month.

The collection needs protecting every day of the year. Your taxes come on a schedule too. 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 the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so a quiet season does not catch you short.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed before the busy spring school trip and event season picks up.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand at the height of summer attendance, and whether event rentals are tracking with the calendar.

  4. October

    Before the slowdown

    A look at exhibit or climate control equipment worth upgrading before winter and anything worth buying 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 private museums. 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 private museum owners ask first.

Is artifact insurance the same as our general liability policy?

No, and Gus keeps them separate. Artifact or collections insurance protects specific pieces, while general liability covers visitors and the property.

We rent the museum out for weddings. When does that count as income?

The month the event happens. Gus holds rental deposits until the event date so income matches when the venue was actually used.

We built new display cases for an exhibit. Is that deductible right away?

Usually. Exhibit equipment has real useful life, so it gets logged as equipment, and the accountant decides how much can be written off this year.

Do memberships get counted differently than single-visit tickets?

Yes. Membership money gets spread across the months members actually visit, while single tickets count the day they are sold.

Our books are behind from a busy season. Is that a problem?

No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and 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