Wedding & event vendors

Books and taxes for proposal planners.

Package fees, a subcontracted photographer built into most bookings, décor bought fresh for every proposal, and the occasional rush job or last-minute reschedule. 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
JuneExample month
$3,100
what you made

June came in at $3,100. The Diaz proposal needed a rush turnaround, so I kept that fee apart from your standard package price.

  • June 8 proposal package, full paymentProposal packages
  • Rush booking fee collectedRush fees
  • Subcontracted photographer feePhotographer payouts
  • Florals and candlesDécor and setup
  • Venue access fee paidVenue access fees
Money in$7,200
Money out$4,100
Set aside for taxes$650
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A proposal planner's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees package fees and a handful of receipts. Your business is a subcontracted photographer built into most bookings, décor bought fresh every time, and the occasional rush job or reschedule that has to be handled consistently. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.

  1. 1

    Photographer payouts blend into your package price

    Most proposal packages include a subcontracted photographer to capture the moment, and if their fee is not tracked apart from your planning fee, you cannot tell what you actually kept versus what you passed through to the photographer.

    What we doKeeps subcontracted photographer pay in its own line, apart from your planning fee.
  2. 2

    Rush bookings get priced the same as planned ones

    Some proposals get booked with only a few days' notice, and if rush fees are not tracked apart from standard package pricing, you cannot tell whether short-notice work is actually worth the scramble.

    What we doKeeps rush booking fees in their own line.
  3. 3

    Venue access fees get missed

    Some parks, rooftops, or private venues charge a fee just to set up a proposal moment there, and if that cost is not tied to the specific booking, you cannot tell if a venue's access fee is eating into your margin.

    What we doTies venue access fees to the booking that needed them.
  4. 4

    A cancellation or a 'no' looks the same as a normal refund

    Proposals sometimes get called off or rescheduled at the last minute for reasons outside anyone's control, and if that is not handled consistently, it is easy to lose track of what was actually refunded versus kept.

    What we doRecords cancellations and reschedules consistently, so your real revenue is never confused with a refund in progress.
  5. 5

    Décor and setup costs blur across different bookings

    Florals, candles, and small setup pieces are bought for each proposal, and if those costs are not tied to the specific booking, you cannot tell which package prices actually cover their own décor.

    What we doTies décor and setup costs to the booking that used them.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a proposal planning business.

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

  • Proposal package feesThe base charge for planning and setting up a proposal moment.
  • Rush booking feesExtra charged for short-notice requests.
  • Photographer add-on packagesPhotography sold as part of the package.
  • Venue access reimbursementsWhen a client covers a venue's access fee directly.
  • Booking depositsHeld when a client books ahead of the date.

Money out

  • Photographer payoutsFees passed through to the subcontracted photographer.
  • Décor and setupFlorals, candles, and signage bought per booking.
  • Venue access feesCharged by some parks, rooftops, or private venues.
  • MarketingInstagram ads and website costs.
  • InsuranceLiability coverage for on-site setups.
  • Vehicle and travelGetting to and from proposal sites.
  • Card processing feesWhat your payment processor keeps before payout.

What we watch for you

  • Cost per proposal

    Photographer pay, décor, and venue fees against what each package actually billed.

  • Rush booking premium

    Whether short-notice fees actually cover the scramble.

  • Cancellations and reschedules

    Tracked apart from earned revenue, so a called-off proposal never gets confused with a completed one.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things proposal planners 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.

Our packages include a photographer. Is their fee the same as my planning fee?

No, I keep it apart, so you can see what you actually kept versus what you passed through to the photographer.

A client booked with three days' notice. Should that be priced the same as a normal booking?

I keep rush fees in their own line, so you can see whether short-notice work is actually worth the scramble.

The venue charged us to access the rooftop for a booking. Does that come out of our margin?

Yes, tied to that specific booking, so you can see if the venue's fee is eating into what you actually made.

The tax side

The tax side of a proposal planning business.

Most of what goes wrong here is a subcontracted photographer's fee riding along inside your own, and décor bought fresh for every job.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Subcontracted photographer 1099sA photographer not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
  • Décor and setup costsFlorals, candles, and small setup pieces bought for a proposal are usually ordinary deductible business costs. Gus ties them to the booking that used them.
  • Self-employment tax and quarterly estimatesIf you are not on your own payroll, you owe 15.3 percent self-employment tax and are expected to pay estimated tax four times a year rather than waiting for April.
  • 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 proposal planners miss

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

  • Subcontracted photographer fees
  • Florals and candles
  • Signage and small props
  • Venue access fees
  • Website and Instagram ads
  • Liability insurance
  • Vehicle and travel costs
  • Business cards and branding
  • Continuing education
  • Card processing fees
  • Client welcome gifts
  • Storage for décor items

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 proposal planner's year, kept every month.

Proposals happen year-round, but engagement season and the holidays bring the biggest wave. 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 for your subcontracted photographer is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned as engagement season floods your inbox.

  2. April

    Filed and signed

    Your return is filed and signed before spring proposal season ramps up, so tax season never competes with your busiest weeks.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's booking count changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday wave

    Holiday proposals bring a new wave of bookings. Gus looks at what is worth setting aside before December and what next year's pricing should look like.

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 proposal planners. 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 proposal planners ask first.

Is the photographer's fee the same as my planning fee?

No. It is kept apart, so you can see what you actually kept versus what you passed through to the photographer.

Should rush bookings be priced the same as normal ones?

They are kept in their own line, so you can see whether short-notice fees actually cover the scramble.

Do venue access fees come out of my margin?

They are tied to the specific booking that needed them, so you can see if a venue's fee is eating into what you made.

What happens if a proposal gets called off?

Cancellations and reschedules are recorded consistently, so your real revenue never gets confused with a refund in progress.

My books are behind. Can Gus catch up?

Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most planners 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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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