Live events & performance
Books and taxes for rodeo producers.
Gate tickets, a stock contractor's day fee, entry fees from contestants, and a purse that goes out before the dust settles. Gus sorts each apart, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August cleared $13,500. The purse paid out to event winners is booked as its own line, not folded into stock contractor fees.
- Gate ticket salesGate admissions
- Contestant entry feesEntry fees
- Stock contractor, day feeStock contractor fees
- Purse payout, event winnersPurse and added money
- Arena and grounds rentalVenue and grounds
Why your books are different
A rodeo's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees gate money and a bill from the arena. Your weekend is entry fees collected ahead of time, a purse that pays out contestants after the last ride, a stock contractor paid a day fee, and a sanctioning body that takes its cut. When the books blur those together, you cannot see what the event actually cleared.
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1
Entry fees get spent before the purse is set aside
Contestant entry fees often fund part of the purse itself, and if that money gets treated as general gate revenue, there is nothing set aside when it is time to pay out event winners.
What we doKeeps entry fees in their own category and flags how much of the purse they are already covering. -
2
The purse and the stock contractor fee blur together
Both are payouts tied to the animals and the competition, so they often land in one lump line, making it impossible to see whether the stock cost or the payout to winners is driving the budget.
What we doKeeps purse and added money separate from stock contractor fees, so each cost of putting on the event is visible on its own. -
3
Sanctioning fees look like a random due, not an event cost
A fee paid to a sanctioning association for the right to hold a sanctioned event can get filed under general dues, losing track of what it actually costs to run a sanctioned weekend versus a jackpot event.
What we doKeeps sanctioning fees in their own line, tied to the event they cover. -
4
Gate money and vendor or concession income get combined
Ticket sales at the gate and a cut of food and merchandise vendor sales inside the arena often land in one deposit, hiding whether the gate or the concessions side is really carrying the weekend.
What we doKeeps gate admissions and vendor income apart, so you can see what each side of the event brings in. -
5
Arena and grounds costs get treated as one flat rental line
Arena rental, grounds prep, chute and fencing repair, and dirt work for the ring all get lumped together, so a season of grounds costs is hard to compare year over year.
What we doBreaks arena and grounds costs into their own categories, so you can see what upkeep really runs each season.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a rodeo.
Set up once for how an event weekend makes money and where it goes. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Gate admissionsTicket sales at the gate or through an advance ticketing app.
- Entry feesContestant fees collected ahead of the event.
- SponsorshipsFeed stores, ranch supply dealers, and local business sponsors.
- Vendor and concessions cutThe event's share of food, drink, and merchandise sales.
- Parking feesOn-site parking collected at the gate.
Money out
- Stock contractor feesThe day fee paid to the contractor supplying the animals.
- Purse and added moneyPayouts to event winners, kept apart from stock costs.
- Sanctioning feesFees paid to the sanctioning association for the event.
- Venue and groundsArena rental, dirt work, chute repair, and fencing.
- Judges and officialsJudging, timing, and announcing fees for the weekend.
- Security and medical staffingGate security and an on-site medic or EMT crew.
- MarketingLocal radio, printed posters, and social promotion.
- InsuranceEvent liability coverage required by the grounds or association.
What we watch for you
- Gate-to-purse ratio
How much of gate revenue the purse and added money actually cover, before you set next year's payout.
- Entry fee coverage
How much of the purse contestant entry fees already fund on their own.
- Stock contractor cost
What the day fee runs against gate and sponsor money, useful before booking next season.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is a number already known.
Ask Gus
Things rodeo producers 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.
Some of it is already spoken for. I keep entry fees in their own line and flag how much of the purse they are covering before I call any of it profit.
No, and I keep them apart. The contractor's day fee and the payout to winners are different costs, and mixing them hides which one is really driving your budget.
That is a bigger call than I can make alone, since it changes your fee structure and sanctioning costs. I put your last two seasons together for the accountant to walk through with you.
The tax side
The tax side of running a rodeo.
Most of what goes wrong here is keeping payouts straight: the purse, the stock contractor, and officials all paid around the same weekend, often by check or cash.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Contractor 1099s for stock contractors and officialsA stock contractor, judge, or announcer paid $2,000 or more over the year outside payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list across the season.
- Purse payouts to contestantsPurse money paid out to contestants is generally reportable the same way other contractor-style payments are, and Gus tracks who was paid what across the season so the paperwork is ready.
- Worker classification for gate and grounds staffA gate worker or grounds crew member who works your schedule and follows your rules every event is usually an employee, even for a seasonal or weekend-only role.
- Depreciation of arena and grounds equipmentChutes, fencing, and grounds equipment owned by the business can usually be written off the year they are bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
Deductions rodeos miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Chute and fencing repair
- Dirt work and grounds prep
- Judging and timing equipment
- Announcer sound system
- Gate ticket rolls and scanners
- Event liability insurance
- Medical and EMT staffing
- Printed programs and posters
- Sanctioning association dues
- Livestock trailer maintenance
- Parking lot lighting
- Merchant card processing 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 rodeo's year, kept every month.
Most rodeo seasons run heavy in warmer months with one or two marquee weekends. Gus keeps the tax calendar lined up alongside it. 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, the 1099 list for stock contractors and officials is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Mid-season check
Where the season stands, what you will owe, and how the summer run of events is tracking against last year.
- October
Before next season's contracts
Stock contractor and sanctioning agreements for next year often get set this time of year. Gus looks at what this season actually cleared before you sign.
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 rodeos. 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 rodeo producers ask first.
Can Gus keep the purse and the stock contractor fee separate?
Yes. They are different costs of putting on the event, and Gus keeps them apart so you can see what each one is really doing to your budget.
Do stock contractors get a 1099 like any other contractor?
Yes, if you pay one $2,000 or more over the year and they are not on payroll, they get a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps the running list across your season.
How does Gus handle entry fees that fund part of the purse?
He keeps entry fees in their own category and flags how much of the purse they cover, so what is left after payouts is a real number, not a guess.
Our sanctioning fees and grounds rental are billed together by the association. Can that be split?
Yes. Send the invoice and Gus breaks it into sanctioning fees and venue costs so each shows up correctly.
We run a mix of sanctioned events and local jackpots. Does that matter for the books?
It can affect fee structure and purse rules more than the bookkeeping itself. Gus keeps every event's numbers apart regardless of format, and the accountant flags anything that changes on the tax side.
Our books are behind from a busy summer circuit. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send the bank statements and event settlement sheets you have, and Gus sorts them event by event. Most producers 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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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