Paint, craft & maker studios

Books and taxes for stained glass studios.

Walk-in suncatcher classes, a church window restoration billed in stages, antique glass that costs far more than plain cathedral sheet, and lead came handled with care. Gus sorts 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

MarchExample month

$6,600

what you made

March made $6,600. The church restoration job hit its second payment ahead of Easter, and I kept it separate from your class income since it is billed by the stage of work.

Foiling class tuitionClass tuition
Church restoration, stage 2Restoration commissions
Antique glass sheet orderGlass sheet stock
Lead came and solderCame and foil supplies
Studio rentRent and utilities

Money in$18,900

Money out$12,300

Set aside for taxes$1,500

An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A stained glass studio's books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees class fees and a glass bill. Your business runs walk-in suncatchers next to a months-long church restoration billed in stages, with antique and imported glass that can cost far more per sheet than plain cathedral glass. When the books do not know that, a restoration payment can look like a windfall instead of the middle of a real job.

1
Restoration commissions get booked as if the job is finished

A church or historic home restoration often runs for months and is paid in stages, a deposit, a payment when the old window comes down, and a final payment on installation. Booking each payment as fully earned overstates how much of the job is actually done.

What we doKeeps restoration payments tied to the stage of work they cover, so income reflects what has actually been completed.
2
Antique and specialty glass gets averaged with plain sheet

A sheet of antique, hand-blown, or rare colored glass can cost many times what plain cathedral glass runs, so if every glass purchase is lumped into one line, restoration and custom work may not be priced to actually cover what the glass costs.

What we doKeeps specialty glass purchases visible against project pricing, so restoration and custom pieces can be priced to cover their real cost.
3
Tax-exempt clients need their own paperwork

A church or nonprofit historic society often does not pay sales tax on a restoration job, but without the right exemption certificate on file, that sale can look like it should have been taxed and was not.

What we doFlags sales to tax-exempt clients so the paperwork gets collected up front, instead of chased down after the fact.
4
A glass and lead came order distorts one month

A bulk order of sheet glass, lead came, and solder for an upcoming restoration can cover months of work, but if the whole bill lands in one month's books, that month looks like it barely made money.

What we doKeeps glass and came purchases in one steady line and flags a bulk order tied to a project so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a bad one.
5
Class income and commission work blur together

Walk-in suncatcher fees, foiling class tuition, and a large restoration payment rolling through the same line make it hard to see whether commissions or everyday studio classes are actually paying the bills.

What we doKeeps restoration and commission work in its own category, separate from class tuition and walk-in projects.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a stained glass studio.

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

Class tuitionFoiling and leading technique classes.
Walk-in projectsSuncatchers and small panels.
Restoration commissionsChurch and historic building work, billed by project stage.
Repair callsSmall repair work on existing windows.
Retail finished piecesReady-made panels and suncatchers sold in the studio.

Money out

Glass sheet stockCathedral, opalescent, and antique or specialty glass.
Came and foil suppliesLead and zinc came, copper foil, solder, and flux.
EquipmentSoldering irons, glass grinders, and cutting tools.
Studio rent and utilitiesSpace for cutting, foiling, and soldering.
Instructor payClass leaders and workshop instructors.
Travel for on-site workMileage and lodging for restoration installations.
InsuranceGeneral liability, given lead handling and soldering.
Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.

What we watch for you

Restoration stage tracking
How much of a multi-month restoration's payments match the work actually completed.
Specialty glass cost per project
What antique or imported glass actually costs against what a project is priced at.
Restoration versus studio traffic
How much revenue comes from commissions versus classes and walk-ins.
The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things stained glass studio 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.

The church paid the second installment on the restoration. Does that count as this month's income?

I book it against the stage of work it covers, so it shows as progress on that job instead of the whole restoration looking finished and paid.

Do we charge the church sales tax on the restoration work?

Often not, if they have a valid exemption certificate. I flag tax-exempt clients so that paperwork gets collected before the job wraps, not chased down after.

The antique glass for this job cost way more than usual. Is the project still priced right?

Close, based on what you quoted. I keep specialty glass cost visible against project pricing so you can check that before quoting the next one.

The tax side

The tax side of a stained glass studio.

Most of what goes wrong here is a multi-stage restoration counted all at once, and tax-exempt sales missing their paperwork.

What your return has to get right

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

Multi-stage restoration incomeA restoration paid across a deposit, a midpoint, and a final payment is usually recognized as the work is completed, not all at once when the first check clears.
Sales tax exemptions for nonprofit clientsChurches and historic nonprofits often qualify for a sales tax exemption on the job, but the exemption certificate needs to be collected and kept on file to support it.
Glass and came as inventorySheet glass, lead came, and solder bought in bulk are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the piece or commission sold. Tracking roughly what is on hand keeps the return accurate.
Equipment depreciationSoldering irons, glass grinders, and cutting equipment bought for the studio can usually be written off in the year they are bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.

Deductions stained glass studios miss

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

Glass sheet stock
Lead and zinc came
Copper foil and solder
Glass grinder bits and cutter wheels
Instructor pay
Studio rent and utilities
Liability insurance
Mileage to restoration sites
Card processing fees
Patina and finishing supplies
Safety gloves and ventilation supplies
Commission portfolio and photography

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 stained glass studio year, kept every month.

Spring restoration work ahead of Easter, summer classes, and a fall commission push all pull differently. Your team keeps you ahead of the calendar and the return both. 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, and a monthly set-aside is planned 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
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how restoration commissions have tracked against classes so far.
October
Before the holidays
Gus looks at glass stock, upcoming restoration bookings, and any equipment worth buying before the year winds down.

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 stained glass studios. 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 stained glass studio owners ask first.

How does Gus handle a restoration paid in stages?

Payments are tied to the stage of work they cover, so a deposit or midpoint payment shows up as progress on the job rather than as if the whole restoration is finished.

Do we need paperwork to skip sales tax on a church job?

Usually yes, a valid exemption certificate. Gus flags tax-exempt clients so that paperwork gets collected up front instead of chased down after the job is done.

Does antique glass cost get tracked differently than regular sheet glass?

Yes, specialty and antique glass purchases are kept visible against project pricing, so restoration and custom work can be checked against what the glass actually cost.

Does a big glass order for a restoration make a month look worse than it is?

No. Gus keeps glass and came purchases in a steady line and flags an order tied to a specific job, so it reads as project prep, not a slow month.

Do restoration jobs and classes get mixed together in the books?

No. Restoration and commission work are kept in their own category, separate from class tuition and walk-in projects.

My books are behind from tracking restoration jobs on paper invoices. Can Gus still help?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, 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.

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

Books and taxes for stained glass studios.

A stained glass studio's books go wrong in the same few places.

Restoration commissions get booked as if the job is finished

Antique and specialty glass gets averaged with plain sheet

Tax-exempt clients need their own paperwork

A glass and lead came order distorts one month

Class income and commission work blur together