Marketplace sellers & custom goods
Books and taxes for sticker and decal businesses.
An Etsy sticker sale, a vinyl and laminate order, a die-cut print run for a business client, and a plotter that runs half the night on a big batch. Your own bookkeeper keeps it straight, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
September came in at $3,900. A local brewery ordered 2,000 logo decals as a wholesale batch, so I kept it apart from your regular Etsy sales to see how each channel is really doing.
- Etsy Payments payoutRetail sticker sales
- Wholesale batch, brewery logo decalsWholesale batch sales
- Vinyl and laminate orderVinyl and laminate
- Plotter blade replacementEquipment maintenance
- Etsy listing feesMarketplace fees
Why your books are different
Sticker and decal books go wrong in a few specific spots.
A generalist sees a print run and a customer payment. Your business is small retail orders sold one at a time alongside large wholesale batches, vinyl bought in bulk rolls, and a plotter that needs its blades and mats replaced on a schedule. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell whether wholesale batches are actually worth the print time.
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1
Retail and wholesale sales get blended together
A single sticker sold on Etsy and a 2,000 unit wholesale batch for a business client bring in very different amounts per unit, and blended into one number, it is hard to see which side of the business is actually paying.
What we doKeeps retail and wholesale sales in their own lines, so you can see which channel is actually worth the print time. -
2
A vinyl and laminate order covers many print runs
A bulk roll order of vinyl and laminate gets used across dozens of future jobs. Booked all at once, that month looks like a loss and the following months look artificially strong.
What we doKeeps bulk vinyl buys visible against the print runs they actually go into, so one big order does not read as a bad month. -
3
Plotter blades and mats wear out on a schedule
Cutting blades and mats degrade with regular use and need replacing at a predictable pace, but if that cost is not planned for, it lands as a surprise instead of an expected part of running the shop.
What we doKeeps equipment maintenance in its own line, so blade and mat replacement reads as the ongoing expense it is. -
4
Design time for a custom order goes untracked
A custom logo decal design takes real time before a single sticker gets cut, but if that design work is not tracked apart from the print itself, it is easy to underprice custom orders.
What we doKeeps design and setup costs visible against the print run they belong to, so custom work gets priced to match the time it takes.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a sticker and decal business.
Set up once for how a print run gets sold. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Retail sticker salesIndividual sticker sales through Etsy or a direct storefront.
- Wholesale batch salesBulk orders for a business, band, or event.
- Craft fair salesIn-person sales rung up at markets and fairs.
- Design feesCustom logo or artwork design billed apart from printing.
Money out
- Vinyl and laminateRolls of vinyl and laminate bought for print runs.
- Equipment maintenancePlotter blades, cutting mats, and printer servicing.
- Design softwareVector design software used to prep each print file.
- Marketplace feesEtsy listing and transaction fees.
- Packaging and shippingMailers and postage for outbound orders.
What we watch for you
- Margin by channel
Retail and wholesale sales carry different real margins, and blending them hides which one actually pays.
- Vinyl cost per print run
What each run actually costs in materials, so pricing keeps up as supplier costs change.
- Design setup time
How much custom artwork work goes into an order before a single sticker is cut, so pricing keeps pace with it.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things sticker and decal 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.
Yes, they carry very different margins per unit. Keeping them apart lets you see which side of the business is actually paying the bills.
I keep it tracked against the print runs it actually goes into, so one big supply order does not make a good month look thin.
Yes, and I keep equipment maintenance in its own line, so a blade or mat replacement reads as the ongoing expense it is, not a surprise.
The tax side
The tax side of a sticker and decal business.
Most of what goes wrong here is materials cost and separating retail from wholesale. Get both tracked and the rest is straightforward.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Inventory and materials costWhat was actually paid for vinyl and laminate used in orders sold during the year, not just what was spent stocking up, is what counts against sales. Unsold materials at year end change what the return shows as profit.
- Wholesale and resale certificatesA bulk decal batch sold to a business that turns around and resells the stickers as merch is generally exempt from sales tax on your end, as long as a valid resale certificate is on file before the order ships.
- Form 1099-K from Etsy and payment appsEtsy and similar payment processors issue a 1099-K once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions. All income is taxable whether or not the form arrives.
- 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 sticker and decal businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Vinyl and laminate rolls
- Plotter blades and cutting mats
- Design software subscriptions
- Etsy listing and ad fees
- Packaging and mailers
- Craft fair booth fees
- Business insurance
- Home studio space
- Photography props and backdrops
- Shipping insurance
- Sample prints for new designs
- Business cards and tags
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 sticker and decal business year, kept every month.
Wholesale batches come in whenever a client needs one. Your taxes come on a schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of 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, unsold vinyl and laminate are counted, 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
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether wholesale batches are pulling their weight against retail sales.
- October
Before the holiday rush
Gift sticker orders and holiday sets spike fast before the season. Before it hits, Gus looks at what vinyl to stock up on.
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 sticker and decal businesses. 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 sticker and decal owners ask first.
I sell single stickers and also do wholesale batches for businesses. Will Gus keep those separate?
Yes. They carry very different margins per unit, so they are tracked apart, letting you see which side of the business is actually paying.
A brewery wants 2,000 logo decals and says they'll resell some as merch. Do I charge them sales tax?
Not on the portion they buy for resale, as long as they hand you a valid resale certificate. The accountant makes sure that paperwork is on file before the batch ships.
I bought a big roll order of vinyl before a price increase. Will that hurt this month's number?
It will not read that way. Gus keeps a bulk buy visible against the print runs it actually goes into, so a big purchase does not make a good month look bad.
My plotter needs new blades pretty often. Is that a real business expense?
Yes, blade and mat wear is a normal cost of running the machine, and Gus keeps it in its own line so a replacement reads as expected upkeep, not a surprise.
Do I owe sales tax on my Etsy sticker sales?
Etsy collects and remits sales tax on most of its own marketplace sales as a facilitator. A direct storefront sale is usually still your job to register and collect.
My books mix vinyl bought for the business with stuff I use on personal projects. Can that get separated?
Yes. Send whatever receipts and statements you have. Gus works out what belongs to the business, and most shops 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