Music, art & performing arts businesses
Books and taxes for talent and modeling agencies.
A commission cut on a client's booking, a new comp card printed for every model you sign, a state bonding fee due once a year, and payouts that need to reach talent fast. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
March came in at $5,600. Four bookings closed for the Reyes campaign, and I kept the client's full payment separate from what actually goes to the agency versus the talent.
- Client payment, Reyes campaignClient booking payments
- Talent payout, four modelsTalent payouts
- Modern Age Photo, comp cardsComp cards and headshots
- State bonding renewalLicensing and bonding
- Talent management softwareRoster management tools
Why your books are different
Talent and modeling agency books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees a client payment and calls it revenue. Most of what a booking pays is not the agency's money. It belongs to the model or actor first, minus the agency's commission. When the books do not separate that, the agency looks like it earns far more than its actual cut.
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1
The full client payment gets booked as agency income
A brand pays $4,000 for a booking on a 20 percent commission, but the whole amount hits the books as income. The agency looks like it earned $4,000 when it actually keeps $800 and owes $3,200 to the talent.
What we doBooks the commission kept as agency revenue and the talent's share as a payout owed, so the number you see is what the agency actually earned. -
2
Comp card costs get spread thin across the whole business
Printing comp cards and shooting test images for a new signee can run several hundred dollars, but if it is lumped into general marketing, you cannot tell whether a new talent is actually worth what it cost to sign them.
What we doTracks comp card and portfolio costs by talent, so you can see what it takes to bring someone onto the roster. -
3
Talent payouts go out before the client's payment clears
An agency pays a model as soon as a booking wraps, before the client has actually paid the invoice. If that payment is late or falls through, the agency is out money it never actually collected.
What we doTracks when a client payment actually clears before the talent payout goes out, so the timing never gets ahead of the cash. -
4
State bonding and licensing fees get missed
Many states require a talent or modeling agency to hold a license or bond before it can place clients for pay, and the renewal date is easy to lose track of in the day-to-day.
What we doFlags recurring licensing and bonding costs as they come due, so a lapse does not catch the agency off guard.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a talent or modeling agency.
Set up once for how bookings split and what it costs to build the roster. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Client booking paymentsThe full amount a brand or production pays for a placed booking.
- Test shoot feesFees charged for portfolio or test shoots, separate from bookings.
- Roster placement feesOne-time fees tied to signing new talent, where applicable.
- Workshop and coaching feesPaid audition prep or coaching sessions offered to roster talent.
Money out
- Talent payoutsThe model or actor's share of a booking, after the agency's commission.
- Comp cards and headshotsPrinting and photography costs for new and returning talent.
- Licensing and bondingState fees required to legally place clients for pay.
- Roster management toolsSoftware used to track talent, bookings, and client contacts.
- Marketing to clientsOutreach to brands, casting directors, and production companies.
- Office and scouting travelSpace to meet clients and travel for scouting new talent.
What we watch for you
- Commission kept
What the agency actually earns per booking, against the full client payment.
- Cost per signed talent
Comp card and portfolio spending against what a new signee books, to see if it pays off.
- Payouts owed
What is owed to talent on bookings that have not yet paid out, so nothing gets missed.
- The set-aside
What you will owe in taxes, tracked against commission kept every month, so filing season is no surprise.
Ask Gus
Things talent and modeling agency 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.
No, your income is the $800 commission. I logged the rest as owed to the model, so the agency's number reflects what it actually earned.
I would wait until it settles. Otherwise you are paying out money the agency does not have in hand yet, which gets messy if the client is slow.
Usually yes. I track them by talent so you can see what it costs to bring someone onto the roster before they book their first job.
The tax side
The tax side of a talent or modeling agency.
Most of what goes wrong here is treating a client's full payment as agency income before the talent's share is accounted for, and keeping licensing costs on schedule.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Commission income timingOnly the commission kept counts as agency income. The talent's share is a payout owed, not an expense, and should not be deducted twice.
- Contractor 1099sTalent paid as independent contractors and not employees may need a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31.
- Self-employment taxA sole proprietor or partner running a talent agency owes 15.3 percent self-employment tax on net profit, on top of income tax.
- The pass-through deductionMost talent and modeling agency owners 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 talent and modeling agencies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Comp card printing
- Test shoot photography
- State licensing and bonding fees
- Roster management software
- Office rent and utilities
- Scouting travel
- Marketing to brands and casting offices
- Business liability insurance
- Continuing industry association dues
- Website and portfolio hosting
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 talent and modeling agency year, kept every month.
Bookings come in waves around casting seasons and campaign cycles. Your taxes come on a schedule, and 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
The roster year begins
Last year's return gets started, talent payouts are reconciled, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed, roster settled
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because every commission kept since January has been feeding the set-aside.
- July
Midyear booking check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and how commission income is running against the roster's cost.
- October
Before licensing renews
Many state bonding and licensing renewals land around year end. Gus flags what is due before December.
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 talent and modeling agencies. 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 talent and modeling agency owners ask first.
How do you split a client payment between the agency and the talent?
Gus books the agency's commission as income and the talent's share as a payout owed, once the client's payment actually clears. That way the agency's number reflects only what it keeps.
Do I need to 1099 every model on the roster?
Only those paid $2,000 or more in a year who are not treated as employees. Gus keeps a running total per person so the list is accurate by January.
Is the cost of signing a new model tax deductible?
Comp cards, test shoots, and related costs are usually deductible business expenses. Gus tracks them by talent so you can also see what it costs to bring someone on.
Our state requires a surety bond. Does that count as a business expense?
Yes, licensing and bonding fees required to operate are a normal cost of doing business. Gus flags the renewal date so it does not get missed.
Some clients pay slow. Does that affect what I owe in taxes?
It affects when income counts, since most agencies report income as it is actually earned or received. Gus tracks what has cleared versus what is still outstanding.
My records are behind from a busy casting season. Can you still take this over?
Yes. Send the bank statements and any booking records you have. Gus sorts it, the accountant checks it, 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.
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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