Paint, craft & maker studios
Books and taxes for tie-dye and screen printing workshops.
Walk-in tie-dye sessions, a fifty-shirt order for the local soccer league due before the season starts, blank apparel bought by the size run, and screens that need reclaiming between jobs. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August made $9,400. The soccer league's fifty-shirt order carried the month, and I kept that bulk print job separate from walk-in tie-dye sessions since it is priced and produced completely differently.
- Walk-in tie-dye sessionsTie-dye workshops
- Soccer league order depositBulk print orders
- Blank t-shirt orderBlank apparel stock
- Plastisol ink and screensInk and screen supplies
- Studio rentRent and utilities
Why your books are different
A tie-dye and screen printing shop's books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees session fees and an apparel bill. Your business sells walk-in tie-dye sessions next to fifty-shirt team orders, buys blank apparel across a full size run, and burns and reclaims screens between print jobs. When the books do not know that, a big bulk order can look like a fluke instead of a real second line of business.
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1
Bulk print orders blur into walk-in sessions
A fifty-shirt order for a sports team or school event is priced per shirt at a volume discount, and if it rings through the same line as individual tie-dye sessions, an owner cannot tell whether bulk orders or walk-in traffic actually drive the business.
What we doKeeps bulk print orders in their own category, separate from walk-in workshop income, so you can see what each side contributes. -
2
Blank apparel gets tracked as one number, not by size
A size run of blank shirts costs more per piece in extra-large and extra-small sizes than in the middle sizes most people wear, so lumping every apparel purchase together makes it hard to see whether bulk order pricing actually covers the real cost by size.
What we doKeeps blank apparel purchases visible against bulk order pricing, so size run costs can be checked against what is charged. -
3
A bulk order deposit lands before the shirts are printed
A team or school pays a deposit for a bulk order weeks before the shirts are actually printed and delivered. Counted as income the day it lands, a quiet workshop week can look busier than it was.
What we doTies bulk order income to the week the shirts were actually printed, so the number reflects the real work done. -
4
Screen prep and reclaiming get lost in ink costs
Burning a new screen or reclaiming an old one between jobs takes emulsion, chemicals, and time, and if that cost gets buried in general ink and supply purchases, it is hard to see the true cost of running a print job.
What we doKeeps screen prep and reclaiming supplies in their own line, so the real cost of setting up a print run is visible. -
5
An apparel order distorts one month
A bulk blank apparel order to stock walk-in sessions and get ahead of a large team order can cover months of business, but if the whole bill lands in one month's books, that month looks like it barely made money.
What we doKeeps apparel purchases in one steady line and flags a bulk order so a heavy-buying month is not mistaken for a bad one.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a tie-dye and screen printing shop.
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
- Tie-dye workshopsWalk-in and group tie-dye sessions.
- Bulk print ordersTeam, school, and event orders, priced per shirt at volume.
- Screen printing classesTechnique classes on screen burning and printing.
- Retail apparelPre-dyed or pre-printed pieces sold off the shelf.
- Party bookingsBirthday and group tie-dye events paid with a deposit.
Money out
- Blank apparel stockT-shirts and tote bags bought across a full size run.
- Ink and screen suppliesPlastisol or water-based ink, screens, and emulsion.
- Dye and tie-dye suppliesFiber reactive dye, soda ash, and rubber bands.
- Equipment maintenanceHeat press, dryer, and exposure unit upkeep.
- Studio rent and utilitiesSpace for dyeing, printing, and curing.
- MarketingLocal ads and team and school outreach.
- InsuranceGeneral liability for both workshops and print production.
- Card processing feesWhat Square or Stripe keeps before you get paid.
What we watch for you
- Bulk order share
How much of revenue comes from bulk print orders versus walk-in workshops.
- Apparel cost per size run
What blank apparel actually costs across sizes against bulk order pricing.
- Screen setup cost per job
What burning and reclaiming screens actually costs per print run.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things tie-dye and screen printing shop 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, bulk print orders are kept in their own category, so you can see clearly how much of August came from that one job versus everyday walk-ins.
Close, based on the size breakdown for this order. I keep apparel cost tracked by size run so you can check that before quoting the next big order.
No, I tie that income to the week the shirts were actually printed, so the number reflects the real work, not just when the deposit landed.
The tax side
The tax side of a tie-dye and screen printing shop.
Most of what goes wrong here is bulk orders blended with walk-ins, and screen setup cost hidden inside general ink spend.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Blank apparel as inventoryT-shirts, tote bags, and other blanks bought in bulk are inventory until used, then they become the cost of the piece sold or printed. Tracking roughly what is on hand across sizes keeps the return accurate.
- Sales tax on retail and bulk ordersMost states tax retail sales and printed apparel. Whether a large bulk order to a school or team qualifies for a resale or exempt treatment depends on the buyer and your state.
- Equipment depreciationHeat presses, dryers, and exposure units bought for the shop can usually be written off in the year they are bought, with bonus depreciation at 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sAny freelance designer or print helper not on payroll who is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions tie-dye and screen printing workshops miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Blank apparel stock
- Plastisol or water-based ink
- Screens and emulsion
- Fiber reactive dye and soda ash
- Heat press and dryer maintenance
- Studio rent and utilities
- Liability insurance
- Local social ads
- Card processing fees
- Gloves and protective gear
- Packaging for bulk orders
- Cleaning supplies
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 tie-dye and screen printing shop year, kept every month.
Back-to-school team orders, summer camp tie-dye, and a holiday retail 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 bulk orders have tracked against workshop income so far.
- October
Before the holidays
Gus looks at blank apparel stock, upcoming bulk orders, and any equipment worth buying 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 tie-dye and screen printing workshops. 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 tie-dye and screen printing shop owners ask first.
How does Gus handle a big bulk order like team shirts?
Bulk print orders are kept in their own category, separate from walk-in tie-dye workshops, so you can see how much of a busy month came from one order versus regular traffic.
Does apparel size affect how costs are tracked?
Yes, apparel cost is kept visible against bulk order pricing by size run, so you can check whether your per-shirt price actually covers larger and smaller sizes.
A team paid a deposit before we printed their shirts. Does that mess up the numbers?
No. Gus ties that income to the week the shirts were actually printed, so deposit timing does not shift which week looks busy.
Does screen burning and reclaiming get tracked as its own cost?
Yes, it is kept separate from general ink purchases, so the real setup cost of a print job is visible instead of buried in supplies.
Is a bulk blank apparel order going to make a month look bad?
Gus keeps apparel purchases in a steady monthly line and flags a big stock-up, so a heavy-buying month is not read as a slow one.
My books are behind from tracking orders on invoices in a folder. 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.
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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