Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for trade show booth builders.
Booth fabrication, drayage fees that vary wildly by venue, union labor some convention centers require, and storage that runs whether or not you have an active build. 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
October came in at $18,000. The drayage fees for the Chicago show ran higher than usual, so I flagged them apart from your labor costs to keep the real margin visible.
- October trade show booth build, final paymentFabrication fees
- Drayage fees paid to venueDrayage and shipping
- Union labor, install and dismantleUnion labor
- New modular booth systemEquipment and materials
- Warehouse storage rentStorage
Why your books are different
A trade show booth builder's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees fabrication invoices and a materials bill. Your business is drayage fees that swing wildly by venue, union labor some convention centers require regardless of your own crew, and storage that runs every month between shows. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
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1
Drayage fees get lumped with everything else
Convention centers charge steep fees just to move your booth materials from the loading dock to your space, and if that cost is not tracked apart from labor and materials, you cannot tell how much a single venue's drayage is really eating into your margin.
What we doKeeps drayage and shipping fees in their own line, tied to the show that needed them. -
2
Union labor requirements get missed in the pricing
Many convention centers require union labor for install and dismantle regardless of your own crew, and that mandatory cost varies wildly by city, so untracked per show, you cannot tell which markets are actually worth the trip.
What we doTies union labor costs to the specific show, so pricing reflects what each city actually requires. -
3
A new modular booth system looks like a supply run
A custom or modular booth system can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as a regular expense, it wrecks that month's number and misses the chance to write it off properly.
What we doFlags booth systems and fabrication materials as equipment. -
4
Storage between shows looks like it belongs to one client
Warehouse rent for storing booths between shows runs every month whether or not you have an active build, and charged against a single client's invoice, that job looks far less profitable than it was.
What we doKeeps storage in its own steady line, separate from any one client. -
5
The deposit is not spending money yet
A client books a booth build months out and pays a deposit, and if it is treated like this month's earned income, the books overstate the work actually done.
What we doFlags booked deposits for builds not yet completed, apart from revenue you have actually earned.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a trade show booth building business.
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
- Booth fabrication feesThe build fee for a custom or modular booth.
- Design and CAD feesCharged separately for planning and rendering a booth.
- Booking depositsHeld when a client books, often months before the show.
- Storage and refurbishment feesCharged for keeping and updating a client's booth between shows.
- Booth rental feesFor clients who rent rather than buy their booth.
Money out
- Booth systems and materialsModular systems, laminate, and fabrication materials.
- Drayage and shippingFees charged by the venue to move materials in and out.
- Union laborRequired install and dismantle crews at some venues.
- Warehouse and storageWhere booths are kept between shows.
- Design softwareCAD and rendering tools.
- InsuranceLiability and cargo coverage.
- Vehicle fleet and fuelTrucks that move booths between cities.
What we watch for you
- Drayage cost per show
How much a specific venue's fees are eating into margin, worth knowing before quoting the next city.
- Union labor cost by market
How mandatory labor costs vary by city, so pricing reflects each venue's real requirements.
- Cost per client
Materials and labor against what each build actually billed.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things trade show booth builders 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, tied to the show that needed it, so you can see how much that venue's fees are really eating into your margin.
Tied to that specific show, so you can see which cities are actually worth the trip once mandatory labor is factored in.
No, that is equipment. I flag it so it does not wreck the month, and the accountant decides how it is written off.
The tax side
The tax side of a trade show booth building business.
Most of what goes wrong here is venue fees that vary wildly and a big fabrication buy that lands all at once.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Booth systems as business assetsModular and custom booth systems bought for the business are usually treated as equipment. The accountant decides how much of the cost to write off now.
- Union and contract laborUnion labor required by a venue and any subcontracted crew you bring are usually ordinary deductible costs. Gus keeps them tied to the specific show.
- Contractor 1099sFreelance crew not on payroll get a 1099-NEC if paid $2,000 or more in 2026, due January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can deduct up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
Deductions trade show booth builders miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Booth systems and materials
- Drayage and shipping fees
- Union labor costs
- Warehouse and storage rent
- Design software
- Liability and cargo insurance
- Vehicle fleet fuel
- Website and portfolio hosting
- Trade show association dues
- Business cards and branding
- Repair and refurbishment supplies
- 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 trade show booth builder's year, kept every month.
Spring and fall convention seasons drive most of the calendar. Gus keeps the return on its own schedule. 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 any contract crew is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before the show calendar fills up.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as spring convention season ramps up, so tax season never competes with your busiest builds.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's show count changed the number.
- October
Before the fall push
Fall's biggest conventions are still ahead. Gus looks at equipment worth buying before December and what the winter months need to cover.
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 trade show booth builders. 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 trade show booth builders ask first.
Are drayage fees tracked apart from labor costs?
Yes. Drayage stays in its own line, tied to the show that needed it, so you can see how much a venue's fees really cost you.
Does union labor get tracked per show?
Yes. It is tied to the specific show, so you can see which cities are actually worth the trip once mandatory labor is factored in.
Does a new booth system count as a supply expense?
No. It is treated as equipment, and the accountant decides how much of the cost to write off in the year you buy it.
Does storage count against one client's job?
No. It stays in its own steady line, since warehouse rent runs every month whether or not you have an active build.
My books are behind from a busy season. Can Gus catch up?
Yes. Send what you have and Gus sorts it. Most owners 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.
More in wedding & event vendors
We keep books for the business next door too.
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- Bounce house & inflatable rentals
- Bridal hair & makeup artists
- Bridal shops
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