Wedding & event vendors
Books and taxes for wedding and event DJs.
Booking deposits, subcontracted DJs sent out on the same Saturday, music pool subscriptions, and speakers that cost more than they look. 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
June came in at $7,000. Three weddings booked the same Saturday, so I kept each subcontracted DJ's pay tied to the event they worked.
- June 14 reception balanceEvent balances
- October 2026 booking depositBooking deposits
- Subcontracted DJ, C. RuizSubcontracted DJs
- DJcity music poolMusic pool subscription
- QSC speaker repairSound equipment
Why your books are different
A wedding and event DJ business's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees deposits and a stack of gear receipts. Your business is three weddings booked on the same Saturday, each with a different subcontracted DJ, plus a music library that costs money to keep current. When the books do not know that, the number they hand you is wrong.
-
1
Multiple DJs on one Saturday blur together
Your company books three weddings on the same date and sends a different DJ to each, and if all their pay comes out of one lump sum, you cannot tell which event actually made money.
What we doTies each subcontracted DJ's pay to the specific event they worked, so profit per booking stays honest. -
2
The deposit is not spending money yet
A couple books an October wedding in June and puts down a deposit, and if it is treated like this month's earned income, the books overstate what has actually been worked.
What we doFlags booked deposits for events not yet worked, so you always know how much of the balance is actually spoken for. -
3
A new speaker system looks like a supply run
A new PA system, wireless mic set, or lighting rig can run several thousand dollars, and filed as a supply purchase it wrecks that month and misses the chance to write it off properly.
What we doFlags equipment purchases the day they post, so the accountant can decide how to write it off. -
4
Music pool subscriptions get lumped with software
Services like DJcity or BPM Supreme that give you licensed access to current music are a real recurring cost, and buried in a general software line, you cannot see what keeping your library current actually costs.
What we doKeeps music pool subscriptions in their own line, apart from other software. -
5
MC and uplighting add-ons disappear into the base fee
Couples often add emcee services or uplighting on top of the base DJ package, and if those add-ons are not tracked apart from the base fee, you cannot tell which add-ons are actually worth offering.
What we doKeeps add-on income in its own line, so you can see what upsells are working.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a wedding and event DJ 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
- Wedding and event DJ feesThe base charge for playing a reception or party.
- Booking depositsHolds collected when a date is signed, often a year out.
- MC and emcee add-onsExtra fees for hosting duties beyond music.
- Uplighting add-onsDance floor and room lighting packages sold separately.
- Ceremony sound add-onsSound systems for the ceremony itself, billed apart from the reception.
Money out
- Subcontracted DJsPay for DJs sent to weddings you cannot personally cover.
- Sound and lighting equipmentSpeakers, mixers, lighting rigs, and repairs.
- Music pool subscriptionsDJcity, BPM Supreme, and similar licensed music services.
- InsuranceLiability coverage and gear protection.
- Vehicle and transportThe van or trailer that hauls gear to each event.
- MarketingWebsite, The Knot or WeddingWire listings, and bridal shows.
- Repairs and replacement partsCables, connectors, and gear upkeep.
What we watch for you
- Booked deposits on hand
How much of the balance belongs to events not yet worked, so it is never mistaken for spare cash.
- Cost per event
Subcontracted DJ pay and gear against what each booking brings in.
- Add-on attach rate
How often uplighting or MC add-ons get booked, worth knowing before changing your packages.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things wedding and event DJ 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.
Each DJ's pay is tied to the specific event they worked, so you can see which of the three actually made money.
I keep it as its own line, music pool subscriptions, so you can see what staying current actually costs you.
Often it can. I logged it as equipment, not supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
The tax side
The tax side of a wedding and event DJ business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and who counts as staff. Deposits, subcontracted DJs, and gear all need to stay in their own lane.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Sound and lighting equipmentSpeakers, mixers, and lighting rigs bought for the business can usually be written off in the year you buy them. How much to take now is a call the accountant makes with your full year in view.
- Subcontracted DJ 1099sAnyone not on payroll you pay $2,000 or more in 2026, like a subcontracted DJ, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- Employee or contractorA DJ who uses your company's gear, wears your branding, and only works events you assign often looks more like an employee than a contractor. Gus flags it so the accountant can look at how you are set up.
- 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 wedding and event DJs miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Subcontracted DJ fees
- Speakers and lighting rigs
- Music pool subscriptions
- Wireless microphones
- Liability insurance
- Van or trailer for gear
- Fuel and vehicle maintenance
- Website and venue listings
- Bridal show booth fees
- Backup gear and cables
- Business cards and branding
- 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 wedding and event DJ year, kept every month.
Saturdays book up fast in spring and fall and go quiet in winter. Your team keeps you ahead of both the calendar and the return. 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 subcontracted DJs is ready, and a monthly set-aside is planned before booking season floods your inbox.
- April
Filed and signed
Your return is filed and signed right as the spring booking rush hits, so tax season never competes with your busiest weekends.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand midyear, what you will owe, and whether this year's Saturday count is on pace.
- October
Before the last fall Saturdays
The busiest fall dates are still ahead. Gus looks at gear 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 wedding and event DJs. 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 wedding and event DJ owners ask first.
Can Gus track pay for different DJs I send to different weddings on the same day?
Yes. Each subcontracted DJ's pay is tied to the specific event they worked, so you can see the real cost and profit of every booking.
Do music pool subscriptions count as a business expense?
Usually, yes. They are kept in their own line so you can see what keeping your music library current actually costs you.
Do I write off a new PA system all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
My DJs use my company's gear and only work events I assign them. Does that change anything?
It might. Someone who works your schedule and uses your equipment can look more like an employee than a contractor. Gus flags it so the accountant can look at how you are set up.
My books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people 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