Just a quick one about taxes ...

[Former_Member]

If you sell at a craft fair, how do you keep records of the income?

At the moment I only sell online so have paypal invoices as proof, but i'm a little unsure what needs to be done with fairs.

Also, what about the cost of the stall? How do I get proof of that if they don't give a reciept?

[WithLoveFromLucille]

As a business owner, you have the responsibility of keeping written track of your sales at the show - don't forget your state's Sales Tax.
Or if you use square or paypal for credit cards...then you have access to those online.

The craft shows I've done, usually email a receipt. Just ask and I'm sure they'll send you an invoice. Even if they don't, add it to your taxes. In your bank account or somewhere there will be proof you paid [unless you paid cash?]

[SageNThymeDesigns]

I've never done a show where the show owner tracks my sales in any way, so I've never received a receipt from anyone but myself. Maybe with a centralized checkout??

I have a sales receipt book with carbon copies that I use- only a couple bucks from Office Depot, etc. After the show I usually go back and type all the sales and the means of purchase (credit cards, check, etc) into an Excel Spreadsheet. This is how I double check that all my orders were processes through Square, etc.

I break out the sales tax by city, state, special district as it varies for some of my shows depending on which city I'm in at the event. I'm now starting to track the booth fee and the number of hours I was present at the event so I can have a better understanding of how much money I'm actually making. Sometimes the higher profit shows are NOT the ones where I had the most sales.

[GoTo]

We have written checks to pay for the booth at shows, the check is our proof.

I too use the little receipt books with carbon copies from the office store to write receipts at shows--one copy for them, one for me.

[Former_Member]

I make photocopies of any checks I receive, and document all cash received. Square takes care of the rest. I keep cancel checks for table fees as receipts.

[CarolBradley]

Joanne Scarbeary from SageNThymeDesigns says

. . . I have a sales receipt book with carbon copies that I use- only a couple bucks from Office Depot, etc. After the show I usually go back and type all the sales and the means of purchase (credit cards, check, etc) into an Excel Spreadsheet. This is how I double check that all my orders were processes through Square, etc.

I break out the sales tax by city, state, special district as it varies for some of my shows depending on which city I'm in at the event. I'm now starting to track the booth fee and the number of hours I was present at the event so I can have a better understanding of how much money I'm actually making. Sometimes the higher profit shows are NOT the ones where I had the most sales.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's exactly what I do.

If I pay cash for the booth, I have an email that shows I was accepted to the event and the event's price. I print out the email(s) and write on it that I paid cash and use that for my payment receipt. I'll have sales receipts for that day showing I made sales, so all of that should be sufficient.

If I pay by check, I make a copy of the check for my records before I mail it.

I especially like paying booth fees with PayPal. I have a record in my email and one in PayPal. :)