The Black Book

How Our CPA Firm Works With Tattoo Artists and Tattoo Shop Owners

Three levels of support. One goal: clearer numbers, fewer tax surprises, and better owner decisions.

Every engagement starts with understanding where your business is now, where the numbers are unclear, and what needs to be fixed first. From there, we recommend the right level of support inside The Black Book.

The Black Book

Three Levels of Support.
One Goal: Better Financial Decisions.

The Black Book is not one-size-fits-all. The right level of support depends on whether you are an established solo artist, an owner-operated shop, or a scaling studio building a larger business.

Every engagement starts with the same foundation: clean books, proactive tax planning, clear reporting, and better financial decisions.

Foundation

Financial Clarity

Who It's For

Solo artists, booth renters, and independent tattooers who want clean books, clear reports, and a better understanding of what they actually keep. There is no annual income minimum to ask about fit.

The Outcome

You will know your real monthly profit, what to set aside for taxes, what you can safely pay yourself, and whether your current business structure needs attention.

What's Included
  • Monthly bookkeeping
  • Monthly financial snapshot
  • Tax set-aside guidance
  • Deduction tracking system
  • Annual tax planning review
  • Entity / S-Corp readiness review
  • Cleanup plan if prior books are messy
See If We're a Fit
Shop-owner focus

Growth

Studio Control

Who It's For

Shop owners managing artists, booth rent, or payroll who want to understand shop profitability and owner pay. Scope depends on the business model and records, not a revenue cutoff.

The Outcome

You will know whether the shop is actually profitable, where money is leaking, how to pay yourself and your team correctly, and what decisions may improve owner take-home pay.

What's Included
  • Everything in Financial Clarity
  • Monthly advisory call
  • Sales tax support
  • Booth rent / artist payout review
  • Payroll and contractor structure guidance
  • S-Corp and entity analysis
  • Shop profitability dashboard
  • Quarterly tax planning
See If We're a Fit

Scale

Financial Leadership

Who It's For

Scaling shops and multi-location studios that need higher-level financial strategy, reporting, and support for decisions about hiring, expansion, or owner pay.

The Outcome

You will have the numbers, reporting, and financial strategy to hire, expand, open another location, or step back from tattooing with confidence.

What's Included
  • Everything in Studio Control
  • Custom KPI dashboard
  • Cash-flow forecasting
  • Expansion and hiring analysis
  • Multi-location reporting
  • Owner compensation planning
  • Strategic quarterly planning
  • Coordination with payroll, attorney, lender, or wealth advisor
See If We're a Fit
No long-term contracts. Month-to-month after onboarding.

Pricing is discussed during your discovery call and tailored to your business.We recommend the right level based on your situation. No pressure, no surprises.

What You Get

Included With Every New Client Engagement

Every client of The Black Book receives these deliverables as part of onboarding, regardless of tier.

Tattoo Business Deduction Map

A customized checklist of deductions relevant to your setup: booth rent, machines, ink, supplies, guest spots, conventions, travel, education, insurance, marketing, and software.

Entity & S-Corp Readiness Review

We review whether your current setup is helping or hurting you, and whether an S-Corp actually makes sense based on your income, payroll, and goals.

Quarterly Tax Set-Aside System

A simple system so tax money is separated before it gets spent. No more scrambling in April.

Owner Pay Plan

Guidance on what you can safely pay yourself based on profit, taxes, and cash needs.

Bookkeeping Cleanup Roadmap

If your books are messy, we show what needs to be fixed before ongoing advisory can work.

Shop Profit Dashboard

For owners: a dashboard showing revenue, artist payouts, rent, payroll, supplies, overhead, tax set-asides, and owner profit.

Our Promise to You

The No-Surprise Numbers Promise

We cannot promise a specific refund, tax savings amount, or business outcome. No serious CPA should. What we can promise is a better process.

Clear Books Promise

Once we have the access and documents we need, we keep your books updated on an agreed monthly rhythm.

No April Ambush Promise

You will not be left guessing all year. We review taxes proactively so you know what to expect before tax season.

Plain-English Numbers Promise

You get reports and guidance you can actually understand, not a spreadsheet dump with no explanation.

Right-Fit Structure Promise

We only recommend an LLC, S-Corp, payroll setup, or tax strategy when the numbers and facts support it.

Month-to-Month After Onboarding

No long-term lock-in once setup is complete. We earn your business every month.

See If We're a Fit

Ready for clearer books and tax planning?

Start with a short fit inquiry, or explore the free 2026 Tax Field Guide for tips, income records, artist payouts and a practical year-end plan.

See If We're a FitGet the Free Tax Field Guide