Stay square with the IRS. Filing what's required, on time, every time. We handle your tax returns, quarterly payments, sales tax, 1099s, and payroll filings so you never get blindsided.
A few quick answers. No income minimum or obligation.
Tax compliance is the non-negotiable part. It's making sure everything that needs to be filed gets filed, on time, and correctly. Miss a deadline or file something wrong, and the IRS sends penalties. We make sure that never happens.
This is different from tax planning (which is about reducing what you owe). Compliance is about making sure you meet every obligation the government puts on your plate.
We prepare and file your federal and state tax returns. For solo artists, that's your Schedule C and personal return. For S-Corps, that's your business return (Form 1120-S) plus your personal return. For shops with employees, we handle the payroll tax returns too.
As a self-employed tattoo artist, the IRS expects you to pay taxes throughout the year, not just in April. We calculate the right amount for each quarter based on your actual income. When business is slow, your payments adjust. When it picks up, we adjust again. No more guessing.
The deadlines:
If you own a shop and pay independent contractors (booth renters, guest artists), you need to issue 1099-NEC forms by January 31 each year. We track all your artist payouts throughout the year so this is seamless, not a January scramble.
Sales tax rules for tattoo shops vary by state and sometimes by city. Some states tax the tattoo service itself. Others only tax retail products like aftercare, apparel, or jewelry. We determine your exact obligations, make sure your POS system collects the right amounts, and handle the ongoing filings.
If you have W-2 employees (front desk staff, shop manager, apprentices) or you're an S-Corp paying yourself a salary, there are payroll taxes to withhold, file, and pay. We handle all of it: federal withholding, state withholding, Social Security, Medicare, unemployment taxes, and all the quarterly and annual filings that come with them.
The IRS doesn't care that you were busy tattooing and forgot about a deadline. Penalties and interest add up fast. And some compliance mistakes, like misclassifying employees as contractors, can result in back taxes, fines, and serious legal headaches.
We've seen artists get hit with penalties simply because they didn't know quarterly payments were required. We've seen shop owners face audits because they didn't file 1099s for their booth renters. These are all preventable problems.
Compliance isn't exciting. But getting it wrong is expensive. We handle the government stuff so you can focus on your art and your clients.
Fit. Tell us whether you are an artist or shop owner, what you need help with, and the condition of your records.
Scope. We discuss which work belongs in bookkeeping, tax preparation, planning, or advisory and which items need separate review.
Fees and onboarding. If there is a fit, we discuss the records needed, proposed service scope, and pricing before a commitment. Cleanup and additional filings are evaluated separately.
Trinity Tattoo focuses on the bookkeeping, tax, and financial questions tattoo artists and shop owners face. Read our resources, explore the services, or send a brief inquiry to see whether the work you need is within our scope.
Work with us →Tell us what is happening in your business. We review each inquiry before discussing scope, pricing, or next steps.