Books for a City of Big Days
An Arlington restaurant can take a week's revenue on a single game day, a security firm may hire hundreds of people for a concert, and a supplier to the GM plant may ship every few hours. Each needs books that keep up with these peaks and stay ready for tax filings. BOMCAS keeps monthly books for Arlington businesses remotely, reconciling every account and closing each month with reports owners can use.
The usual monthly routine is described on our Texas bookkeeping page, and this page adds Arlington's event and supplier records.
Event Revenue and Deposits
Catering, staging, security and merchandise companies often receive deposits months before an event and final payments after it. Deposits are recorded as liabilities until the event takes place, and costs are tracked by event so owners can see which jobs made money. Tickets, parking and merchandise sold through third-party platforms arrive net of fees, so we record gross sales and fees separately for sales tax.
Supplier Inventory and Customer Adjustments
Automotive suppliers carry raw materials, work in progress and finished parts. Their books need accurate inventory counts, standard costs that are updated when material prices change, and records of customer-owned tooling. Price adjustments, quality chargebacks and retroactive price changes should be booked when known so margins are accurate. We reconcile inventory to physical counts and customer statements monthly.
Hotels
Hotels need daily reconciliation of room revenue, taxes and deposits, with city, venue, state and improvement district amounts tracked separately. Management fees, franchise fees and reserves for furniture and equipment are recorded each month, and renovations are tracked by project for cost segregation.
Restaurants and Bars
Restaurant and bar books match point-of-sale reports to deposits and card processor statements, separate tips and service charges, and record alcohol sales for mixed beverage tax. Inventory and food cost reports help with planning around the event calendar.
Research Firms
Engineering and technology companies near UTA need research costs tracked by project and by type: wages, supplies, contractors and computing. These records support the research deduction, the federal research credit and any grant reporting. We set up project codes and time tracking at the start.
Contractors
Arlington has steady construction for new subdivisions in the south of the city, the entertainment district and industrial buildings near the GM plant. Contractors need job costing and records that separate new construction from repair and remodeling for sales tax.
Property Renditions
Businesses file business personal property renditions with the Tarrant Appraisal District by April 15. A current fixed asset register and inventory records make this straightforward. Suppliers shipping parts out of Texas within 175 days may qualify for the freeport exemption.
Event Staffing
Businesses that bring in temporary workers for events need to track who is an employee and who is a contractor, and how much each was paid. Contractors receiving $600 or more in a year need Form 1099-NEC, with the threshold rising to $2,000 for payments starting in 2026. We collect W-9s before the first payment.
Parking Operators
Lots and garages that open on event days collect cash, card and app payments in a few hours. Each event should be reconciled to the lot count, the app operator's settlement and bank deposits, with sales tax and, at Globe Life Field, the city parking tax tracked separately. Clear records protect operators in an audit, where differences between cars counted and revenue reported draw attention.
Each Month
- Reconcile bank, card and platform accounts.
- Record deposits and event costs.
- Update inventory and customer adjustments.
- Track hotel and sales tax collections.
- Prepare monthly reports.
Arlington Bookkeeping Questions
How should event deposits be recorded?
As liabilities until the event, then as revenue, with costs tracked by event.
Why track customer-owned tooling?
It affects inventory, depreciation and property tax, and must be kept separate from the supplier's own assets.
Do you record ticket platform fees separately?
Yes. Gross sales and fees are recorded separately so sales tax is reported correctly.
When are property renditions due in Arlington?
By April 15 to the Tarrant Appraisal District.
Talk to BOMCAS About Bookkeeping in Arlington
Monthly books support sales and venue tax, payroll, business returns and owners' personal returns, and give planning real numbers. Catch-up work is under back taxes and foreign affiliates under cross-border tax. Statewide detail is on our Texas pages on company returns, household returns, sales and use tax, payroll and TWC, tax planning, late filings and cross-border matters, with a summary in the Texas overview.
Send BOMCAS a short note about your Arlington business or household and we will reply with what we would look at first and what we need for a quote. Use the contact page or the form below, call 780-667-5250 or email info@bomcas.ca. All Arlington services are listed on the Arlington overview. This page is general information, not advice for your situation.