2026 sales
Sales recorded by payout period with gross totals and payout notes for the fiscal year.
Handmade seller · Finance organizing
A finance workspace for Etsy and handmade sellers
Selling handmade means tracking two sides at once: the raw materials, packaging, and tools that go into each item, and the marketplace fees that come straight out of every sale before you ever see the payout. Add craft-fair booth fees and a pile of supplier receipts, and tax prep becomes a shoebox problem. Cash Workspace gives you one place to record sales by fiscal year, attach supplier receipts, and keep material cost of goods separate from the marketplace fees.
The problem
Why handmade-seller finances pile up
Income arrives as a marketplace payout that's already net of listing and transaction fees, while costs run from a roll of leather to a craft-fair booth. Without separating cost of goods from fees, the real picture of a year is buried.
- Payouts arrive net of listing, transaction, and processing fees, so the gross and the fees are never written down together.
- Raw materials and supplies are bought in bulk and never tied to the cost of goods sold.
- Packaging and shipping costs blur into everything else.
- Equipment like a cutting machine or printer gets mixed in with consumable supplies.
- Craft-fair booth fees and photography props go uncategorized.
- Supplier receipts pile up unattached, so there's no proof behind the material costs.
The workflow
Separate cost of goods from marketplace fees
Record sales for the year, capture every material and packaging receipt as cost of goods, and keep the marketplace fees in their own area so the two never blend.
- 1
Record sales by period
Record sales as invoice entries by fiscal year, with a payout note for the period they came from.
- 2
Capture material cost of goods
Record raw materials and supplies under cost-of-goods categories and attach the supplier receipt.
- 3
Log marketplace fees
Record listing, transaction, and processing fees as their own expense line, separate from materials.
- 4
Track packaging and shipping
Record boxes, mailers, labels, and postage so fulfillment costs are captured.
- 5
Categorize equipment
Record cutters, printers, and tools as equipment, apart from consumable supplies.
- 6
File by fiscal year
Group sales, cost of goods, and fees into fiscal-year folders so tax prep separates COGS from fees.
Record structure
What to record for sales and supply costs
Consistent fields keep cost of goods, fees, and payouts cleanly separated.
- Sale period
- The month or payout period the sales belong to, so they land in the right fiscal year.
- Gross sales
- The sales total before marketplace fees are taken out.
- Marketplace fees
- Listing, transaction, and processing fees recorded separately from materials.
- Payout note
- A note on which payout the period maps to, for reconciling later.
- Material cost
- The cost of raw materials and supplies, tagged as cost of goods.
- Packaging & shipping
- Boxes, mailers, labels, and postage for fulfillment.
- Supplier
- Who the materials came from, kept as a consistent vendor record.
- Supplier receipt
- The receipt attached so the material cost has proof behind it.
Example setup
An example folder setup for a handmade seller
One way to keep cost of goods and fees apart in your workspace.
Materials (cost of goods)
Raw-material and supply purchases tagged as cost of goods, each with the supplier receipt attached.
Marketplace fees
Listing, transaction, and processing fees kept separate from material costs.
Equipment & craft fairs
Cutters, printers, photography props, and craft-fair booth-fee receipts.
Common mistakes
Mistakes to avoid
- Recording only the net payout, so gross sales and marketplace fees are never separated.
- Buying materials in bulk without tagging them as cost of goods.
- Lumping a cutting machine in with consumable supplies.
- Forgetting craft-fair booth fees and photography props.
- Letting supplier receipts pile up unattached, so material costs have no backup.
How it helps
How Cash Workspace helps
Sales recorded by period
Record sales by fiscal year with payout notes so each period maps back to its marketplace payout.
Cost of goods kept separate
Tag material and supply costs as cost of goods, apart from marketplace fees.
Supplier receipts attached
Attach each supplier receipt to the material cost so there's proof behind every entry.
Fiscal-year folders
Group sales, COGS, and fees by year so tax prep separates the cost of goods from the fees.
Related
Related finance workflows for sellers
Etsy seller finance organizer
The companion organizer for handmade marketplace sellers.
Workspace for course creators
Digital-product income and tooling organizing.
Business receipt organizer
Keep supplier and packaging receipts attached and findable.
Tax-prep records
Get cost of goods and fees ready for tax season.
All finance workflows
Browse the full Cash Workspace workflow library.
FAQ
Etsy seller finance organizing FAQ
- Can I separate cost of goods from marketplace fees?
- Yes. You tag raw materials and supplies as cost of goods and record listing, transaction, and processing fees on their own line, so the two stay separate all year.
- How do I keep supplier receipts with the material costs?
- Attach the supplier receipt directly to the material cost record, so every cost of goods entry has its proof attached and findable.
- Does Cash Workspace import my Etsy sales?
- No. It does not connect to marketplaces or read payout files. You record sales by period yourself with a payout note, and the workspace keeps them organized.
Organizing help — not tax, accounting, or legal guidance
Cash Workspace is a free workspace for organizing invoices, expenses, receipts, clients, and documents. This page is organizing guidance only — not tax, accounting, legal, or bookkeeping guidance. Cash Workspace does not connect to your bank, does not scan or read your receipts for you, and does not move or collect payments. Whether an expense is deductible depends on your situation, so confirm it with a qualified accountant or tax professional.
Keep cost of goods and fees organized
Start a free workspace and record your sales, materials, and fees so cost of goods and marketplace fees are cleanly separated before tax season.