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Catering Services Accounting Software | HelloBooks.ai Accounting software for caterers: Event WIP costed per event, refundable deposit liability, and cancellation provision tracked as separate lines.

HelloBooks.ai is accounting software for catering companies costing each event individually — not a generic services ledger asked to guess at per-event margin after the fact. HelloBooks tracks Event WIP, Refundable Deposit Liability and Cancellation Provision on separate lines, so cost per event and client deposits stay visible, whether you operate as a sole proprietor, a private limited company or a partnership.

Job costing gets the attention a caterer's biggest operational reality deserves. Crew cost and equipment rental accumulate against each event individually as Event WIP, using specific-identification costing, until the event happens — so cost per event stays visible instead of getting blended across every booking in a period.

Deposits and cancellations are where a generic ledger falls short for this industry. Catering bookings typically involve a deposit, held until the event and owed back if the client cancels. HelloBooks tracks Refundable Deposit Liability as its own account, alongside Cancellation Provision, so what's owed stays visible instead of getting mixed into general payables.

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Catering services accounting software for event WIP, refundable deposit liability, and cancellation provision tracking

Catering Services · Event WIP · Deposits

Catering BookkeepingBuilt for job costing per event, not just monthly totals.

See Event WIP, Refundable Deposit Liability and Cancellation Provision on separate lines, costed per event, instead of one blended catering ledger.

  • Event WIP tracked per event, using specific-identification costing.
  • Refundable Deposit Liability and Cancellation Provision tracked as their own liabilities.
  • Event Margin%, Booking Rate and Repeat Client% tracked alongside Event WIP.

Live-style mockup · event WIP & cost per event

Group 2 — Event WIP

Every event costed on its own, not blended into the month.

Event WIP is HelloBooks' core job-costing account for a caterer — crew cost and equipment rental accumulate against each event individually, using specific-identification costing, and revenue is recognized at the point the event happens.

  • Cost accrued per event, tracked from booking through the event date.
  • Crew cost and equipment rental posted against the specific event they belong to.
  • Kept separate from Refundable Deposit Liability and Cancellation Provision.
Group 3 — Deposits & Cancellations

What you're holding for a client, tracked as its own liability.

Catering bookings typically involve a deposit, held until the event and owed back if the client cancels. HelloBooks tracks Refundable Deposit Liability as its own account, alongside Cancellation Provision, so what's owed stays visible instead of getting mixed into general payables.

  • Refundable Deposit Liability tracked per event, against the booking it belongs to.
  • Cancellation Provision tracked as its own liability, separate from deposits held.
  • Kept separate from Event WIP, so job cost doesn't get mixed with client deposits.

Catering Services — Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to how HelloBooks fits into your catering business.

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