Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for adult and ballroom dance studios.
Private lesson packages sold in big blocks, group class dues, instructors paid a split of what they teach, and a showcase that charges admission. Gus sorts all of it, and an accountant checks every transaction.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
April came in at $8,500. A student bought a 20-lesson private package this month, and I'm only counting the lessons she's taken so far, not the whole package at once.
- Private lesson package paymentPrivate packages
- Group class duesGroup class
- Instructor commission payoutInstructor pay
- Studio rent paymentRent
- Showcase venue depositShowcase costs
Why your books are different
A ballroom studio's books go wrong around private packages and splits.
A generalist sees lesson payments and a rent bill. Your studio sells private lesson packages worth thousands up front, pays instructors a split of what they teach, and runs a showcase that sells tickets to family and friends. When the books miss that, real income and future obligations get confused.
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1
A big private package counted all at once
A student who buys a 40-lesson package for $4,000 hands you money for months of lessons that haven't happened yet. Counted the day it's paid, that month looks huge and the months the lessons actually happen in look thin.
What we doCounts private package income as lessons are actually taken, not the day the package is bought, so each month reflects real lessons taught. -
2
Instructor splits hide inside a single payroll number
An instructor who keeps 50 percent of every private lesson she teaches looks like a flat wage on the bank feed, which hides what the studio actually nets from private instruction after her cut.
What we doKeeps instructor splits apart from any base pay so you can see what the studio keeps against what instructors earn. -
3
Showcase ticket sales and costs get mixed with regular income
An annual showcase sells tickets to students' families and charges venue and costume costs that are specific to that one event, and blended into regular income and expenses, you can't tell if the showcase covers itself.
What we doKeeps showcase ticket income and venue or costume costs in their own lines so you can see whether the event pays for itself. -
4
Group class dues and private packages get counted the same way
Group class is steady, recurring dues, while private packages are big, irregular purchases, and mixing the two together makes it hard to tell how much of the studio's income is dependable.
What we doKeeps group dues and private packages in separate lines so you can see how much of the month is steady versus one-time.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a ballroom dance studio.
Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Private lesson packagesBlocks of lessons sold up front, counted as they're taken.
- Group class duesRecurring monthly fees for group lesson series.
- Showcase ticket salesAdmission sold for the annual student showcase.
- RetailDance shoes and practicewear sold at the studio.
Money out
- Instructor paySplits and base pay, kept apart so real cost stays visible.
- Rent and utilitiesThe studio space and the flooring it depends on.
- Showcase costsVenue rental, costumes, and staging for the annual event.
- SoftwareScheduling and payment tools for lessons and packages.
- InsuranceGeneral liability and professional liability for instructors.
- MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new students.
What we watch for you
- Lessons used vs sold
How much of what students paid for has actually been delivered, so income tracks real lessons taught.
- Instructor pay share
Splits against total revenue, so you see what the studio nets after instructor cuts.
- Showcase margin
Whether ticket sales cover the venue and costume costs for the annual event.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things ballroom studio owners ask Gus.
Text him like you would text anybody. He answers in plain English, and when a question is above his pay grade, an accountant looks and gets back to you.
Because I only count lessons as they're taken, not the day the package is paid for. As she trains through it, you'll see it show up month by month, which is closer to the truth.
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. I keep splits apart from any base pay so you can see what the studio nets after their cut.
Close to it. Tickets brought in $2,200 and the venue and costumes ran $1,900, so it came out a bit ahead. I track both sides so you always know.
The tax side
The tax side of running a ballroom dance studio.
Most of what trips up a ballroom studio is timing. Packages counted too early, instructor splits tangled with wages, and a showcase treated like regular income.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Instructor or employeeAn instructor who works your schedule in your studio usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, no matter what the pay arrangement is called. Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Contractor 1099sA guest choreographer or judge for the showcase not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
- Sales tax on showcase ticketsAdmission sold for a showcase can be subject to state or local sales tax depending on where the studio operates, and the rule varies by state. Gus keeps it separate so that number is easy to find.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when private packages, group dues, and the showcase are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions adult and ballroom dance studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Studio flooring and mirrors
- Scheduling and payment software
- Liability insurance
- Instructor certifications
- Showcase venue rental
- Costume and staging costs
- Business phone and booking line
- Cleaning service
- Marketing and referral incentives
- Website and booking widget
General information about 2026 federal rules, not advice for your business. Your accountant looks at your actual numbers before anything gets filed.
All year, not just April
A ballroom studio's year, kept every month.
The showcase comes once a year. Your taxes come on their own schedule. Your team keeps you ahead of both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so private lesson sales don't turn into an April surprise.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you'll owe, and whether this year's showcase came in ahead or behind.
- October
Before year-end
Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at flooring or equipment worth replacing before December.
What you get
What you pay depends on what your business needs, and it does not move after that, busy season or slow. No hourly bills, no surprise invoices, no setup fee.
Book a call- Monthly bookkeeping
Every transaction sorted into categories set up for adult and ballroom dance studios. You never categorize a thing.
- An accountant checks every transaction
Real review, every month, before your books close. Not a spot check.
- Your business tax return, filed
Prepared, reviewed, and signed by that same accountant every year.
- The monthly number
What you made, what you spent, what to set aside for taxes.
- Your own bookkeeper
A real person assigned to your business, in the app whenever you need them. No hold music.
- On your books all year
Every month, not just in April. Your team speaks up whenever something is worth your attention.
- Cancel any time
No contract. No cancellation call. Your books are yours.
Straight answers
Questions ballroom studio owners ask first.
Can Gus track private packages as students actually use them?
Yes. Instead of counting a package as income the day it's sold, he tracks it as lessons are taken, so your monthly number reflects real lessons delivered, not just money collected.
My instructors are paid a split of what they teach. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Gus keeps splits apart from wages so you can see what the studio actually keeps after paying instructors.
Does our annual showcase need its own set of books?
Not separate books, just its own categories. Gus tracks ticket income and venue or costume costs apart from regular studio income, so you can see whether the event pays for itself.
Do I need to track group class dues differently from private packages?
Yes, since they behave differently. Group dues are steady and recurring, while packages are big and irregular, so keeping them separate shows you how much of the month is dependable income.
My books are behind from earlier this year. Is that a problem?
Not at all. Send the statements you have, and Gus will work backward through them. The accountant checks the result, and the studio's real numbers come together quickly.
Is a real accountant checking my books?
Yes. You get your own bookkeeper, Gus does the first pass on every transaction, and an accountant checks every one before your month closes. That same accountant prepares, signs, and files your business return. Goatkeeper is not a CPA firm, and we never pretend a person looked when they did not.
What does it cost, and can I cancel?
It starts at $197 a month, depending on what your business needs. No setup fee, no hourly bills, no contract. Cancel any time from the app, and your books go with you.
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What makes a bookkeeper worth paying for Every business we keep books for
Book a call
Pick a time. That's the whole signup.
Fifteen minutes with a real person on our team. They look at where your books are, tell you straight what it takes to get caught up, and get you set up on the spot if it fits.
- $197 a month to start
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever