Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for aerial silks and circus arts studios.
Class packs across silks, lyra, and trapeze, rigging that gets inspected on a schedule, and a showcase where students perform for family. Gus sorts all of it, and an accountant checks every transaction.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
June came in at $5,700. Your annual rigging inspection happened this month, and I kept it in its own safety category so it reads as the required cost it is, not a surprise repair.
- Momence pack paymentClass packs
- Showcase admission salesShowcase income
- Rigging inspection feeRigging safety
- Aerial instructor payrollInstructor pay
- Showcase venue and rigging rentalShowcase costs
Why your books are different
An aerial studio's books go wrong around rigging and shows.
A generalist sees class payments and a rent bill. Your studio has rigging that needs professional inspection on a set schedule, carries insurance costs higher than a typical gym, sells packs across several disciplines, and puts on a showcase students perform in. When the books miss that, the real cost of staying safe in the air gets lost.
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1
Rigging inspections look like a random repair bill
Professional rigging inspections and hardware replacement happen on a set safety schedule, not when something breaks, but without their own category they can look like an unplanned expense instead of the required cost they are.
What we doKeeps rigging safety costs in their own category so an inspection bill reads as the expected, required cost it is. -
2
Liability insurance costs get lumped in with general insurance
Insurance for a studio where students hang from silks and trapeze bars runs well above a typical fitness studio's policy, and buried in a general insurance line, that real cost of doing aerial work stays hidden.
What we doKeeps aerial-specific liability coverage in its own line so its real cost against class revenue stays visible. -
3
Class packs across disciplines get counted the day they're bought
A student who buys a silks and lyra combination pack hands you money for classes across two disciplines that haven't happened yet. Counted all at once, the week she buys it looks strong and the weeks she attends look thin.
What we doCounts pack income as classes are actually taken, not the day the pack is bought, so each month reflects real classes across every discipline. -
4
Showcase costs and ticket income blend into regular class income
A student showcase sells tickets to family and friends and costs venue rental, rigging setup, and staging, and blended into regular income and expenses, you can't tell whether the event pays for itself.
What we doKeeps showcase ticket income and venue or rigging setup costs in their own lines so you can see whether the event covers itself.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for an aerial arts 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
- Class packsSilks, lyra, and trapeze packs sold through Momence or Mindbody.
- Drop-insSingle classes for students trying a discipline.
- Showcase ticket salesAdmission sold for student showcase performances.
- Private lessonsOne-on-one coaching for students working toward advanced skills.
Money out
- Instructor payPer-class pay for instructors teaching each discipline.
- Rigging safetyProfessional inspections and hardware replacement, kept apart.
- Aerial liability insuranceCoverage specific to aerial work, kept apart from general insurance.
- Rent and utilitiesThe studio space and the ceiling height it needs.
- SoftwareMomence or Mindbody scheduling and payment fees.
- Showcase costsVenue rental and rigging setup for performances, kept apart.
- MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new students.
What we watch for you
- Classes used vs sold
How much of what students paid for has actually been taken, so income tracks real classes taught.
- Rigging safety spend
What's going toward required inspections each year, so it's expected, not a surprise.
- Showcase margin
Whether ticket sales cover the venue and rigging setup costs for the event.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things aerial 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.
Completely. I keep rigging safety in its own category, so an inspection reads as the required, expected cost it is, not a surprise repair bill.
Because I only count classes as they're taken, not the day the pack is bought. As she comes in for either discipline, you'll see it show up class by class.
If she's not on payroll and you pay her $2,000 or more this year, yes, by January 31. I keep that list running so it's ready.
The tax side
The tax side of running an aerial arts studio.
Most of what trips up an aerial studio is that safety and insurance costs run higher here, and they need their own visibility rather than blending into general expenses.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Rigging and studio equipmentRigging hardware, silks, and other studio equipment can usually be written off the year they're bought. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Instructor or employeeAn instructor who teaches your class schedule on your rigging 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 performer or specialist instructor not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when class packs, rigging costs, and showcase income are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions aerial silks and circus arts studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Rigging inspections and hardware
- Silks and apparatus replacement
- Aerial liability insurance
- Momence or Mindbody fees
- Instructor certifications
- Showcase venue rental
- Crash mats and safety gear
- Business phone and booking line
- Cleaning service
- Marketing and referral incentives
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
An aerial studio's year, kept every month.
Showcases and rigging checks come on their own schedule. Your taxes come on theirs. 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 the New Year's class-pack rush doesn'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 rigging or apparatus 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 aerial silks and circus arts 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 aerial studio owners ask first.
Is rigging inspection really worth its own budget line?
Yes. It's a required, recurring safety cost, and keeping it in its own category means an inspection bill reads as expected, not as an unplanned repair expense that throws off the month.
Can Gus track class packs across different disciplines?
Yes. Whether a pack covers silks, lyra, or trapeze, Gus counts the income as classes are actually taken, not the day the pack is bought, so each month reflects real classes across every discipline.
Does our showcase need its own set of books?
Not separate books, just its own categories. Gus tracks ticket income and venue or rigging setup costs apart from regular class income, so you can see whether the event covers itself.
Is our aerial insurance really different from a regular gym's?
Usually, yes, since coverage for aerial work costs more than a typical fitness policy. Gus keeps it in its own line so that real cost stays visible against your class revenue.
Our books are behind from when we first opened. Can Gus catch up?
No. Whatever you have on hand since opening is enough to start with. Gus sorts through the backlog, the accountant checks his work, and the studio's real picture comes together within a week.
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