Indoor entertainment

Books and taxes for axe throwing venues.

Lane reservations, league nights, a bar in the corner, and targets that need replacing every few weeks. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
NovemberExample month
$8,400
what you made

November came in at $8,400. The holiday party bookings picked up, and I kept that private-event income apart from walk-in lane sales.

  • Eventbrite payoutLane bookings
  • Corporate party depositPrivate events
  • Lumber yard orderTarget boards
  • Beverage distributorBar and drinks
  • Coach payrollWages
Money in$31,200
Money out$22,800
Set aside for taxes$1,900
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Axe throwing books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees ticket sales and a bar tab. Your business is timed lanes, coaches who keep people safe, boards that get destroyed on purpose, and a bar that has its own rules. When the books do not know that, pricing and safety costs both get guessed at.

  1. 1

    Target boards get lost in general supplies

    Plywood target boards take a beating and get swapped out constantly, sometimes weekly on busy lanes. Buried in a general supplies line, an owner cannot see the real, recurring cost of keeping every lane safe and playable.

    What we doKeeps target board replacement in its own category so the true cost per lane is visible, not hidden in a catchall line.
  2. 2

    Bar sales and lane fees run through one number

    A venue selling beer alongside throwing time often rings both through one till, so nobody can tell whether the bar carries the room or the lanes do, which makes it hard to know what to expand.

    What we doKeeps lane bookings and bar and drink sales in separate categories so each side of the business shows its own number.
  3. 3

    Coaches paid per session look like flat wages

    A coach who runs four sessions on a Friday night and one on a slow Tuesday earns differently, but lumped into one payroll number you cannot see labor cost against how many lanes were actually booked.

    What we doKeeps coaching wages tied to the month earned so labor cost against bookings is a real number.
  4. 4

    League fees and walk-in throwing blur together

    A recurring axe league that pays weekly is steadier money than walk-in lane bookings, and if both land in one line you lose track of which one is actually growing your base.

    What we doKeeps league revenue apart from walk-in bookings so you can see which one is building your regular customer base.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an axe throwing venue.

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

  • Lane bookingsWalk-in and reserved lane time sold through Eventbrite or a similar booking app.
  • Private eventsCorporate parties and full-venue buyouts.
  • League feesRecurring weekly or monthly league sign-ups.
  • Bar and drink salesBeer, wine, and cocktails, kept apart from lane fees.
  • Gift card salesSold in store and online, tracked separately from redeemed sessions.

Money out

  • Target boardsPlywood and lumber for lane target replacement.
  • Axes and equipmentThrowing axes, safety gear, and lane hardware.
  • Bar and drinksBeer, liquor, and mixers from a licensed distributor.
  • WagesCoaches, bartenders, and front desk staff.
  • Liquor license and insuranceLicensing and liability coverage for alcohol service and lane injuries.
  • Booking softwareEventbrite or a similar reservation system.
  • MarketingLocal ads, Groupon fees, and social media promotion.

What we watch for you

  • Board replacement cost

    What target boards cost each month against lane bookings, so pricing keeps up with wear.

  • Bar share

    Drink sales against lane fees, so you know which side of the room is really growing.

  • League growth

    Recurring league revenue month over month, since it is your steadiest money.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things axe throwing 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.

We go through so much plywood, is that even worth tracking separately?

Yes. It is one of your biggest real costs and it is easy to lose in a general supplies line. I keep it on its own so you can see it clearly.

The bar did great this month but I can't tell if lanes did.

I keep drink sales and lane bookings apart for exactly that reason. This month the bar carried it, lanes were flat.

Do I owe anything on the coach we bring in just for league nights?

If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running so it is ready.

The tax side

The tax side of an axe throwing venue.

Most of what goes wrong here is mixing bar money with lane money, and missing that a big equipment order should be depreciated, not written off as a one-time supply cost.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Lane and bar equipmentTarget systems, lane dividers, and bar equipment can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 covers most buildout purchases.
  • Contractor 1099sA part-time coach, bartender, or DJ who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Employee or contractorA coach who works your posted schedule and follows your safety rules is usually an employee, even if only working weekend shifts.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions axe throwing venues miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Plywood and target boards
  • Replacement axes and blades
  • Liquor liability insurance
  • Booking software fees
  • Groupon and daily deal fees
  • Safety gear and eye protection
  • Lane dividers and netting
  • Bar tools and glassware
  • Card processing fees
  • Coach certifications
  • Signage and lane numbering

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 axe throwing year, kept every month.

League nights run steady all year, but private parties and holiday bookings swing hard. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and of taxes on their own schedule. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for coaches and bartenders is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer private events changed the number.

  4. October

    Before the holiday rush

    Corporate holiday parties start booking hard. Gus looks at target board stock and any equipment worth buying before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

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 axe throwing venues. 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 axe throwing owners ask first.

Can Gus keep bar sales separate from lane bookings?

Yes. He keeps drink sales and lane fees in their own categories, so you can see which side of the venue is actually driving a strong or weak month.

Does Gus handle our liquor license and alcohol taxes?

No. That filing stays with you or your accountant. What Gus does is keep every dollar spent on liquor and every dollar collected at the bar clearly booked, and he speaks up if a renewal date is coming up in what he sees.

We run league nights that pay weekly. How does that get booked?

League fees get their own category apart from walk-in lane bookings, since they are steadier, recurring money and worth tracking on their own.

Do I write off a full lane rebuild at once?

Often you can. Equipment and buildout purchases can usually be deducted in the year you buy them, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.

My books have never been organized. Is that a problem?

No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people know where they stand inside 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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We keep books for the business next door too.

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