Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for barre studios.
Class packs bought a session at a time, instructors paid per class, and a stack of light weights and resistance bands replaced every year. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
January came in at $8,400. New sign-ups drove most of it, and I split the new packs into the classes actually taken this month so the number reflects real attendance, not what's still unused.
- Mindbody class pack paymentClass packs
- Drop-in payment, cardDrop-ins
- Teaching staff payrollInstructor pay
- Weights and bands orderEquipment
- Studio space rentRent
Why your books are different
A barre studio's books go wrong in a small, repeating set of ways.
A generalist sees class payments and a rent bill. Your studio runs on class packs used over weeks, instructors paid per class they teach, and small equipment that wears out and gets replaced often. When the books miss that, the monthly number doesn't match what actually happened on the floor.
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1
A ten-class pack counted the day it's bought
A client who buys a ten-class pack for $250 hands you money for classes she hasn't taken yet. Counted all at once, the week she signs up looks strong and the weeks she actually attends look thin.
What we doCounts class-pack income as classes are actually taken, not the day the pack is bought, so each month reflects real classes attended. -
2
One payroll line covers every teacher on the schedule
When every instructor's per-class rate lands in the same wage line, a Tuesday morning class with six people costs the same on paper as a packed Saturday session, so there's no way to tell which time slots are actually worth staffing.
What we doTags per-class pay by instructor so cost can be weighed against how full each of her classes actually runs. -
3
Small weights and bands get treated as one-off supplies
Light weights, resistance bands, and sliders wear out and get replaced a few times a year, and each replacement order can look like a random expense instead of a normal, expected cost of running class.
What we doKeeps studio equipment in one steady category so a replacement order reads as the routine cost it is, not a surprise. -
4
New client intro offers skew the monthly number
A discounted first class or a two-week intro pack brings in less money per client than a regular pack, and when it's mixed in with full-price sales, it looks like prices dropped instead of new clients trying the studio.
What we doKeeps intro offers in their own line so you can see new client growth without it distorting regular pricing.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a barre 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 packsBlocks of classes sold up front through Mindbody or Momence.
- Drop-insSingle classes paid by walk-ins and visitors.
- Intro offersFirst-class or two-week trial pricing, kept apart from regular packs.
- RetailGrip socks, apparel, and water bottles sold at the desk.
Money out
- Instructor payPer-class pay, kept apart from any base wages.
- EquipmentWeights, bands, sliders, and barres, replaced as they wear out.
- Rent and utilitiesThe studio space and the power a full class schedule runs on.
- SoftwareMindbody or Momence scheduling and payment fees.
- InsuranceGeneral liability and professional liability for instructors.
- MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new clients.
What we watch for you
- Classes used vs sold
How much of what clients paid for has actually been taken, so income tracks real classes taught.
- Instructor pay share
Per-class pay against total revenue, so teaching cost stays visible.
- Intro offer conversions
How many trial clients become full-price members, not just how many tried a class.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things barre 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 classes as they're taken, not the day the pack is bought. As she comes in, you'll see it show up class by class, which is closer to the truth.
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. I keep per-class pay in its own line so you can see what teaching costs against how full classes are running.
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 a barre studio.
Most of what trips up a barre studio is timing. Class packs counted too early, instructor pay tangled with wages, and small equipment written off inconsistently.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Instructor or employeeAn instructor who teaches your class schedule with your equipment usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, no matter what the pay arrangement is called. Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Studio equipmentWeights, bands, sliders, and barres can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA substitute 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, instructor pay, and equipment are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions barre studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Weights, bands, and sliders
- Mindbody or Momence fees
- Liability insurance
- Instructor certifications
- Flooring and mirrors
- Grip socks for retail
- 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 barre studio's year, kept every month.
Class packs sell in bursts and thin out in between. Your taxes come on a fixed 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 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 intro offers this spring are converting to full-price packs.
- October
Before year-end
Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at 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 barre 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 barre studio owners ask first.
Does Gus wait until a class pack is actually used to count it?
Yes. A pack's value gets recognized class by class as it's redeemed, rather than in one lump the day someone buys it, so what you see each month is classes actually taught, not just cash that came in.
I run scheduling through Mindbody. Do I have to change anything?
No change required. Gus pulls straight from your bank statement and Mindbody payouts, and on the rare unclear deposit, he'll check with you once rather than guess.
My instructors are paid per class. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Gus keeps per-class pay in its own line so you can see teaching cost against how full classes are running.
Do intro offers mess up my monthly number?
Not if they're tracked separately, which Gus does by default. That way a wave of discounted first classes reads as new client growth, not a drop in regular pricing.
My books haven't been touched since we opened. Is that a problem?
No. Whatever statements you've got are a fine place to start. Gus sorts through the gap, the accountant checks his work, and most owners are caught up in about 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