Water recreation & marinas

Books and taxes for boat clubs.

Monthly membership dues, an initiation fee paid once, a shared fleet that gets reserved by dozens of members, and dock staff who prep every boat before a trip. 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
MayExample month
$18,800
what you made

May made $18,800. Six new members joined this month, so I kept their initiation fees separate from monthly dues since it's a one-time payment, not recurring income.

  • Member dues, ACH batchMonthly membership dues
  • New member initiation feesInitiation fees
  • Dock attendant payrollDock staff wages
  • Fleet boat detailing serviceFleet cleaning and prep
  • Marina slip rent, club fleetFleet dockage
Money in$58,200
Money out$39,400
Set aside for taxes$4,300
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A boat club's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. A boat club runs on recurring dues, not per-trip fares, plus a one-time initiation fee, a fleet shared across dozens of members, and dock staff who prep and check in every boat. When the books do not know that, real membership economics stay hidden.

  1. 1

    Initiation fees get counted the same as monthly dues

    A one-time initiation fee paid when a member joins is a different kind of income from the recurring monthly dues that follow, and mixed together, nobody can see how much of a given month's revenue is new members versus the steady base.

    What we doKeeps initiation fees separate from monthly dues, so new member growth and recurring revenue are both visible on their own.
  2. 2

    Annual memberships paid up front look like a huge month

    A member who pays a full year of dues at once has not paid for eleven months of access that have not happened yet, and booked all at once, that month looks inflated while the months it actually covers look thinner than they were.

    What we doSpreads annual membership payments across the months they actually cover, so each month's number reflects the access really provided.
  3. 3

    The fleet's shared use makes upkeep costs look erratic

    A club fleet gets used by many different members with different habits, so cleaning, fuel, and repair costs can swing more than a single-owner boat's would, and that swing can look like a maintenance problem instead of normal shared use.

    What we doTracks fleet cleaning, fuel, and repair against member usage patterns where possible, so a busy month of upkeep reads as expected.
  4. 4

    Dock staff pay gets buried in general payroll

    Dock attendants who prep boats, check members in and out, and handle reservations are a distinct cost from any instructors or service staff, and lumped together, nobody can see what running the fleet's daily operations actually costs.

    What we doKeeps dock staff wages in their own line, separate from any other payroll, so daily fleet operations costs are visible.
  5. 5

    A no-show or late cancellation fee disappears into dues income

    Fees charged for a missed reservation or a late return are a small but real source of income, and if they land in the same line as monthly dues, nobody can see how often they happen or whether the policy is working.

    What we doKeeps no-show and late fee income in its own line, so the policy's effect is visible on its own.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a boat club.

Set up once for how membership gets paid and what the fleet costs to run. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Monthly membership duesRecurring dues billed to members, whether monthly or spread from an annual payment.
  • Initiation feesOne-time fees paid when a new member joins.
  • No-show and late feesFees charged for missed reservations or late returns.
  • Add-on servicesCaptained trips, guest passes, and upgrade tier fees.

Money out

  • Dock staff wagesPay for attendants who check members in and prep boats.
  • Fleet dockageMarina slip rent for the shared fleet.
  • Fleet cleaning and prepDetailing and turnaround between member reservations.
  • Fleet fuelFuel used across the shared fleet, tracked as one pool.
  • Boat maintenanceEngine, hull, and electronics repair for club boats.
  • Marine insuranceLiability and hull coverage for a fleet used by many members.

What we watch for you

  • New member share

    How much of the month's income is initiation fees from new members versus the recurring base of dues.

  • Member retention

    How dues income holds steady month to month, since a shrinking base is easier to catch early than late.

  • Fleet cost per boat

    Fuel, cleaning, and repair against each boat in the fleet, since shared use wears differently than single ownership.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things boat club 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 had six new members join this month. How does that show up differently from our regular dues?

Their initiation fees are kept in their own line, separate from monthly dues, so you can see new member growth apart from the steady recurring base.

A member paid a full year up front. Why doesn't that show as one huge month?

I am spreading that payment across the twelve months it actually covers, so it reads as steady dues rather than one spike followed by nothing.

Is our no-show fee policy actually working?

It brought in $340 this month from four late returns. I keep that separate from dues so you can watch whether the fee is doing its job.

The tax side

The tax side of running a boat club.

Most of what goes wrong here is timing on membership payments and labels on fleet costs. Getting the categories right most of the year makes the return simpler.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Recognizing membership revenueDues and prepaid annual memberships are earned over the months of access provided, not necessarily the day the payment clears. Keeping that timing straight matters for an honest monthly number.
  • Fleet depreciationBoats bought for the club fleet can usually be written off over time or, often, largely in the year they are bought under bonus depreciation and Section 179, up to current limits. The accountant decides which approach fits the year.
  • Dock staff worker classificationDock attendants who work your schedule with your equipment are usually employees, not contractors, even if hours vary with the season.
  • The pass-through deductionMost club owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when dues, initiation fees, and fleet costs are tracked correctly all year.

Deductions boat clubs miss

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

  • Fleet cleaning and detailing
  • Marina slip rent
  • Boat maintenance and repair
  • Marine insurance
  • Dock staff uniforms
  • Reservation software fees
  • Fuel for the shared fleet
  • Life jackets and safety gear
  • Member welcome materials
  • Signage and dock branding
  • Marketing and referral programs
  • Continuing education for staff

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 boat club's year, kept every month.

Dues come in steadily, but new memberships and fleet usage both swing with the season. 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so tax time is already handled before spring membership sign-ups pick up.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, ahead of the season's busiest membership growth.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether membership growth and fleet costs are on pace for the year.

  4. October

    Before the fleet slows down

    Before fleet usage drops for the season, Gus looks at fleet purchases and moves worth making 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 boat clubs. 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 boat club owners ask first.

How does Gus handle a member who pays for a full year up front?

He spreads it across the twelve months of access it actually covers instead of counting it all the day it clears, so the books show steady dues rather than one big spike.

Can Gus separate initiation fees from our regular monthly dues?

Yes. New member initiation fees stay in their own line, so you can watch member growth separately from the recurring dues that keep the club running.

Our fleet gets used by dozens of members. Can Gus track what each boat costs to keep up?

He keeps fuel, cleaning, and repair costs visible against the fleet as a whole. Tracking cost boat by boat in detail is a bigger project than the monthly bookkeeping covers, but ask and he will tell you what is realistic.

Our books from last year are behind. Can we still start now?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.

Do our dock attendants count as employees?

Usually yes, if they work your schedule with your equipment. Gus keeps their wages in a clean line so the accountant can confirm the setup is handled right.

Do you manage our membership agreements or reservation system?

No. Membership contracts and the reservation software itself are outside the subscription. Gus tracks the money that moves through them, not the systems.

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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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