Wellness & recovery services
Books and taxes for breathwork facilitators.
Retreat deposits taken months before the trip, virtual one-on-one sessions paid from anywhere, and a workshop fee split with a co-facilitator or venue. 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
September came in at $5,800. Four people put down deposits for the January retreat, and I kept those as owed, not September income, since the retreat hasn't happened yet.
- Retreat deposit, January tripRetreat deposits
- Zoom session, virtual clientVirtual sessions
- Workshop fee, co-led eventWorkshop income
- Co-facilitator splitFacilitator splits
- Retreat venue depositRetreat costs
Why your books are different
A breathwork practice runs on money that arrives long before the work does.
A retreat deposit collected in September for a trip in January is not September's income, and a workshop co-led with another facilitator means the fee never fully belongs to you in the first place. A generalist bookkeeper misses both, and the books stop matching reality.
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1
Retreat deposits are owed work, not income yet
A client pays a $500 deposit for a retreat four months out, and if that money is booked as income the day it lands, the months leading up to the retreat look inflated while the retreat itself, where the actual cost happens, looks like a loss.
What we doKeeps retreat deposits as money owed until the retreat happens, then counts the full amount as income at that point. -
2
A co-facilitated workshop fee is not entirely yours
A workshop fee collected from participants often gets split with a co-facilitator or a venue taking a cut, and if the whole amount is booked as your income before the split happens, your actual earnings look larger than they are.
What we doBooks the full fee as income and the split paid out as its own cost, so your real take is accurate. -
3
Retreat costs land in a different month than the deposits that funded them
Venue deposits and travel arrangements for a retreat often get paid months before the guests arrive, so a single retreat can show a loss in the planning month and a big gain in the month it runs.
What we doTracks retreat costs against the deposits and final payments tied to that same retreat, so the full picture is clear even when the money moves at different times. -
4
Virtual sessions paid from anywhere still need one home
Clients joining from different countries pay through different apps and sometimes different currencies, and without pulling it all together, virtual income is easy to undercount.
What we doPulls virtual session income from every payment method into one place, so nothing gets missed regardless of how or where it was paid.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a breathwork practice.
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
- Retreat depositsPrepayments for future retreats, tracked as owed until the retreat runs.
- Virtual sessionsOne-on-one sessions held over video, paid from anywhere.
- Workshop incomeGroup workshop fees, including those co-led with others.
- In-person sessionsLocal one-on-one or small group sessions.
Money out
- Facilitator splitsPayments to co-facilitators for shared events.
- Retreat costsVenue deposits, lodging, and food for retreat guests.
- TravelFlights and transportation for leading retreats and workshops.
- Certification and trainingFacilitator training and continuing education.
- Marketing and lead feesSocial ads and website costs for filling retreats.
What we watch for you
- Retreat deposit balance
How much is owed on upcoming retreats, so cash on hand is not mistaken for income already earned.
- Profit per retreat
Deposits and final payments against venue and travel cost, tracked by trip, so each retreat's real return is clear.
- Virtual versus in-person mix
How much of your income comes from each, so travel and time get planned around what pays.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things breathwork facilitators 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.
I am holding those as owed, not income yet. They will count in January when the retreat actually happens, so this month is not overstated.
I booked the full fee as income and their split as a cost, so what you actually kept is accurate, not just the total that came in.
Usually, yes, since the trip is for the business. I keep travel costs tied to the retreat they belong to, and the accountant confirms what qualifies.
The tax side
The tax side of a breathwork practice.
Most of what trips up a facilitator is timing: deposits counted too early, retreat costs paid months before the income they fund arrives.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Self-employment taxWorking for yourself means paying both halves of Social Security and Medicare, 15.3 percent total, on top of income tax. The set-aside is built to cover it.
- Business travel deductionsFlights, lodging, and transportation for leading a retreat or workshop are usually deductible business costs when the trip is for the business.
- Quarterly estimated paymentsWith no employer withholding anything, most independent facilitators pay estimated tax four times a year, on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
- The pass-through deductionMost solo practitioners 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 breathwork facilitators miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Retreat venue deposits
- Facilitator training and certification
- Travel and lodging for retreats
- Co-facilitator splits
- Marketing and website costs
- Video and audio equipment for virtual sessions
- Liability insurance
- Retreat food and supplies
- Booking and payment app fees
- Continuing education workshops
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 breathwork practice's year, kept every month.
Retreats cluster around certain seasons while virtual sessions run steadier. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax calendar through 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, retreat deposits from the fall get counted as they run, and a monthly set-aside gets planned.
- 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 will owe, and whether summer retreats or workshops shifted the number.
- October
Before the year closes
Gus looks at whether new recording or session equipment is worth buying before December while retreat planning for next year ramps up.
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 breathwork facilitators. 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 breathwork facilitators ask first.
How does Gus handle retreat deposits collected months in advance?
He tracks them as money owed until the retreat happens, then counts the full amount as income at that point, so the months leading up to a retreat are not overstated.
I co-lead workshops and split the fee. Does that complicate things?
No. Gus books the full fee as income and the split paid out as its own cost, so your actual take is accurate without any extra work from you.
My clients pay from all over the world through different apps. Can Gus keep track?
Yes. Gus pulls virtual session income from every payment method you use into one place, so nothing gets missed regardless of how it arrived.
Can I deduct the cost of running a retreat before I know if it will be profitable?
Yes, retreat costs are deductible business expenses when they happen, tracked against that retreat's income even if the money moved in different months.
My income is really uneven with retreats clustered a few times a year. Is that a problem?
No. Gus tracks retreats by trip and virtual sessions separately, so an uneven month reads as timing, not trouble, and your set-aside still keeps pace.
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