Pet services
Books and taxes for canine fitness and swim centers.
Single swim sessions, monthly fitness membership packs, treadmill and conditioning classes, and pool water treatment and heating costs. 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
June came in at $9,800. The pool heater needed a real repair this month, so I logged it against pool equipment, not general utilities.
- Mindbody payoutSwim sessions
- Monthly fitness packMembership packs
- Pool chemical supplier orderWater treatment
- Pool heater repairPool equipment
- Instructor payrollStaff wages
Why your books are different
Canine fitness and swim center books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees class fees and a utility bill. Your business is a pool that needs constant water treatment, a membership pack sold before it is used, and instructors running structured conditioning sessions. The books need to track all of it.
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1
Membership packs get counted the day they sell
A client buys a ten-swim pack in June, and if the whole amount counts as June income, July and August, when most of those swims actually happen, look weaker than they are.
What we doCounts swim credits as they are used, so the month you count as income matches the sessions you actually delivered. -
2
Water treatment costs get treated as a flat monthly bill
Pool chemicals, filtration, and heating costs actually swing with how much the pool is used and the season, but if they get averaged into one flat utility line, you cannot see what running the pool really costs in a busy month.
What we doTracks water treatment and pool utility costs on their own line, so you can see what the pool really costs to run each month. -
3
Pool equipment repairs get buried in supplies
A pool heater or filtration pump repair can run into real money, and if it gets lumped in with routine supplies, that one repair distorts the whole month's numbers.
What we doFlags pool equipment repairs and replacements separately, so a big repair does not wreck the picture of a normal month. -
4
Instructor-led classes and open swim sessions blur together
A structured conditioning class with an instructor costs more to run than an open swim session, but if both count as one general revenue line, you cannot tell which service actually covers its own cost.
What we doKeeps instructor-led classes separate from open swim sessions, so you can see what each one actually earns after staffing.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a canine fitness and swim business.
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
- Swim sessionsSingle open swim visits paid per session.
- Membership packsPrepaid swim or fitness bundles, counted as sessions are used.
- Instructor-led classesConditioning and rehab classes run with staff supervision.
- Retail and gear salesLife vests, towels, and treats sold at the front desk.
Money out
- Staff wagesInstructors and pool attendants paid through payroll.
- Water treatmentChemicals and filtration supplies for the pool.
- Pool equipmentHeaters, pumps, and lifts, kept apart from routine chemicals.
- Facility rent and utilitiesBuilding space, water, and electric beyond pool treatment.
- InsuranceLiability coverage for dogs swimming and exercising on site.
- Booking softwareMindbody or a similar class and membership scheduling tool.
What we watch for you
- Pack usage balance
Swim credits clients have paid for but not yet used, so you know what sessions are still owed.
- Pool cost per session
What water treatment and equipment upkeep cost against how many sessions run through the pool.
- Class versus open swim mix
How much of your revenue comes from staffed classes versus lower-cost open swim time.
- Labor share
Instructor wages against class revenue, to check pricing covers the staffing it takes.
Ask Gus
Things canine fitness and swim center 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.
Only the swims used so far. I count each session as it happens, so the pack does not make one month look stronger than the sessions actually delivered.
As pool equipment, kept apart from your regular chemical and filtration costs, so one repair does not distort what a normal month of pool upkeep looks like.
Bring the accountant into that one. Whether a contracted therapist is treated as a contractor or something closer to an employee depends on how the arrangement is structured.
The tax side
The tax side of a canine fitness and swim business.
Pool equipment and prepaid packs are the two places worth getting right for a business built around water and classes.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Pool and fitness equipmentHeaters, filtration systems, and conditioning equipment can often be written off in the year you buy them, with Section 179 expensing available up to $2,560,000.
- Membership pack income counted as usedA prepaid swim or fitness pack is not fully earned the day it sells. Gus tracks the balance so income reflects sessions actually delivered.
- Instructors and contracted staffInstructors running classes on your schedule with your equipment usually look like employees, not contractors, even if paid per class.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when pack income and pool costs are tracked accurately all year.
Deductions canine fitness and dog swimming pool businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Pool chemicals and water treatment
- Pool heaters and filtration equipment
- Life vests and safety gear
- Conditioning and treadmill equipment
- Liability insurance
- Facility rent and utilities
- Booking software subscription
- Instructor certifications
- Uniforms and towels
- Local advertising
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 canine fitness and swim center year, kept every month.
Warmer months bring in more swimmers, and cooler ones lean on indoor classes. Your taxes come on a schedule of their own. 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 a monthly set-aside is planned around your typical session mix.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Midyear check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer swim season changed the number.
- October
Before winter classes ramp up
Indoor conditioning classes usually pick up as outdoor exercise gets harder. Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 canine fitness and dog swimming pool businesses. 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 canine fitness and swim center owners ask first.
When does a prepaid swim pack actually count as income?
As the sessions get used, not the day the pack is purchased. That keeps a busy week of pack sales from making your books look stronger than the swims you have actually delivered.
Can I deduct a new pool heater or filtration system?
Usually yes, often in the year you buy it. Gus logs pool equipment separately from routine chemical costs so the accountant can decide how it gets written off.
My instructors run classes but I only pay them per session. Are they contractors?
Probably not. Instructors using your pool and equipment on your class schedule usually look like employees to the IRS, regardless of how the pay is structured.
Does an instructor-led class need to be tracked differently than open swim time?
Yes. Gus keeps them separate so you can see whether a staffed class actually earns enough to cover the instructor cost, compared to lower-cost open swim sessions.
My books have never separated pool costs from general utilities. Can that change?
Yes. Send your bank and supplier statements and Gus starts tracking water treatment and pool equipment on their own line going forward, so you can see what the pool really costs to run.
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.
More in pet services
We keep books for the business next door too.
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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