Pet services
Books and taxes for canine massage and rehab practitioners.
Post-surgery rehab session packages, standalone massage appointments, veterinary referral partnerships, and underwater treadmill or laser therapy equipment. 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
February came in at $8,600. Two new post-surgery rehab plans started this month, so I counted them as sessions happen, not the day the plan was purchased.
- Square, rehab sessionRehab session packages
- Standalone massage, VenmoMassage appointments
- Vet clinic, referral fee shareVeterinary referral work
- Laser therapy unit serviceRehab equipment
- Continuing education courseCertification and training
Why your books are different
Canine rehab and massage books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees appointment fees and an equipment bill. Your business is post-surgery rehab plans billed across weeks, referral relationships with orthopedic vets, and equipment like underwater treadmills that cost as much as a car. The books need to track all of it.
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1
Rehab plans get counted the day they are purchased
A client buys an eight-session post-surgery rehab plan up front, and if the whole payment counts as this month's income, later months where the sessions actually happen look weaker than they are.
What we doCounts rehab sessions as they are delivered, so income lines up with the recovery work actually done each month. -
2
Vet referral work blurs into standalone massage
A client referred by an orthopedic vet for structured rehab looks the same in the bank feed as someone who booked a standalone massage session on their own, hiding how much of your business depends on vet relationships.
What we doSplits vet-referred rehab cases into their own line apart from walk-in massage bookings, so a slow month for one does not hide a strong month for the other. -
3
Underwater treadmills get filed like routine equipment
An underwater treadmill or a laser therapy unit can cost as much as a vehicle, and if it gets filed the same as a yoga mat or a set of resistance bands, that purchase wrecks a month's numbers and hides how it should really be written off.
What we doFlags major rehab equipment separately from routine supplies, so it gets logged and written off the way it should be. -
4
Continuing education gets lost as a random fee
Certification courses in canine rehab or massage are a real, recurring cost of staying qualified, but they often get buried in general expenses instead of tracked as their own category.
What we doKeeps continuing education and certification costs on their own line, so you can see what staying current actually costs each year.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a canine rehab and massage 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
- Rehab session packagesPost-surgery or injury recovery plans, counted as sessions are delivered.
- Massage appointmentsStandalone massage sessions booked directly by owners.
- Veterinary referral workClients sent by orthopedic or general practice vets.
- Home visit sessionsRehab or massage delivered at a client's home.
Money out
- Rehab equipmentUnderwater treadmills, laser therapy units, and balance equipment.
- Massage and treatment suppliesOils, wraps, and treatment table linens.
- Certification and trainingContinuing education courses and license renewals.
- Facility rent and utilitiesTreatment space, water, and electric for equipment.
- InsuranceLiability coverage for hands-on animal treatment.
- MarketingVet clinic outreach and local advertising.
What we watch for you
- Referral revenue
How much business comes from vet clinic partnerships versus clients who booked directly.
- Plan balance
Rehab sessions clients paid for but have not used yet, so you know what care is still owed.
- Equipment cost per session
What major rehab equipment costs against how many sessions it supports, tracked over time.
- Certification spend
What staying qualified in rehab and massage techniques costs each year.
Ask Gus
Things canine rehab and massage practitioners 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 sessions delivered so far. I count them as they happen, so a big plan sale does not make one month look stronger than the recovery work actually done.
Yes, I tag those clients separately from standalone bookings, so you can see over time how much that vet relationship is actually worth to your business.
That's a bigger call than I can make alone. Equipment at that price changes your financing and depreciation picture, so bring the accountant in before you commit.
The tax side
The tax side of a canine rehab and massage business.
Major equipment and prepaid rehab plans are the two things that matter most for a business built around recovery care.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Major rehab equipmentUnderwater treadmills, laser therapy units, and similar equipment can often be written off in the year you buy them, with Section 179 expensing available up to $2,560,000 and 100 percent bonus depreciation for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Rehab plan income counted as deliveredA prepaid session package is not fully earned the day it sells. Gus tracks the balance so income reflects recovery sessions actually completed.
- Continuing education and certificationCourses and renewals required to maintain your credentials are ordinary business expenses, tracked separately so their real cost is visible each year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when referral work, plan income, and equipment are tracked accurately all year.
Deductions canine massage and rehab practitioners miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Treatment tables and linens
- Massage oils and supplies
- Underwater treadmill maintenance
- Laser therapy consumables
- Certification courses and renewals
- Liability insurance
- Facility rent and utilities
- Vehicle mileage for home visits
- Continuing education travel
- Local advertising and vet outreach
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 rehab and massage year, kept every month.
Recovery cases come whenever surgery does, not on a calendar. 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 caseload.
- 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 referral volume this year changed the number.
- October
Before year end
Gus looks at equipment worth buying and certification renewals worth timing 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 massage and rehab practitioners. 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 rehab and massage practitioners ask first.
When does a prepaid rehab plan count as income?
As the sessions are delivered, not the day the plan is purchased. That keeps a busy sales week from making your books look stronger than the recovery work you have actually completed so far.
Does Gus track which clients come from vet referrals?
Yes. Referral clients are tagged separately from those who booked directly, so you can see how much a specific vet relationship is contributing to your business over time.
Can I write off an underwater treadmill or laser therapy unit?
Usually yes, often in the year you buy it. Gus logs major equipment separately from routine supplies so the accountant can decide how it gets written off.
I do some sessions at a client's home. Does that change anything?
It just gets its own category. Home visit sessions are tracked separately from in-clinic appointments, and mileage to those visits is worth logging as a deduction.
My books have never separated referral clients from direct bookings. Can that change?
Yes. Send your bank statements and Gus starts tagging referral work separately going forward. Most practitioners get a clear picture of their vet relationships within a couple of months.
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