Vocational & certification training
Books and taxes for CPR and first aid training companies.
Open-enrollment class fees, corporate onsite contracts, certification card costs, and instructor mileage all land differently. Gus sorts 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 $7,000. Two new training mannequins went in as equipment, not classroom supplies.
- Corporate onsite contractOnsite corporate classes
- Open enrollment class feesOpen enrollment classes
- Certification card orderCertification cards
- Instructor mileage reimbursementInstructor mileage
- AED trainer maintenanceEquipment maintenance
Why your books are different
CPR and first aid training books go wrong around the road.
A normal ledger cannot tell a Saturday walk-in class from a Tuesday morning warehouse contract. Your business runs classes at your own site and at a client's office across town, with instructors driving between them and certification cards that cost money before a single class is taught.
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1
Onsite corporate contracts get mixed with open enrollment fees
A warehouse that books a private onsite class for forty employees pays very differently than ten strangers signing up for a Saturday class, but both often land in one class revenue line, hiding which side actually drives the business.
What we doKeeps onsite corporate contracts and open enrollment classes in separate lines, so you can see what each is really worth. -
2
Certification cards get bought before the class is sold
A batch of certification cards ordered from the issuing organization is a real upfront cost, paid before students ever show up, and it is easy to lose track of how many are on hand against how many classes are booked.
What we doKeeps certification card costs in their own line so you can see the real cost per class, not just a lump supply bill. -
3
Instructor mileage disappears into gas receipts
An instructor driving to three onsite classes a week racks up real mileage that is easy to lose in a pile of gas station receipts, and it is a legitimate cost that should reduce what the business owes.
What we doTracks mileage and travel costs by class, so nothing gets missed at tax time. -
4
AED trainers and mannequins get filed like classroom supplies
A set of CPR mannequins or an AED trainer unit can run into the thousands, and filed as ordinary classroom supplies it wrecks the month it was bought and can get written off the wrong way.
What we doFlags big equipment buys the day they show up, logs them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how to write them off. -
5
Instructors paid per class look like contractors, work like staff
An instructor who teaches your curriculum, on your schedule, using your mannequins and cards, usually counts as an employee even when paid per class. Called a contractor anyway, it gets expensive if it is ever questioned.
What we doKeeps instructor pay in its own line and flags anyone who looks more like staff than a contractor.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a CPR and first aid training business.
Set up once for how the business gets paid and what it costs to run a class on the road. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Onsite corporate classesPrivate classes booked by an employer at their own site.
- Open enrollment classesIndividual sign-ups for classes at your own location.
- Recertification classesShorter refresher classes for students renewing an existing card.
- Instructor certification coursesCourses that train and certify new instructors.
Money out
- Instructor payPayroll wages and per-class pay for CPR and first aid instructors, kept in its own line.
- Certification cardsCards ordered from the issuing organization for each class.
- Mannequins and AED trainersPractice equipment, logged so it gets written off right.
- Instructor mileage and travelReimbursed mileage and travel for onsite classes.
- Equipment maintenanceCleaning, batteries, and repair for mannequins and AED trainers.
- Certification body feesDues or licensing fees paid to the issuing organization.
- Marketing and leadsGoogle ads, local listings, and any lead-generation spend.
What we watch for you
- Onsite share
Onsite corporate revenue against open enrollment, the biggest driver of growth.
- Cost per certification card
Card costs against classes booked, so pricing stays ahead of supply cost.
- Instructor mileage
Travel cost against onsite revenue, worth knowing before adding new territory.
- The set-aside
What the business will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things CPR and first aid training 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.
It does. I track mileage against the classes it belongs to, and it reduces what you owe at tax time, so keep sending me the miles.
Usually it can. I logged them as equipment, not classroom supplies, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
That is worth a real look. Teaching your curriculum on your schedule with your equipment usually reads as an employee, so I flagged it for the accountant.
The tax side
The tax side of a CPR and first aid training business.
Most of what goes wrong here is missed mileage and mixed-up labels. Equipment filed as supplies, an instructor paid like a contractor who works like staff, and travel costs nobody tracked.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Instructor mileage and travelMileage driven to onsite classes is a real deduction. The business rate is 72.5 cents a mile for the first half of 2026 and 76 cents a mile for the second half.
- Instructor classificationAn instructor who teaches your curriculum, on your schedule, with your equipment is usually an employee, even paid per class. Getting it wrong gets expensive, so Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Contractor 1099sA guest instructor or outside help paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operated businesses 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 CPR and first aid training companies miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Instructor mileage
- Certification card costs
- Mannequin and AED maintenance
- Certification body fees
- Instructor recertification
- Google ads and listings
- Liability insurance
- Class supplies and gloves
- Vehicle wear on the training van
- Certificate and card printing
- Website and booking software
- Storage for training equipment
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 CPR and first aid training year, kept every month.
Corporate compliance deadlines and recertification dates drive the calendar more than any season. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax dates that do not move. 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, the 1099 list is ready, and the business gets a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
The return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where the business stands, what it will owe, and whether onsite contracts are growing.
- October
Before year-end compliance rush
Many employers renew safety certifications before year end. Gus looks at equipment worth buying and anything worth doing 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 CPR and first aid training companies. 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 CPR and first aid training owners ask first.
Can Gus track my mileage between onsite classes?
Yes. Send him the miles and he tracks them against the classes they belong to, so the deduction is not lost in a pile of gas receipts.
We book classes through a scheduling app. Do we have to change anything?
No. Keep running the business the way you do. Gus works from your bank statement, and when a deposit is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer.
Do we write off new mannequins and AED trainers all at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for classes can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides with your whole year in view.
Our instructors are paid per class. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Gus keeps instructor pay in its own line and flags anyone paid like a contractor who works like staff, so the accountant can weigh in.
Our books are a year behind. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Does Gus handle our certification body renewal or instructor authorization?
No. Gus keeps the books ready and flags when a renewal cost is coming, but the authorization paperwork stays with you and the certification body.
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