Vocational & certification training
Books and taxes for firearms instructors and concealed carry classes.
Class fees, private lesson bookings, range rental costs, and ammunition all move through the bank in their own way. 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
May came in at $6,500. The new steel targets went in as equipment, not range supplies.
- Concealed carry class feesClass fees
- Private lesson bookingsPrivate lessons
- Range rental, live-fire portionRange rental
- Ammunition orderAmmunition
- Liability insurance premiumInsurance
Why your books are different
Concealed carry class books go wrong around the range.
A normal ledger cannot tell a quiet classroom session from a live-fire qualification shoot. Your business runs classroom instruction, live-fire range time, and ammunition that gets consumed differently depending on the class, all under insurance that costs more than most small businesses carry.
-
1
Range rental and ammunition get lumped together
A range fee is a flat cost per session, but ammunition burned varies by class size and student skill level, so mixing them into one line hides which classes actually cost more to run.
What we doKeeps range rental and ammunition in separate lines, so you can see the true cost of each class. -
2
Classroom-only and live-fire classes get priced the same in the books
A classroom-only concealed carry class costs almost nothing to run beyond your time, while a live-fire qualification class carries range fees and ammunition. Booked into one class revenue line, you cannot see which format actually pays.
What we doKeeps classroom-only and live-fire class revenue apart, so you can compare what each format really earns. -
3
Private lessons blur into group class income
A one-on-one private lesson at a premium rate is a different business than a group class of twelve, and lumped together it is hard to tell which side is actually growing.
What we doKeeps private lessons and group classes in their own lines, so growth in either one is easy to see. -
4
Steel targets and training gear get filed as ammunition
Steel targets, holsters used for demonstration, and timers can add up to real money, and filed alongside consumable ammunition, they wreck the month they were bought instead of showing up as equipment.
What we doFlags bigger gear purchases the day they show up, logs them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how to write them off. -
5
Liability insurance gets treated like a routine bill
General liability insurance for live-fire instruction often costs far more than a typical small business policy, and paid annually it can make one month look like a loss instead of the cost of staying insured all year.
What we doKeeps annual insurance costs visible on their own line and tells you when a normal month just happens to carry the premium.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a concealed carry class business.
Set up once for how the business gets paid and what a range session actually costs. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Classroom-only classesConcealed carry classes with no live-fire component.
- Live-fire classesClasses that include range time and a qualification shoot.
- Private lessonsOne-on-one instruction booked at a premium rate.
- Group and corporate bookingsPrivate classes booked for a group or a business.
Money out
- Range rentalFees paid to use range space for the live-fire portion of a class.
- AmmunitionRounds used in live-fire classes and qualification shoots.
- Instructor payPayroll wages and per-class pay for assistant instructors, kept in its own line.
- Training equipmentSteel targets, timers, and demonstration gear, logged so it gets written off right.
- Liability insuranceCoverage for live-fire instruction, tracked as an annual cost.
- Certification and instructor renewalFees to keep your own instructor certification current.
- Marketing and leadsGoogle ads, local listings, and any lead-generation spend.
What we watch for you
- Cost per live-fire class
Range rental and ammunition against class fees, so pricing covers the real cost.
- Private lesson share
Private lesson revenue against group classes, the clearest growth signal.
- Insurance cost per class
Annual premium spread across classes taught, worth knowing before adding new formats.
- The set-aside
What the business will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things concealed carry instructors 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.
Usually it can. I logged them as equipment, not ammunition, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
It just looks that way. I keep the premium on its own line, so a renewal month does not read like a bad one, it is just the cost of staying insured.
That is worth a real look. Helping 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 concealed carry class business.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing and labels around range costs and insurance. Equipment filed as ammunition, an assistant paid like a contractor who works like staff, and a set-aside nobody started until April.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Training equipment depreciationSteel targets, timers, and demonstration gear can usually be written off the year they are bought. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Instructor classificationAn assistant who teaches on your schedule, with your gear, 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 firearms instructors and concealed carry class businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Range rental fees
- Ammunition
- Steel targets and timers
- Liability insurance
- Instructor certification renewal
- Eye and ear protection
- Holsters used for demonstration
- Google ads and listings
- Classroom rental
- Certificate printing
- Storage for training gear
- Vehicle mileage to range sites
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 concealed carry class business year, kept every month.
Class demand runs steady with occasional spikes around new state permit rules. Taxes come on a 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.
- 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 private lessons are growing.
- October
Before insurance renewal
Gus looks at the coming liability insurance renewal and any 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 firearms instructors and concealed carry class 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 concealed carry instructors ask first.
Can Gus separate my classroom-only classes from live-fire classes?
Yes. He keeps them in their own revenue lines, so you can see which format is actually earning more, not just one blended class number.
My liability insurance is expensive and paid once a year. Won't that always look like a bad month?
No. Gus keeps the annual premium on its own line so a renewal month reads as what it is, the cost of staying insured, not a loss.
I have an assistant instructor who helps at most of my classes. 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.
Do I write off steel targets and a timer 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.
My 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 my instructor certification renewal or state approval?
No. Gus keeps the books ready and flags when a renewal cost is coming, but the certification and state approval paperwork stays with you.
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