Water recreation & marinas

Books and taxes for fishing guides.

Trips priced by the half day or full day, a boat towed to whatever lake or flat is fishing best, tips from happy clients, and the odd tournament check. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.

Book a call What we handle
  • From $197 a month
  • An accountant on every transaction
  • Cancel whenever
MayExample month
$7,500
what you made

May made $7,500. I logged the new trolling motor as equipment, not tackle, since a purchase that size gets treated differently than a box of jigs.

  • Booking site payout, guided tripsTrip fares
  • Client tips, card and cashTip income
  • Trolling motor purchaseBoat equipment
  • Tackle order, jigs and lineTackle and bait
  • Fuel, truck and boatFuel and towing
Money in$16,400
Money out$8,900
Set aside for taxes$2,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A fishing guide's books go wrong in the same handful of places.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. A guide's business is trip fares priced by the half or full day, a truck and boat towed to wherever the fish are running, tips paid in cash as often as by card, and the occasional tournament check. When the books do not know that, real profit per trip stays hidden.

  1. 1

    Towing mileage goes untracked

    Driving a truck and trailer to different lakes, rivers, or launch points day after day racks up real mileage that is a legitimate write-off, but if nobody logs it, it just disappears every year.

    What we doAsks for mileage or fuel records regularly and keeps towing costs in their own line, so the deduction does not get missed.
  2. 2

    Cash tips go unrecorded

    A happy client handing over cash at the dock is common in this trade, and left off the books, it understates income and still counts as taxable whether or not it was ever deposited.

    What we doAsks about cash tips when a bank statement does not tell the whole story and records them the same as any other trip income.
  3. 3

    A new rod, reel, or trolling motor looks like a tackle purchase

    A quality trolling motor or a set of premium rods can run into the thousands, and filed the same way as a box of jigs, it flattens a month's profit and misses how the tax code treats real equipment.

    What we doFlags larger equipment purchases the day they happen, logs them separately from routine tackle, and gets the accountant's call on how they are written off.
  4. 4

    Tournament winnings and entry fees get mixed with guiding income

    A guide who also fishes tournaments has entry fees and occasional winnings that are a different kind of income and expense from guiding clients, and mixed together, neither side of the business shows its real number.

    What we doKeeps tournament entry fees and winnings in their own lines, separate from guided trip income.
  5. 5

    A slow bite stretch looks like a failing business

    A run of bad weather or a slow bite on the water a guide depends on can cancel trips for weeks with no warning, and that can look like a demand problem instead of a known risk of the trade.

    What we doTracks the month against the season, so a slow-bite stretch reads as expected, not as a sign something is wrong.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a fishing guide.

Set up once for how trips get paid and what it costs to run them. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Trip faresHalf-day and full-day guided trips booked directly or through a booking site.
  • Tip incomeCash and card tips from clients, kept separate from the trip fare itself.
  • Tournament winningsPrize money from tournaments the guide fishes.
  • Sponsorship and pro staff payGear, cash, or product deals from tackle and boat brands.

Money out

  • Tackle and baitLures, line, and bait bought for guided trips.
  • Fuel and towingFuel for the truck and boat, kept together since towing is part of every trip.
  • Boat equipmentTrolling motors, electronics, and other larger gear purchases.
  • Boat maintenanceEngine and hull repair for the guide boat.
  • Guide license and insuranceState guide licensing and liability coverage.
  • Tournament entry feesFees paid to enter tournaments, kept apart from guided trip costs.

What we watch for you

  • Fuel and towing cost per trip

    Fuel spent against trip fares, since driving to different water adds up fast on top of running the boat.

  • Tip share

    Tips against trip fares, so you can see how much of your income depends on client generosity versus the base rate.

  • Season pace

    How this month compares to the same stretch last year, so a slow bite reads as normal, not alarming.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things fishing guide 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.

I drove to three different lakes this month chasing better fishing. Does that mileage actually matter?

It does. That is a real deduction and I keep it in its own line so it does not get lost with everything else you spent on fuel.

Most of my tips come in cash at the dock. Is that a problem?

No, just tell me about it. I record cash tips the same as trip fares, since they count as income whether or not they ever hit the bank.

I bought a new trolling motor for about $2,800. Does that count as an expense this year?

Often it can. I logged it as equipment, not tackle, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.

The tax side

The tax side of guiding fishing trips.

Most of what goes wrong here is untracked mileage and cash tips that never make it onto the books. Getting the categories right most of the year makes the return simpler.

What your return has to get right

Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.

  • Towing mileage or vehicle expenseA guide who tows a boat between launch points can deduct business mileage at 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026, instead of tracking every gas and repair receipt.
  • Cash and tip incomeCash tips and trip payments are taxable the same as a card payment, whether or not they are ever deposited. Keeping an honest record matters more here than in most trades.
  • Equipment write-offsTrolling motors, electronics, and other larger boat equipment can usually be written off in the year they are bought, up to current Section 179 and bonus depreciation limits.
  • Self-employment taxA guide operating as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC owes self-employment tax of 15.3 percent on top of regular income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.

Deductions fishing guides miss

Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.

  • Tackle, lures, and line
  • Towing mileage or fuel
  • Boat maintenance and parts
  • State guide license fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Trailer tires and hitches
  • Tournament entry fees
  • Electronics and fish finders
  • Ice and coolers for trips
  • Marketing and social ads
  • Booking site fees
  • Rain gear and safety 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 fishing guide's year, kept every month.

Different species run at different times, so the calendar shifts more than most trades. Taxes come on their own 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so tax time is already handled before the year's best runs begin.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, before the spring bite really gets going.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the year's runs so far are on pace to cover the slower months.

  4. October

    Before the season shifts

    Before the fall run and shorter days change the schedule, Gus looks at equipment worth buying and moves worth making before December.

What you get

Starts at$197a month

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 fishing guides. 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 fishing guide owners ask first.

Most of my income comes from tips and cash at the dock. How does that get handled?

Gus records cash and tip income the same as any trip fare. It still counts as taxable whether or not it ever went through a card reader or a booking site.

I tow my boat to different lakes depending on where the fishing is best. Does that mileage add up to anything?

Yes. It is a real, legitimate deduction, and Gus keeps a running record so it does not get missed at tax time the way it does for a lot of guides.

I fish a few tournaments a year on the side. Does that complicate my books?

Not really. Entry fees and any winnings just get their own categories, kept separate from guided trip income, so both sides of what you do are visible on their own.

I just bought new electronics for the boat. Does that write off right away?

Often it can. Equipment like electronics or a trolling motor can usually be deducted in the year it is bought, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags it and the accountant decides.

My books are a mess and I'm behind by a season. Can I still start now?

Yes. Send the bank and booking site statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most guides know where they stand inside a week.

Do you handle my state fishing guide license renewal?

No. Licensing with the state is between you and the licensing agency. Gus tracks the renewal cost and reminds you when it is due, but does not handle the license itself.

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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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