Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for fitness influencers with apps.

App store subscription payouts already net of Apple and Google's cut, a supplement brand sponsorship, refunds on canceled trials, and a developer to keep the app running. Your own bookkeeper 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
JanuaryExample month
$19,000
what you made

January came in at $19,000. New Year signups were strong, but the free trial cancellations that follow usually show up as refunds next month, so I flagged that for February.

  • App Store subscription payoutApp subscription revenue
  • Google Play payoutApp subscription revenue
  • Sponsor invoice, supplement brandSponsorships
  • App developer, monthly retainerApp development
  • Content shoot, workout videosContent production
Money in$38,000
Money out$19,000
Set aside for taxes$4,700
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A fitness app creator's books go wrong in a few specific spots.

A generalist sees a subscription payout and calls it revenue. Yours is already net of what Apple or Google keep, plus a sponsor deal that has nothing to do with the app itself, and a wave of trial cancellations that always follows a big signup month.

  1. 1

    App store payouts are already net of a real cut

    Apple and Google both keep 15 to 30 percent of every subscription before the payout lands, so if that is not understood, the real subscription price and what the business actually keeps get confused with each other.

    What we doBooks each app store payout as revenue net of the store's cut, so the numbers stay honest without trying to add back a fee that was never yours to begin with.
  2. 2

    A signup spike brings a refund wave right behind it

    A big New Year or January 1 marketing push brings a flood of new trial signups, and a predictable share of them cancel and refund within the trial window the following month, which can look like a sudden drop if it is not expected.

    What we doFlags a strong signup month as likely to bring refunds the month after, so a predictable dip does not get mistaken for the app losing steam.
  3. 3

    Sponsor deals get mixed with app revenue

    A supplement or gear brand sponsorship deposit can land in the same bank account as app store payouts, and without separating them, it looks like the app itself is earning more than its subscriptions actually bring in.

    What we doKeeps sponsorship income in its own line, apart from app subscription revenue, so the two sides of the business stay distinct.
  4. 4

    Developer pay disappears into a general software line

    A monthly retainer to the developer keeping the app running gets lumped in with smaller subscriptions, so it is hard to see what the app actually costs to maintain against what it earns.

    What we doKeeps developer pay in its own line, so app maintenance cost is visible against subscription revenue.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a fitness app business.

Set up once for how the app gets paid and what it spends on. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • App subscription revenuePayouts from the App Store and Google Play, net of their cut.
  • SponsorshipsSupplement and gear brand deals, separate from app income.
  • Affiliate commissionsGear and supplement links shared with the audience.
  • Coaching upsellsOne-on-one coaching sold alongside the app.

Money out

  • App developmentDeveloper retainer and app store fees for updates.
  • Content productionFilming and editing workout videos for the app.
  • App store feesAny separate developer account fees beyond the revenue cut.
  • MarketingAds run to bring in new app trial signups.
  • Studio and equipmentGym space, cameras, and equipment used for filming.

What we watch for you

  • Net subscriber growth

    New subscribers against trial cancellations and refunds, not just gross signups.

  • Sponsor share

    How much of total income came from sponsor deals rather than the app itself.

  • Developer cost

    What app maintenance costs against what the app actually earns.

  • The set-aside

    What will be owed, tracked every month, so a strong signup month does not turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things fitness app creators 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.

My app store payout looks way smaller than what my subscription price times my subscriber count should be. Is that a mistake?

No, that is the store's cut already taken out. I book the payout as your actual revenue, so nothing gets double counted or missed.

January was huge for signups but February looks weak. What happened?

That is the trial cancellation wave that usually follows a big push. I flagged January as likely to bring refunds, so this is expected, not a real drop.

A supplement brand paid me separately from the app. Should that count as app revenue?

No, I keep that as its own sponsorship line, so you can see what the app itself earns apart from outside deals.

The tax side

The tax side of running a fitness app business.

Most of what trips people up here is a payout that already had a cut taken out, and a predictable refund wave that looks like trouble if it is not expected.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Paying a developer $2,000 or moreAn app developer not on payroll, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus tracks that running total.
  • Self-employment taxA creator not on payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500, the same as any other sole proprietor.
  • The S corp questionOnce app profit clears well above a reasonable salary, an S corp election can lower the self-employment tax bill. The accountant runs the numbers on the app's actual profit.
  • The pass-through deductionMost app-based businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how much applies.

Deductions fitness influencers with apps miss

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

  • App developer retainer
  • App store developer fees
  • Camera and filming equipment
  • Gym or studio rental for shoots
  • Video editing software
  • Marketing and ad spend
  • Business phone and internet
  • Business liability insurance
  • Accounting and legal fees

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 fitness app business's year, kept every month.

Subscribers join and cancel every week, and January brings a predictable rush. Your team keeps the books closed every month, all year. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the app's year

    Last year's return gets started, the developer's 1099 is prepared, and a monthly set-aside is planned so April is no scramble.

  2. April

    Filed, app still running

    The return is filed and signed, no scramble, since a share of every subscription payout has been set aside since January.

  3. July

    Subscriber trend check

    Where the app stands, what will be owed, and whether the New Year signup wave and its refunds balanced out as expected.

  4. October

    Before the New Year push

    Marketing for the January rush usually ramps up now. Gus looks at what is planned and anything worth doing 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 fitness influencers with apps. 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 fitness app creators ask first.

Do I owe tax on the subscription price or just what the app store pays out?

On what actually lands in your account, since that is already net of the store's cut. Gus books it that way so nothing gets double counted.

I run the app on both the App Store and Google Play. Can Gus keep those separate?

Yes. He tracks payouts from each store separately so you can see whether one performs differently than the other.

A brand sent me free supplements instead of paying cash for a sponsorship post. Does that count as income?

Usually yes, at what it is worth. Gus flags gifted product so the accountant can put a fair value on it.

My refund rate spikes every January after a big signup month. Is that a problem?

It is expected, not a problem. Gus flags a strong signup month as likely to bring refunds after, so the pattern reads as normal, not alarming.

My app revenue and sponsor deals have never been tracked separately. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the app store and bank statements you have. Gus sorts app revenue from sponsorships, the accountant checks it, and most creators know where they stand inside a week.

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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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