Wellness & recovery services
Books and taxes for float spas.
Membership floats sold months ahead, a water bill that swings with every filtration cycle, and thousands of pounds of Epsom salt to restock. 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 $8,200. The UV and ozone system parts you bought went into equipment, not supplies, since that filtration system is what keeps the tanks running.
- MindBody payoutSingle floats
- Monthly membership feesMemberships
- Epsom salt restockSalt and treatment supplies
- Water utility billUtilities
- Filtration system partsEquipment
Why your books are different
A float spa's numbers hide inside the tank, not the register.
A float credit sold in January is not January's money once it sits unused until June. A generalist bookkeeper who has never priced out an ozone system or a thousand-pound salt order treats every one of these costs like any storefront's overhead, and the month stops making sense.
-
1
A prepaid float sits on the books, not in the bank
A guest buys a five-float package in January and comes back once by June. Counted as January income in full, the spring months look thin even though the guest is still owed four more floats.
What we doTracks how many floats are still owed on open packages and counts each one as income only when the guest actually floats. -
2
A thousand pounds of salt looks like a bad month
One tank holds close to a thousand pounds of Epsom salt, and restocking three or four tanks in the same order can run several thousand dollars at once, making an otherwise normal month look like a spike in costs.
What we doKeeps salt and treatment chemicals in one steady line and flags when a bulk restock, not overspending, explains a heavy month. -
3
The water bill is not overhead, it is a cost of the float itself
Heating and filtering hundreds of gallons per tank between every guest pushes water and electric costs well past what a typical storefront pays, and folded into general overhead it hides whether a tank actually earns back what it costs to run.
What we doKeeps water and power in their own line against float count, so cost per float is visible instead of buried in one overhead figure. -
4
An ozone or UV system swap is not a repair bill
Replacing the ozone or UV filtration unit on a tank can run into the thousands, and filed as a repair, it makes one month look like something broke rather than a planned upgrade.
What we doFlags filtration equipment purchases the day they happen and logs them as equipment, not repairs, for the accountant to decide how to write off.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a float spa.
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
- Single floatsWalk-in and first-time float sessions, paid through MindBody or Vagaro.
- MembershipsMonthly unlimited or set-float plans, kept apart from single floats.
- Multi-float packagesPrepaid float packs, tracked as owed floats until used.
- RetailBath salts, teas, and skincare sold at the front desk.
Money out
- Salt and water treatment suppliesEpsom salt, hydrogen peroxide, and filtration chemicals.
- Water and powerHeating and filtering the tanks, tracked apart from general overhead.
- Tank and filtration equipmentUV systems, pumps, and float tank upkeep.
- Booking softwareMindBody, Vagaro, or a similar scheduling tool.
- Water testingRequired health department testing and lab fees.
- Towels and robesLaundry and replacement for guest linens.
What we watch for you
- Float count
Total floats run against membership fees collected, so usage matches what members are paying for.
- Cost per float
Salt, water, and power divided by floats run, so pricing reflects the real cost of a session.
- Membership renewals
Fees collected against active members, tracked from the books, so a dip in renewals shows up early.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things float spa 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 logged it under water and power, separate from other overhead, so you can see it against float count. If it keeps climbing, worth checking the filtration cycle.
Usually it can. I filed it as equipment, not maintenance, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
Fees collected are steady, but float count is down from last month. Might be worth a look at scheduling, not revenue.
The tax side
The tax side of a float spa.
Most of what trips up a float spa is timing and where a big purchase gets filed, not anything unusual. Membership income counted too early, or a filtration system logged as a repair.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Equipment write-offsFloat tanks and filtration systems can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Worker classificationA front desk or cleaning staffer who works your schedule and uses your equipment is usually an employee, not a contractor, even if paid per shift.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
- Sales tax on retailBath salts, teas, and skincare sold at the desk are usually subject to sales tax, which varies by state. Float sessions themselves are often treated differently.
Deductions float spas miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Epsom salt restocks
- Filtration chemicals
- Water testing and lab fees
- Towels and robes
- Booking software
- Front desk wages
- Tank maintenance parts
- Water and power
- Liability insurance
- Marketing and lead fees
- Retail inventory
- License and permit 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 float spa's year, kept every month.
Members float year-round, but a filtration overhaul or a slow membership season can shift things fast. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax calendar either way. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
New Year membership sign-ups get counted right, last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer membership dips changed the number.
- October
Before the holiday rush
Gift float packages start selling before the holidays. Gus looks at 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 float spas. 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 float spa owners ask first.
How does Gus handle unlimited memberships?
He keeps membership fees in their own category and tracks float counts from your booking data, so you can see whether members are using what they pay for, not just what came in.
Our salt order this month was huge. Will that hurt my numbers?
It will not hide anything. Gus keeps salt and treatment supplies in one steady line and tells you when a big restock, not a bad month, is the reason costs spiked.
We use MindBody for scheduling. Does that change anything?
No. Keep booking floats 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 I need to track water testing separately?
Yes, and Gus does it for you. Health department water testing gets its own line so you can see it apart from routine supplies, and the cost is deductible.
My float spa lost money the first year. Is that normal?
It happens often with the upfront cost of tanks and filtration systems. Gus tracks the loss correctly against future years, and the accountant makes sure it is used right on your return.
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.
More in wellness & recovery services
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Birth doulas
- Breathwork facilitators
- Herbalists & apothecaries
- Hypnotherapists
- Lactation consultants
- Midwives & birth centers
- Postpartum doulas & night nurses
- Reiki & energy healers
- Salt caves & halotherapy
- Sound healing practitioners
- Yoga therapists
- Acupuncturists
- Biohacking & longevity centers
- Cold plunge & contrast therapy studios
- Cryotherapy studios
- Infrared sauna studios
- Lymphatic drainage specialists
- Private practice dietitians & nutritionists
- Recovery lounges
- Red light therapy studios
- Stretch studios
- Health coaches
- Independent massage therapists
- IV hydration & drip bars
- Compounding pharmacies
- Durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers
- Elective 3D/4D ultrasound studios
- Independent pharmacies
- Medical billing companies
- Mobile nursing & concierge nurse services
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