Campgrounds, RV parks & glamping
Books and taxes for glamping resorts.
A $400 night in a furnished tent, a welcome basket on the bed, housekeeping between every stay, and an elopement package booked eight months out. 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
June came in at $24,200. The elopement package deposit from October is not in this number, it is sitting where it belongs until that wedding actually happens.
- Hipcamp payoutNightly stays
- Wedding package deposit, heldDeposits held
- Luxe Linen ServiceHousekeeping and laundry
- Amenity Basket CoGuest amenities
- Canvas & Frame RepairTent structure upkeep
Why your books are different
Glamping resort books go wrong where the hospitality is.
You are running something closer to a boutique hotel than a campground. Housekeeping, welcome amenities, and wedding deposits booked a year out all move differently than a simple site fee. When the books do not know that, a wedding deposit inflates one month and hides the next.
-
1
A wedding deposit gets counted before the wedding happens
A couple books an elopement package for next October and pays a $3,000 deposit today. Counted as income now, the month it lands looks strong while the actual event, and the cleaning and setup costs tied to it, are still a year away.
What we doHolds event deposits separate from earned income until the event actually takes place. -
2
Housekeeping and laundry costs run higher than a campground's
Turning over a furnished tent between every stay means linens, towels, and cleaning at a pace closer to a hotel than a typical site, and it is easy to underprice a stay without seeing that real cost clearly.
What we doKeeps housekeeping and laundry in their own line so you can see it against nightly revenue. -
3
Guest amenities get lumped into general supplies
Welcome baskets, robes, and in-tent coffee service are a real cost of the experience you sell, but tossed in with general supplies they disappear into a catch-all line nobody reviews.
What we doKeeps guest amenities in their own category so you know what the experience actually costs to deliver. -
4
Furnished tent structures get filed like camping gear
A framed tent with a real bed, wood stove, and private bath can cost as much as a small cabin, but filed as camping supplies it never gets the depreciation treatment it should.
What we doFlags new tent and unit builds as equipment or structures, so the accountant can advise on how they get written off. -
5
Off-season closure looks like a business in trouble
Many glamping resorts close or run at reduced capacity for winter, and months of low income can look alarming if the books do not account for a planned seasonal shutdown.
What we doKeeps a season's full picture in view so a quiet closed month reads as expected, not as a warning sign.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a glamping resort.
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
- Nightly staysBookings through Hipcamp, Airbnb, or your own site.
- Wedding and event packagesElopements and small gatherings, tracked against event dates.
- Deposits heldFuture stay and event deposits not yet earned.
- Add-on experiencesS'mores kits, guided hikes, or in-tent breakfast service.
- Retail and gift shop salesBranded merchandise and local goods sold on-site.
Money out
- Housekeeping and laundryLinens, towels, and cleaning between every stay.
- Guest amenitiesWelcome baskets, robes, and in-tent extras.
- Tent structure upkeepCanvas, frames, and raised-floor repairs.
- UtilitiesElectric, propane, and water across the property.
- Booking feesWhat Hipcamp or a similar site keeps before you get paid.
- Landscaping and groundsKeeping the property looking the part.
- InsuranceProperty and liability coverage for the resort.
What we watch for you
- Average nightly rate
What each tent actually earns on average across the season.
- Housekeeping cost per stay
Whether turnover costs are keeping pace with what you charge.
- Occupancy rate
Nights booked against nights available, especially through shoulder season.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things glamping resort 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.
Not yet. I am holding it until the event happens, so this month's number reflects only what you actually earned in June.
Probably as equipment or structures rather than supplies, given the cost. I flagged the purchases and the accountant will decide the best schedule.
If she works your schedule and uses your supplies, she is likely an employee rather than a contractor, even for a seasonal role. Worth a real accountant's look before next season.
The tax side
The tax side of a glamping resort.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing on deposits and getting furnished structures labeled the way real property should be.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Lodging or occupancy taxMost states and many counties tax overnight stays in glamping units the same way as any hotel or campground stay. It is collected from guests and filed separately from your business return.
- Furnished structures and equipmentFramed tents, yurts, and similar structures can often be depreciated, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
- Worker classification for housekeeping staffA housekeeper who works your schedule and uses your supplies is usually an employee, not a contractor, even in a seasonal role.
- Contractor 1099sA linen service, canvas repair contractor, or event vendor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
Deductions glamping resorts miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Linen and towel service
- Guest welcome amenities
- Canvas and frame repair
- Wood stove and heater upkeep
- In-tent coffee and breakfast supplies
- Booking fees
- Landscaping and grounds
- Event setup and decor
- Housekeeping uniforms
- Wifi and smart lock systems
- Business liability insurance
- Marketing photography
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 glamping resort year, kept every month.
Weddings get booked a year out and the season may close for winter. Gus keeps the tax side steady through both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the season
Last year's return gets started, the vendor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside before spring bookings pick up.
- April
Filed and done
Your return is filed and signed before your peak wedding and stay season fills the calendar.
- July
Midseason check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether this year's event bookings are running ahead of last year.
- October
Before the season winds down
A look at what the year brought in and whether new furnished units are worth adding before the next opening.
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 glamping resorts. 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 glamping resort owners ask first.
How does Gus handle a big wedding deposit paid months in advance?
He holds it separate from earned income until the event actually happens, so it does not inflate a month where nothing has been delivered yet.
We close for the winter. Will four quiet months look bad on our books?
No. Gus keeps the full season in view, so a planned closure reads as expected rather than as a problem month.
Our housekeeping and laundry costs are high compared to a normal campground. Is that a red flag?
Not on its own. Gus keeps that cost visible against your nightly rate so you can see if pricing needs to reflect the real cost of the experience.
We just added two new framed tents with real beds and a wood stove. How should that be tracked?
Send Gus the invoices as they come in. He flags them as equipment or structures rather than supplies, so they get the right tax treatment.
We book through Hipcamp and Airbnb both. Does that complicate things?
No. Gus works from your bank statement regardless of which site the payout came from, and sorts each one the same way.
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