Golf

Books and taxes for golf instructors and teaching pros.

Individual lesson fees, a prepaid clinic package, mileage between three teaching locations, and a bay you rent by the hour. 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
$6,400
what you made

May came in at $6,400. Mileage between your three teaching stops got logged at the summer rate, which kicks in this July.

  • Venmo lesson paymentsIndividual lessons
  • Junior clinic package salesClinic packages
  • Bay rental, driving rangeTeaching space rental
  • PGA of America duesAssociation dues
  • Shell fuel, teaching routeVehicle and mileage
Money in$9,800
Money out$3,400
Set aside for taxes$1,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A teaching pro's books go wrong around packages and the road.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. Your income comes from single lessons, prepaid packages, and clinics, often paid through a payment app, and your costs are mostly mileage and rented space rather than inventory or a crew. When the books do not track that, package money gets counted before it is earned and mileage gets missed entirely.

  1. 1

    Prepaid lesson packages get spent all at once

    A student buys a five-lesson package in March and finishes it in July. Booked as income the day it is paid for, March looks like a big month for lessons that have not happened yet.

    What we doKeeps package sales tagged against the lessons still owed, so income shows up as lessons are actually given.
  2. 2

    Mileage between teaching locations gets missed

    Driving between a home club, a public range, and a private lesson at a student's course adds up fast, and most instructors never log it because there is no single place it belongs on a bank statement.

    What we doAsks for your mileage log each month and applies the current business mileage rate, so the deduction does not get left on the table.
  3. 3

    Bay and space rental fees look like a plain expense

    Renting a bay at a range or a simulator venue by the hour is a real cost of doing business, but paid in small amounts throughout the month it is easy to lose track of what teaching space actually costs against lesson income.

    What we doKeeps teaching space rental in its own line next to lesson income, so you can see the real margin per lesson.
  4. 4

    Launch monitor and video gear purchases muddy a slow month

    A launch monitor or swing camera can cost several thousand dollars, and bought in a slow month it can make that month look like a loss when it is really an investment in equipment.

    What we doFlags equipment purchases as they happen and logs them separately so a big buy does not distort a normal month.
  5. 5

    Summer clinic income swamps the winter months

    Junior clinics and camps in June and July can bring in more in two months than the rest of the year combined, and without planning ahead the winter months can feel like a shortfall instead of the expected slow season.

    What we doTracks clinic income against the calendar so the set-aside accounts for the whole year, not just the busy months.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a teaching pro.

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

  • Individual lessonsSingle-session fees paid by card, app, or cash.
  • Clinic packagesPrepaid lesson bundles, tracked against lessons still owed.
  • Junior and group clinicsSummer camps and group sessions, often the busiest income of the year.
  • Video and swing analysis feesStandalone sessions using a launch monitor or swing camera.

Money out

  • Teaching space rentalBay or range time rented by the hour or month.
  • Vehicle and mileageFuel and mileage between teaching locations.
  • Teaching equipmentLaunch monitors, swing cameras, and training aids.
  • Association duesPGA of America or similar teaching association membership.
  • Continuing educationCertification courses and teaching seminars.
  • MarketingA website, business cards, or local ads for new students.

What we watch for you

  • Lesson hours booked

    The core volume number that everything else, package sales and clinics, builds on.

  • Revenue per teaching hour

    Lesson income against space rental cost, useful before raising rates.

  • Mileage logged

    Whether your deduction is keeping pace with how much you are actually driving.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things golf 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.

I sold a five-lesson package back in March and I'm still teaching it out. Does that all count as March income?

No. I keep it tagged against the lessons still owed, so it counts as income as you actually teach each one, not all at once when it was paid for.

I drive between three different teaching spots most weeks. Is that worth tracking?

Yes. Send me your mileage log each month and I apply the current rate, 72.5 cents through June and 76 cents from July, so the deduction does not get missed.

I want to set up as an S corp next year. Is that worth it for someone my size?

That is above my pay grade to call on my own. I will pull your numbers together and the accountant can walk through whether it makes sense for you.

The tax side

The tax side of a teaching pro.

Most of what trips up an independent instructor is timing and mileage: package money counted too early, or driving between locations that never gets logged.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Business mileageThe standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents a mile from January through June 2026 and 76 cents a mile from July through December 2026, for driving between teaching locations, not your regular commute.
  • Self-employment taxAn independent instructor operating as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC pays 15.3 percent self-employment tax on top of income tax, on the Social Security wage base up to $184,500.
  • Equipment depreciationA launch monitor, swing camera, or similar teaching equipment bought for the business can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost independent instructors 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 golf instructors and teaching pros miss

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

  • Business mileage between lessons
  • Bay or range rental fees
  • Launch monitor and swing camera
  • Training aids and demo clubs
  • PGA of America dues
  • Continuing education courses
  • Business website and cards
  • Phone used for scheduling
  • Liability insurance
  • Video editing software
  • Uniform or logo apparel
  • Payment processing 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 teaching pro's year, kept every month.

Summer clinics carry the year, and winter often means less on-course teaching. Your taxes come on a fixed schedule regardless. 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 a season built around summer clinics does not surprise you in April.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed before summer clinic sign-ups and the busiest teaching months of the year.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand after junior clinics and summer lessons, and what you will owe once the mileage rate changes for the second half of the year.

  4. October

    Before the slow season

    Gus looks at any equipment worth buying before the winter, when lesson volume often drops in colder climates.

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 golf instructors and teaching pros. 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 golf instructors ask first.

I get paid through Venmo and Zelle for lessons. Can Gus work with that?

Yes. Gus works from your bank statement and whatever payment app reports you send, and sorts each deposit into lessons, packages, or clinics.

Do I need to track my mileage myself?

You keep a simple log of the miles or trips, and send it monthly. Gus applies the current rate and keeps the deduction organized for the return.

I rent bay time at a few different places. Does that complicate things?

No. Each rental gets logged under teaching space rental, so you can see what teaching costs you against what lessons bring in, no matter how many locations you use.

Should I be an LLC or stay a sole proprietor?

That depends on your income and how you want to be taxed, and it is worth a real conversation with the accountant rather than a guess. Gus keeps your numbers ready for that conversation.

My books have never really been separated from my personal account. Can Gus help now?

Yes. Send the statements you have, and Gus starts sorting from there. Separating business and personal spending going forward makes it cleaner, and he will tell you what he needs.

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 golf

We keep books for the business next door too.

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