Campgrounds, RV parks & glamping
Books and taxes for group camps and retreat centers.
A church group booking the whole property for a weekend, a per-person package that bundles lodging with meals, a ropes course that needs its own insurance, and counselors on the summer payroll. 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 $24,900. A church group's deposit for their October retreat is not in this number, it is held until that weekend actually happens.
- Group package deposit, heldDeposits held
- Summer camp week bookingsPackage bookings
- Sysco food service orderCatering and food costs
- Summer counselor payrollSeasonal program staff
- High Ropes Inspection CoProgram equipment upkeep
Why your books are different
Group camp and retreat center books go wrong inside the package price.
You are not selling a site fee, you are selling a per-person price that bundles a bed, three meals, and a program schedule into one number. When the books do not unbundle that, you cannot tell whether the kitchen, the lodging, or the ropes course is actually where your money is made or lost.
-
1
A bundled package price hides three businesses in one
A per-person, per-night package covering lodging, meals, and programming gets deposited as one lump sum, so you cannot see whether the food service, the cabins, or the activities are what actually drive your margin.
What we doSplits package revenue into lodging, food service, and program fees using a consistent method, so each piece is visible. -
2
A retreat booked a year out gets counted before it happens
A group that books and deposits for a retreat next fall pays now for an event that has not happened yet. Counted as income the day it lands, it makes the current month look stronger than the business really is.
What we doHolds group deposits separate from earned income until the retreat actually takes place. -
3
Bulk catering costs swing hard with group size
Food ordered for a group of 90 costs far more in a single week than a quiet month with no bookings, and without separating food costs from other operating expenses, a big group week can look like the whole business is bleeding money.
What we doKeeps catering and food costs in their own line so they read against the group size and package revenue they were bought for. -
4
Summer counselor payroll looks like a huge spike
Hiring a full seasonal staff of counselors and program leaders for a few summer months creates a payroll cost that looks alarming compared to a quiet fall or winter, when it is simply how a seasonal camp operates.
What we doKeeps seasonal program staff payroll visible against the season's bookings, so the summer spike reads as expected. -
5
Program equipment inspection costs get missed
A ropes course, a climbing wall, or canoes used for programming need regular safety inspection and certification, and that cost is easy to overlook until it comes due once a year.
What we doKeeps program equipment inspection and certification costs in their own line so nothing gets missed.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a group camp or retreat center.
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
- Package bookingsBundled lodging, meals, and programming, split out for tracking.
- Facility rental onlyGroups that bring their own food and run their own program.
- Program and activity feesRopes course, canoeing, or other add-on programming.
- Deposits heldFuture retreat deposits not yet earned.
- Canteen and retail salesSnacks and camp store items sold to guests.
Money out
- Catering and food costsBulk food service bought for group weeks.
- Seasonal program staffCounselors and activity leaders on summer or seasonal payroll.
- Program equipment upkeepInspection and certification for ropes courses and watercraft.
- Facility maintenanceDorms, cabins, and the dining hall.
- TransportationVans or buses used to move groups around the property.
- InsuranceLiability coverage that reflects adventure programming.
- UtilitiesElectric, water, and heating across a large property.
What we watch for you
- Revenue per package category
Whether lodging, food, or programming is really driving your margin.
- Food cost per guest
Whether catering spending is keeping pace with your package pricing.
- Occupancy by season
How booked weeks compare against the weeks you can actually staff.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.
Ask Gus
Things group camp and retreat center 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 split the package into lodging, food, and program revenue using a consistent method, so you can see which piece is carrying the rest.
No, I am holding it until the retreat happens. This month's number only reflects what actually took place in June.
If they work your schedule and follow your program, they are almost certainly employees, even for a summer-only role. Worth the accountant's read before you finalize next summer's hires.
The tax side
The tax side of a group camp or retreat center.
Most of what goes wrong here is unbundling package revenue and getting seasonal staff classified correctly.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Worker classification for seasonal staffCounselors and program leaders who follow your schedule and use your equipment are usually employees, not contractors, even for a summer-only season.
- Lodging or occupancy taxMany states and counties tax overnight lodging, including the lodging portion of a bundled retreat package, though rules on bundled packages vary by state.
- Contractor 1099sA ropes course inspector, transportation company, or catering vendor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Depreciation of program equipmentRopes courses, canoes, and similar program equipment can often be depreciated, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
Deductions group camps and retreat centers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Bulk catering and food costs
- Ropes course inspection and certification
- Canoe and watercraft maintenance
- Van and bus fuel and repair
- Dining hall equipment
- Cabin and dorm repairs
- Program supplies and craft materials
- Staff training and certifications
- Business liability insurance
- Camp store inventory
- First aid and safety supplies
- Uniforms for program staff
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 group camp or retreat center year, kept every month.
Retreats get booked a year out and summer programming runs on its own schedule. 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 the booking season fills up.
- April
Filed and done
Your return is filed and signed before summer staffing and programming take over your schedule.
- July
Midseason check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether this summer's group bookings are running ahead of last year.
- October
Before the retreat season
A look at this year's numbers and what facility or program equipment is worth upgrading before next season.
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 group camps and retreat centers. 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 group camp and retreat center owners ask first.
Our pricing bundles lodging, meals, and activities into one per-person rate. Can Gus still track it clearly?
Yes. He splits the bundled package into lodging, food, and program revenue using a consistent method, so you can see what each piece contributes.
A group already paid a deposit for a retreat next year. Does that count as income now?
No, Gus holds it separate until the retreat actually happens, so it does not inflate a month where the group has not yet stayed.
Our summer counselors only work ten weeks a year. Do they still need to be on payroll?
Usually yes, if they follow your schedule and use your equipment. Even a short season generally makes them employees rather than contractors, and the accountant can confirm your specific setup.
We rent the whole property to some groups who bring their own food. How does that get tracked differently?
Gus keeps facility-only rentals in their own category, separate from full packages that include meals and programming.
Our food costs spike hard during big group weeks. Is that a problem for the books?
No, it is expected. Gus keeps catering costs in their own line so a big group week reads correctly against the revenue it brought in, not as an alarming expense on its own.
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