Indoor entertainment
Books and taxes for haunted attractions.
A season that earns most of its money in two months, a cast of scare actors on the payroll, and sets and props rebuilt every year. 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
October came in at $56,600. This is most of your year's income landing in one month, and the set-aside reflects that instead of a normal monthly slice.
- Ticket presale payoutPresold tickets
- Door ticket salesWalk-up tickets
- Scare actor payrollSeasonal wages
- Haunt supply house orderProps and set build
- Liability insuranceInsurance
Why your books are different
Haunted attraction books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist expects a business that earns steadily all year. Yours earns most of its living in a handful of weekends, carries a large seasonal cast, and rebuilds its set every season. When the books do not know that, the set-aside gets planned wrong and the off-season looks like a crisis.
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1
Ticket presales get counted before the season opens
Presale tickets often go on sale in August for a haunt that does not open until late September, and counted as income the day they are sold, the summer looks unusually strong and the actual haunt season looks thin by comparison.
What we doHolds presale money as owed admission until each ticket is actually used, then counts it as that visit's income. -
2
A season of income gets spent like a normal year
Most of a haunted attraction's entire year can land in September and October, and spending it like any other month's income leaves nothing set aside for rent, insurance, and payroll during the eleven months the doors are closed.
What we doTracks the season as a whole and sets aside enough from the peak months to cover the quiet stretch and the tax bill both. -
3
A large seasonal cast gets paid off the books or inconsistently
Dozens of scare actors working a handful of weekends a year is easy to pay loosely, in cash or informally, which creates real risk if any of them are actually working like employees rather than one-off contractors.
What we doKeeps seasonal payroll organized and flags when a pattern of scheduled, supervised work looks more like employment than contract work. -
4
Set and prop builds get filed as one lump repair cost
A haunt's set gets rebuilt or refreshed every season with animatronics, lighting, and scenery that can cost real money, and filed as a repair, it hides that some of it is a long-term asset that should be depreciated.
What we doFlags major set and animatronic purchases and books them as equipment, getting the accountant's call on how to write them off.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a haunted attraction.
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
- Presold ticketsOnline presales through Eventbrite or a similar app, counted in as used.
- Walk-up ticketsDoor sales sold the night of.
- Group and school bookingsScout groups and school-related events, often earlier in the season.
- ConcessionsSnack and drink sales at the attraction.
- MerchandiseBranded shirts and haunt merchandise.
Money out
- Seasonal wagesScare actor, makeup, and parking staff pay.
- Props and set buildAnimatronics, scenery, and lighting from haunt supply houses.
- Costumes and makeupCostume pieces and special effects makeup supplies.
- Liability insuranceCoverage for a scare-based, low-light physical attraction.
- MarketingSeasonal ads, ticketing app fees, and local promotion.
- Rent and utilitiesThe venue, whether year-round or seasonal-only.
What we watch for you
- Season total against last year
How this year's peak compares, since almost everything hinges on those few weeks.
- Presale share
How much of the season is locked in before opening night.
- The off-season runway
How much of the season's income is set aside to cover the eleven quiet months.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked from the season's income, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things haunted attraction 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.
Because those tickets hadn't been used yet. I count that income as visitors actually walk through, so your books match the real season, not just ticket sales dates.
More than a normal month, since this covers rent and bills through most of the year ahead. I track that runway so the number isn't a guess.
If any of them are paid $2,000 or more this year and aren't on payroll, yes, by January 31. But actors who work your posted schedule under your direction often look more like employees, and that's worth the accountant's read.
The tax side
The tax side of a haunted attraction.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing across an extreme season, and a large cast paid casually who may actually be employees.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Set, props, and animatronicsMajor set pieces and animatronics can usually be written off up to $2,560,000 under Section 179 in the year bought, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA special effects designer, sound technician, or one-off contractor who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Seasonal worker classificationScare actors who work your posted schedule, wear your costumes, and follow your script are usually employees for the season, not contractors, even if the work only runs a few weeks.
- 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.
Deductions haunted attractions miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Animatronics and props
- Costumes and special effects makeup
- Haunt supply house orders
- Liability insurance
- Ticketing app fees
- Off-season storage
- Set lighting and sound
- Card processing fees
- Seasonal staff uniforms
- First aid supplies
- Signage and parking equipment
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 haunted attraction year, kept every month.
Almost your whole year happens in September and October. Your team keeps you ahead of that, and of taxes on their own schedule. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for seasonal contractors is ready, and a set-aside plan gets built around this year's peak season.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside came out of last season's peak.
- July
Halfway check
A look at presale numbers and set build spending as opening night approaches.
- October
Peak season
Most of your year's income lands now. Gus tracks it closely so the set-aside and off-season runway are both right.
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 haunted attractions. 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 haunted attraction owners ask first.
How does Gus handle a business that only makes money two months a year?
He tracks your season as a whole rather than judging each month on its own, and sets aside enough from the peak to cover both the off-season and what you will owe at tax time.
Are our scare actors employees or contractors?
Often employees, even for a short season, if they work your posted schedule and follow your direction. Gus flags the pattern and the accountant makes the final call.
Do I write off a whole new animatronic scene at once?
Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.
How does Gus handle presale tickets sold months before we open?
He holds that money as owed admission and counts it as income when the ticket is actually used, so a big presale month does not overstate what the season has really earned so far.
Our books are a mess after a chaotic season. Can Gus untangle that?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners 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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We keep books for the business next door too.
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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