Wellness & recovery services
Books and taxes for health coaches.
A group program launch that brings in most of the quarter in one week, clients paying in installments over months, and a 30-day guarantee window on every sale. 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
September came in at $16,800. The fall cohort launch drove most of it, so I held back what is still inside the refund window before counting it as settled.
- Program launch, full paymentsGroup program sales
- Program launch, installment 1Payment plan installments
- 1:1 coaching retainerPrivate coaching
- Email marketing softwareMarketing tools
- Launch ad spendAdvertising
Why your books are different
A health coach's income arrives in spikes, not a steady drip.
A cohort launch can bring in more in one week than the rest of the quarter combined, some of that money is still owed on payment plans, and some of it could be refunded during a guarantee window. A monthly bookkeeper who expects even income every week misses all three.
-
1
A launch week is not a normal month
A single cohort launch can generate most of a quarter's revenue in a few days, and without context, that month looks wildly different from the quiet weeks before and after it, making it hard to tell if the business is actually growing.
What we doTracks launch revenue against the cohort it funds, so a spike reads as a launch, not an unexplained swing. -
2
Payment plan installments are still owed, not already earned
A client who pays for a program in three installments has only paid a third of the price today, and if the full program value is booked as income at signup, the remaining installments get double-counted or lost entirely.
What we doTracks each payment plan by installment, counting income as each payment actually arrives. -
3
A guarantee window means some income is not final yet
A 30-day money-back guarantee means a chunk of launch revenue could still be refunded weeks after it was collected, and counting it as settled income right away can make a launch look bigger than it will end up being.
What we doFlags guarantee-backed sales so refunds are handled cleanly when they happen, without distorting the months around the launch. -
4
Ad spend for a launch needs to be judged against that launch, not the whole year
Launch ad spend often concentrates in the weeks before a cohort opens, and if it is averaged across the year instead of tied to the launch it funded, it is nearly impossible to tell whether a specific launch was actually profitable.
What we doKeeps ad spend tied to the launch period it supported, so profit per launch is visible on its own.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a health coaching business.
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
- Group program salesFull payments for cohort-based programs.
- Payment plan installmentsProgram payments split over months, counted as they arrive.
- Private coaching1:1 retainers or session packages, kept apart from group programs.
- Affiliate incomeCommissions from recommended products or tools.
Money out
- AdvertisingPaid ads run around a specific launch or ongoing lead generation.
- Marketing toolsEmail software, landing page tools, and funnel software.
- RefundsGuarantee-backed refunds processed after a launch.
- Coaching certificationTraining and continuing education for your credentials.
- Contractor supportVirtual assistants or launch support help paid per project.
What we watch for you
- Profit per launch
Launch revenue against the ad spend and refunds tied to it, so each launch's real return is clear.
- Payment plan balance
How much is still owed across active payment plans, so future income is not mistaken for cash on hand.
- Refund rate
How much of launch revenue gets refunded during the guarantee window, tracked from the books.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things health coaches 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.
No, I tied that revenue to the launch it came from, so it reads as what it is, a strong launch, not an unexplained spike in a normal month.
No, I count each installment as income when it actually arrives, so you are not counting money you have not been paid yet.
I flagged that program as guarantee-backed, so those refunds get recorded cleanly instead of throwing off the months around the launch.
The tax side
The tax side of a health coaching business.
Most of what trips up a health coach is timing income across launches and installments, and separating real business costs from ordinary launch chaos.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Self-employment taxWorking for yourself means paying both halves of Social Security and Medicare, 15.3 percent total, on top of income tax. The set-aside is built to cover it.
- Advertising deductionsLaunch ad spend is usually fully deductible as a marketing cost, and worth tracking against the launch it supported since it is often the largest single expense.
- The pass-through deductionMost solo practitioners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.
- Quarterly estimated paymentsWith no employer withholding anything, most independent coaches pay estimated tax four times a year, on April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15, and a big launch quarter can raise what is owed.
Deductions health coaches miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Launch ad spend
- Email and funnel software
- Coaching certification
- Contractor and virtual assistant pay
- Website hosting
- Continuing education courses
- Business liability insurance
- Video and recording equipment
- Professional association dues
- Home office costs
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 health coaching business's year, kept every month.
Launches cluster around a few weeks a year while private coaching runs steadier. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax calendar through both. 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, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled, even with income concentrated around launch weeks.
- 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 recent launches changed how much needs to be set aside.
- October
Before the year closes
Gus looks at whether a big fall launch changes what should be set aside before December, and what is worth buying while there is still time to use it.
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 health coaches. 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 health coaches ask first.
My income is really lumpy because of launches. Is that a problem for tax purposes?
No. Gus tracks launch revenue against the period it covers, so an uneven year reads honestly instead of looking like a bookkeeping mismatch.
How does Gus handle clients on payment plans?
He counts each installment as income when it actually arrives, rather than booking the full program value the day someone signs up, so income matches what has actually been paid.
What happens with refunds during my guarantee window?
Gus flags guarantee-backed programs, so refunds get recorded cleanly when they happen instead of distorting the months around the launch.
Should I track ad spend by launch or just as one ongoing expense?
By launch works better. Gus ties ad spend to the launch it supported, so you can see whether a specific launch was actually profitable.
My income varies a lot quarter to quarter. How does the set-aside work with that?
Gus tracks your set-aside against actual income as it comes in, so a big launch quarter sets aside more and a quiet quarter sets aside less, keeping April predictable either 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