Youth & adult sports training

Books and taxes for hockey training centers.

Ice blocks leased at prime and off-peak rates, private skating and goalie sessions, skate sharpening at the counter, and a summer camp that fills the slow months. 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
AugustExample month
$11,500
what you made

August came in at $11,500. Summer camp filled the ice you'd normally leave empty this time of year, so I kept camp income apart from your regular skills sessions.

  • Arena ice block, prime timeIce rental
  • Summer camp registrationCamp and clinic fees
  • Private goalie sessionsGoalie coaching
  • Skate sharpening suppliesSkate services
  • USA Hockey member feesRegistration pass-through
Money in$51,000
Money out$39,500
Set aside for taxes$2,600
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A hockey training center's books go wrong in the same handful of spots.

A generalist sees deposits and bills. You lease ice by the block at rates that shift by the hour, coach goalies separately from skaters, and run a sharpening counter on the side. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell whether prime-time ice is actually worth what it costs.

  1. 1

    Ice block cost doesn't get matched to what it earned

    A 6 a.m. ice block costs far less than a 6 p.m. block, but both often show up as one flat ice expense line. Without matching cost to the session it supported, you cannot tell which time slots are worth keeping.

    What we doTies ice block cost to the sessions run in that slot, so prime and off-peak time can each be checked against what they bring in.
  2. 2

    Goalie coaching gets priced differently but booked the same as skater lessons

    A specialized goalie session often costs more per hour than a group skating lesson, but if both land in one lesson-income line, you cannot see whether goalie coaching is pulling its weight.

    What we doKeeps goalie coaching income separate from general skills sessions, so each can be measured on its own.
  3. 3

    Skate sharpening gets mixed into lesson revenue

    A counter that sharpens skates for a few dollars a pair is a different business than coaching, with its own small supply costs and thin margin, but it often gets deposited alongside session fees.

    What we doKeeps sharpening and gear sales in their own category, apart from coaching income.
  4. 4

    USA Hockey registration fees pass through your account without being your money

    Families often pay their USA Hockey membership fee to you, and you forward it on. Counted as your income when it lands, it inflates what the center actually earned.

    What we doKeeps pass-through registration fees separate from real training income, so your revenue reflects what you actually kept.
  5. 5

    A summer camp fills ice you'd otherwise leave empty

    Summer stick-and-puck camps run on ice that sits open once regular travel season ends, but camp fees often get bundled with the same category as year-round private lessons.

    What we doTracks camp income on its own line, so you can see what filling the summer slow season actually adds.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a hockey training 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

  • Skills session feesGroup and private skating and stickhandling sessions.
  • Goalie coachingSpecialized goalie sessions, priced and tracked apart from skaters.
  • Camp and clinic feesSummer camps and school-break clinics run outside the regular season.
  • Skate servicesSharpening and small gear sales at the counter.

Money out

  • Ice rentalBlock time leased from the arena, at prime and off-peak rates.
  • Coach and instructor payOn-ice staff, kept apart from your own draw.
  • Skate servicesSharpening stones, blades, and supplies for the counter.
  • Registration pass-throughUSA Hockey and league fees forwarded on families' behalf.
  • InsuranceGeneral liability and on-ice accident coverage.
  • MarketingLocal ads, your website, and clinic listing fees.

What we watch for you

  • Ice utilization

    How much of your leased ice time is actually filled with paid sessions.

  • Goalie session share

    What specialized goalie coaching is bringing in against skater sessions.

  • Sharpening margin

    Whether the counter service is worth the supply cost and staff time.

  • The set-aside

    What ice time and coaching income actually owe, tracked monthly instead of guessed at come April.

Ask Gus

Things hockey training 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.

We collect USA Hockey membership money from families and pass it straight through. Does that count as our income?

No, and I keep it out of your revenue entirely. It moves through your account, but it was never yours to begin with.

Our 6 a.m. ice block is way cheaper than our evening block. Can the books show which one is actually worth it?

Yes, I match each block's cost to what it brought in, so you can see whether that early slot is pulling its weight or just filling a schedule.

Our goalie coach is only here on Saturdays. Contractor or employee?

If she uses your ice time and your booking system on a set weekly slot, she likely reads as an employee even for one day a week. That one needs the accountant's read before you settle the paperwork.

The tax side

The tax side of a hockey training center.

Most of what trips up a training center is separating what's really yours from what passes through, and paying on-ice staff the right way.

What your return has to get right

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

  • On-ice staff classificationA coach who works a set weekly slot on ice you leased is usually an employee, not a contractor, even for one day a week.
  • Contractor 1099s for guest cliniciansA visiting skills coach or one-time goalie clinician paid $2,000 or more in 2026, and not on payroll, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Pass-through registration feesMoney collected on behalf of USA Hockey or a league and forwarded on is not your income, and should not be taxed as if it were.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when session, camp, and pass-through fees are kept apart.

Deductions hockey training centers miss

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

  • Skate sharpening stones and blades
  • Pucks, cones, and passing gear
  • Goalie training equipment
  • Ice block rental
  • Uniforms with your logo
  • Booking and scheduling software
  • Liability insurance
  • First aid and training room supplies
  • Website and video review tools
  • Clinic and camp listing fees
  • Storage for on-ice equipment
  • Coaching certification 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 hockey training center's year, kept every month.

Ice time never really stops, but your taxes still come on a fixed schedule. 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, the on-ice staff 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed, right as spring travel tryouts start booking more ice time.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer camp filled the ice the way you hoped.

  4. October

    Before winter season

    Before the winter travel season fills your best ice blocks, Gus looks at gear and contracts worth locking in before December.

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 hockey training 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 hockey training center owners ask first.

Can Gus separate goalie coaching from regular skills sessions?

Yes. Goalie sessions get their own line, so you can see whether that specialized coaching is earning what it should against everything else you run.

We lease ice from a rink we don't own. Does that complicate the books?

No. Gus tracks what you pay for each block against the sessions it supported, no matter how many rinks you lease from.

Families pay us their USA Hockey fee and we forward it. Is that taxable to us?

No. That money passes through and is not the center's income. Gus keeps it separate so your revenue only reflects what you actually earned.

Do we owe anything on the skate sharpening we do at the counter?

Sharpening and gear sales are usually treated differently than coaching fees for sales tax, depending on your state. Gus keeps that revenue apart so the accountant can sort out what applies.

Our books have never really been kept, just a folder of receipts. Where do we start?

Right where you are. Send whatever statements and receipts you have and Gus builds the picture from there, no matter how far back it goes.

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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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