Tutoring, test prep & alternative schools
Books and taxes for homeschool co-ops and hybrid schools.
Family membership dues, a facility rented two or three days a week, teachers who are also parents paid a small stipend, and a fall enrollment that fills before Labor Day. Gus sorts it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
August came in at $5,700. Family dues for the fall term posted early this year, so I flagged that most of it belongs to September and October's work.
- Fall term family duesFamily tuition dues
- Registration fee batchRegistration fees
- Church facility rentFacility rent
- Parent-teacher stipendsTeacher stipends
- Curriculum bulk orderShared curriculum
Why your books are different
Homeschool co-op and hybrid school books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees family payments and a rented hall. Your organization runs on parent volunteers paid small stipends, a facility rented only certain days, and dues collected before the term they cover even starts. When the books do not know that, the treasurer cannot answer a simple question at the spring meeting.
-
1
Fall dues get counted before the school year starts
Families often pay for the full year in August, and if that whole amount lands as August income, the fall and spring terms both show numbers that do not match the work actually happening.
What we doSpreads family dues across the terms they cover, so each month of the school year shows what was actually earned. -
2
Parent-teacher stipends look like informal gift payments
A parent who teaches a class for a small stipend is doing real paid work, and if that payment is not tracked and reported properly, both the co-op and the parent can end up with a tax surprise.
What we doTracks stipend payments by person all year, so the 1099 or payroll question is answered before January, not during it. -
3
Facility rent paid only on class days looks inconsistent
A church or community space rented three days a week, with no charge the other days, can look like an irregular expense instead of the predictable cost it actually is.
What we doTies facility rent to the weekly schedule so the real cost of running the co-op each term is easy to see. -
4
Shared curriculum purchases get split unevenly across families
A bulk curriculum order paid once and divided among enrolled families can create confusion about who owes what and whether the co-op is covering costs or running a deficit.
What we doKeeps shared curriculum spending in its own line, separate from facility and stipend costs, so the real cost per family is clear. -
5
Fundraisers and donations get mixed with regular dues
A fall fundraiser or a family's extra donation toward scholarship tuition often lands in the same account as regular dues, making it hard to see how much of the budget depends on dues alone.
What we doKeeps fundraising and donation income separate from family dues, so the board can see what regular tuition actually covers.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a homeschool co-op or hybrid school.
Set up once for how families pay and how the space and teachers get covered. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Family tuition duesPer-term or per-year dues paid by enrolled families.
- Registration feesOne-time signup fee collected before the term starts.
- Fundraising and donationsFall fundraisers and family or community donations kept apart from dues.
- Materials feesPer-child charges for shared classroom supplies and consumables.
Money out
- Facility rentThe church, community center, or hall rented for class days.
- Teacher stipendsSmall payments to parent teachers and outside instructors.
- Shared curriculumBulk-ordered materials used across multiple classes.
- Liability insuranceCoverage for the facility and activities during class days.
- Background check feesScreening for parent teachers and volunteers working with children.
- Scheduling and enrollment softwareThe tool families use to register and pay dues.
What we watch for you
- Enrolled families
The base your term dues rest on. A steady count matters more than one strong term.
- Dues collected ahead of term
Money already received for a term not yet delivered, so the board knows what is truly earned.
- Stipend total by teacher
What each parent teacher was paid this year, kept ready for tax season.
- The set-aside
What the organization will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things co-op and hybrid school leaders 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.
It would, if I booked it all at once. Instead I spread it across the terms it covers, so August and the rest of the year both show what actually happened.
If a parent teacher is paid $2,000 or more this year and is not on payroll, yes, a 1099-NEC by January 31. I track every stipend by name all year so the list is ready.
No, I keep it separate so the board can see what regular dues cover on their own, without the fundraiser bump making things look better than usual.
The tax side
The tax side of a homeschool co-op or hybrid school.
Most of what goes wrong here is dues counted too early and stipends nobody tracked. Fix the timing and the paper trail, and the rest follows.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Deferred term duesDues paid before a term begins are not fully earned yet, and good books recognize them across the months of school the payment actually covers.
- Parent-teacher stipendsAny parent teacher or outside instructor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31, even when the payment is called a stipend.
- Nonprofit status considerationsMany co-ops and hybrid schools organize as nonprofits. Whether the organization needs to file Form 990 or keep tax-exempt status current is a question for the accountant, and it sits outside what monthly bookkeeping alone covers.
- Sales tax on materials feesWhether curriculum and materials fees charged to families are subject to state sales tax varies by state, and it is worth confirming with the accountant early in the year.
Deductions homeschool co-ops and hybrid schools miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Facility rent
- Shared curriculum and workbooks
- Parent-teacher stipends
- Liability insurance
- Background check fees
- Enrollment and scheduling software
- Classroom supplies and consumables
- Marketing and community outreach
- Cleaning and facility upkeep
- Card 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 homeschool co-op or hybrid school year, kept every month.
Enrollment and dues run on the school calendar, not the tax calendar. Gus keeps both organized together. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
Spring term begins
Spring term dues post and last year's return gets started, with the organization's set-aside planned for the year.
- April
Filed. Done.
The organization's return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Between school years
A quiet stretch before fall enrollment. Gus gives a halfway check on where the year stands financially.
- October
After the enrollment rush
Fall enrollment and dues are in. Gus looks at any facility or curriculum decisions worth making before December.
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 homeschool co-ops and hybrid schools. 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 homeschool co-op and hybrid school leaders ask first.
We're volunteer-run with no paid staff except stipends. Does Gus still work for us?
Yes. Gus books what actually moves through the account, whether that is dues, stipends, or a fundraiser, and the accountant checks every transaction the same as for any business.
Are we required to be a nonprofit for Gus to help?
No. Gus keeps the books either way. If nonprofit status or Form 990 questions come up, those sit with the accountant, since they are outside what monthly bookkeeping covers on its own.
How does Gus handle dues that cover a whole school year paid up front?
He spreads that income across the terms it actually covers, so no single month looks inflated by a lump-sum payment collected in August.
Our treasurer changes every year or two. Will the books still make sense to the next person?
Yes. The categories stay consistent year to year regardless of who is reading them, so a new treasurer can see exactly where things stand without starting over.
We have three years of records in a shared spreadsheet nobody agrees on. Can Gus start clean?
Yes. Send what you have and he sorts it out from there. Most organizations know exactly where they stand within 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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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