Gyms & fitness studios
Books and taxes for hybrid and functional fitness gyms.
Monthly dues, a sled track and a fleet of rowers and ski ergs bought on financing, race-prep training blocks tied to an event date, and coaches paid per class. Gus sorts all of it, and an accountant checks every transaction.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
January came in at $8,500. A wave of members signed up for a twelve-week race-prep block ahead of spring events, and I'm only counting the classes they've taken so far, not the whole block up front.
- PushPress EFT batchMembership dues
- Race-prep block paymentRace-prep programming
- Rower and ski erg financingEquipment
- Coaching payroll runCoach pay
- Sled track resurfacingEquipment
Why your books are different
A hybrid fitness gym's books go wrong around race prep and cardio gear.
A generalist sees dues and a rent bill. Your gym carries a financed fleet of rowers, ski ergs, and a sled track, sells race-prep training blocks tied to a specific event date, and pays coaches per class in a format built around timed stations. When the books miss that, the real cost of prepping members for race day stays hidden.
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1
A race-prep block counted the day it's bought
A member who signs up for a twelve-week race-prep block ahead of a spring event hands you money for classes that haven't happened yet. Counted all at once, the week she signs up looks strong and the weeks she actually trains look thin.
What we doCounts race-prep block income as classes are actually taken, not the day the block is bought, so each month reflects real training delivered. -
2
Cardio equipment financing reads as one flat cost
A fleet of rowers, ski ergs, and sleds financed together can run a payment of over a thousand dollars a month, but part of that is interest and part is paying down equipment you'll eventually own outright.
What we doBreaks the payment into what's paying down the machines and what's interest, so the true cost of the fleet doesn't get inflated by the cost of carrying it. -
3
Sled track upkeep looks like a random repair bill
A sled track takes constant abrasion from loaded sleds and needs periodic resurfacing, which can look like an unplanned expense instead of the routine, expected cost it actually is.
What we doKeeps track and equipment upkeep in one steady category so a resurfacing bill reads as the expected cost it is. -
4
Coach pay tied to specialty programming hides inside wages
A coach paid extra to run race-prep programming, on top of regular class pay, shows up on the bank feed as one lump payroll number, which buries what the specialty program actually costs against what it brings in.
What we doKeeps regular class pay and race-prep coaching pay in their own lines so you can see what each part of the gym earns against what it costs.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a hybrid fitness gym.
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
- Membership duesMonthly EFT drafts through PushPress or a similar system.
- Race-prep programmingTraining blocks tied to an event date, counted as classes are taken.
- Drop-insVisiting athletes paying for a single session.
- RetailShirts, grips, and gear sold at the gym.
Money out
- Coach payRegular class pay and race-prep coaching, kept apart.
- EquipmentRowers, ski ergs, sleds, and financing payments.
- Rent and utilitiesThe building and the floor space a sled track needs.
- SoftwarePushPress or a similar gym management system.
- InsuranceGeneral liability, given the equipment and intensity of class.
- MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new members.
What we watch for you
- Race-prep enrollment
How many members sign up for event-based blocks each season.
- Coach pay by program
Regular class pay against race-prep coaching, so each part of the gym's cost stays visible.
- Equipment financing cost
What's interest versus what's paying down gear you'll eventually own.
- The set-aside
What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things hybrid gym 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 I only count classes as they're taken, not the day the block is bought. As the weeks go by, you'll see it show up class by class, which is closer to the truth.
Part of it is, since it covers both what you owe on the equipment and the interest on carrying that balance. I split the two so the fleet's real cost stays clear.
If she's not on payroll and you pay her $2,000 or more this year, yes, by January 31. I keep that list running so it's ready.
The tax side
The tax side of running a hybrid fitness gym.
Most of what trips up a hybrid gym is timing and financing. Race-prep blocks counted too early, and a fleet of cardio equipment filed the wrong way.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Rowers, ski ergs, and sledsCardio and functional training equipment can usually be written off the year you buy it. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Coach or employeeA coach who runs your class schedule on your equipment usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, no matter what the pay arrangement is called. Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
- Contractor 1099sA specialty race-prep coach not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
- The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when dues, race-prep blocks, and equipment are tracked correctly all year.
Deductions hybrid and functional fitness gyms miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Sled track resurfacing
- Rower and ski erg maintenance
- PushPress or gym software fees
- Liability insurance
- Coach certifications
- Flooring and turf
- Business phone and booking line
- Cleaning service
- Marketing and referral incentives
- Website and booking widget
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 hybrid gym's year, kept every month.
Race season builds toward spring and fall events. Your taxes 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so race-prep block sign-ups don't turn into an April surprise.
- 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'll owe, and whether spring race-prep enrollment matched what you budgeted for.
- October
Before year-end
Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at equipment worth buying 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 hybrid and functional fitness gyms. 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 hybrid gym owners ask first.
Can Gus track race-prep blocks as members actually attend?
Yes. Instead of counting a block as income the day it's sold, he tracks it as classes are taken, so your monthly number reflects real training delivered, not just money collected.
The financing payment on our rowers and sleds looks huge. Is that normal?
Part of it is, since it covers what you owe on the equipment plus interest. Gus splits the two so the fleet's real cost stays separate from the cost of financing it.
Our coaches run both regular classes and race-prep sessions. Does that change the books?
It changes where the money goes, not what you do. Gus keeps regular class pay and race-prep coaching pay in their own lines so you can see what each program earns against what it costs.
Is sled track upkeep really a normal expense?
Yes. It's a required, recurring cost from the abrasion of loaded sleds, and keeping it in its own category means a resurfacing bill reads as expected, not a surprise repair.
Our bookkeeping has been neglected since opening. Is that fixable?
No. Send the statements you have from opening. Gus works through the gap, the accountant checks it, and most owners have a clear picture faster than they'd expect.
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