Water recreation & marinas
Books and taxes for kayak and paddleboard rentals and tours.
Walk-up hourly rentals, guided sunset tours, a fleet of boards and kayaks that dent and patch every season, and guides paid per trip. 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
August made $10,800. I logged the six new paddleboards from the spring order as equipment, not gear, since a fleet buy like that isn't a routine supply run.
- FareHarbor payout, toursGuided tour bookings
- Square, walk-up rentalsHourly rentals
- Guide pay, weekend crewGuide wages
- Austin Kayak parts orderFleet repair and patches
- Beach launch permit feeSite and permit fees
Why your books are different
A kayak and paddleboard rental business's books go wrong in the same handful of places.
A generalist sees deposits and bills. This business is walk-up rentals paid by the hour, guided tours booked ahead, a fleet that dents and patches all season, and guides paid a flat rate per trip. When the books do not separate those, nobody can see if tours or rentals actually carry the season.
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1
Walk-up rentals and booked tours blur together
A card swipe for two hours of kayak rental and a prepaid sunset tour booking can land in the same lump sum from a card reader or booking site, so nobody can tell if tours or hourly rentals are actually the better business.
What we doKeeps hourly rental income and guided tour income in separate lines, so you can see which side of the business is really pulling its weight. -
2
A fleet buy looks like a supply run
Six new paddleboards or a dozen kayaks bought at once for the season can run several thousand dollars, but filed the same way as paddle leashes and dry bags, it makes that month look thin and misses how the tax code treats real equipment.
What we doFlags a fleet-size purchase the day it happens, logs it as equipment separate from small gear, and gets the accountant's call on how it is written off. -
3
Guides paid per trip look like one lump of labor
Guides paid a flat rate for a sunset tour or a half-day paddle, sometimes with tips added on top, can bury what each tour actually costs to run if wages and tips are not tracked apart.
What we doKeeps guide wages and tip payouts in their own lines, so the real cost of running a tour is visible against what it brought in. -
4
Repair and patch costs get lost in the noise
Kayaks and paddleboards dent, crack, and need patch kits all season long. Small and constant, these costs disappear into a general supplies line instead of showing what it really costs to keep the fleet rentable.
What we doKeeps fleet repair and patch costs in a steady line, separate from small retail gear, so wear and tear is visible over the season. -
5
A rained-out weekend looks like a business problem
This business lives and dies by weather, and a washed-out weekend of cancellations can look like a demand problem if nobody is tracking the season as a whole.
What we doTracks the month against the season, so a weather-driven slow stretch reads as expected, not as a warning sign.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a kayak and paddleboard rental business.
Set up once for how rentals and tours get paid and what the fleet costs to run. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Hourly rentalsWalk-up kayak and paddleboard rentals paid by the hour or half day.
- Guided tour bookingsSunset paddles, sunrise tours, and multi-hour guided trips booked through FareHarbor.
- Retail add-onsDry bags, hats, and sunscreen sold at the launch site.
- Group and event bookingsBachelorette parties, birthdays, and corporate outings booked ahead.
Money out
- Guide wagesPay for tour guides, kept apart from any tips passed along.
- Fleet repair and patchesPatch kits, fin replacements, and dent repair for kayaks and boards.
- Life jackets and safety gearPFDs, whistles, and dry bags provided to renters.
- Launch site and permit feesBeach access, parking, and launch permit costs.
- Booking site feesWhat FareHarbor or a similar booking site keeps from tour sales.
- Vehicle and trailer costsFuel and upkeep for the truck and trailer that move the fleet.
What we watch for you
- Rental vs tour mix
How much of the month is hourly rentals versus guided tours, since they carry different costs and margins.
- Fleet repair rate
Repair and patch costs against the size of the fleet. A rising number often means it is time to retire a few boards.
- Weather-adjusted trend
How the season is tracking against past years, so one rained-out week does not get mistaken for a slump.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax time is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things kayak and paddleboard rental 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.
Often it can. I logged it as equipment, not gear, and flagged it so the accountant makes the call with your whole year in view.
I keep tips separate from their wages so you can see labor cost clearly, but the guides still owe tax on those tips the same as their pay.
This month is down, but it is tracking close to last August's weather pattern. I would not read too much into two rained-out weekends.
The tax side
The tax side of a kayak and paddleboard rental business.
Most of what goes wrong here is small purchases piling up and labor that mixes wages with tips. Getting the categories right most of the year makes the return simpler.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Fleet equipment write-offsKayaks, paddleboards, and the trailer that hauls them can usually be written off in the year they are bought, up to current Section 179 and bonus depreciation limits. The accountant decides the best approach for the year.
- Guide wages and tipsA guide who runs trips on your schedule with your gear is usually an employee. Tips they receive are taxable income owing payroll tax the same as wages, though a separate deduction can remove tax on some tip income for eligible occupations.
- Sales tax on rentals and toursWhether rentals and guided tours owe state or local sales tax varies by state and is worth checking locally. Gus keeps rental and tour income clearly split for the accountant to apply it correctly.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when rentals, tours, and fleet costs are tracked correctly all season.
Deductions kayak and paddleboard rental and tour businesses miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Patch kits and repair supplies
- Life jackets and whistles
- Dry bags and paddle leashes
- Truck and trailer fuel
- Beach launch permits
- Booking site fees
- Guide first aid certification
- Sunscreen and retail stock
- Tour photography gear
- Trailer tires and straps
- Marketing and social ads
- Storage rental for the off season
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 kayak and paddleboard rental year, kept every month.
The season peaks in a handful of warm months and goes quiet the rest of the year. Taxes come on their own 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 tax time is already handled before the season books up.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed, ahead of the spring rush of bookings.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer tours and rentals are on pace to cover the off season.
- October
Before the fleet goes into storage
Before boards and kayaks get racked for winter, Gus looks at any fleet purchases or repairs 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 kayak and paddleboard rental and tour businesses. 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 kayak and paddleboard rental owners ask first.
We take cash at the launch site sometimes. Is that a problem?
No. Send what you have, cash included. Gus sorts it the same as any other rental income, since cash still counts as taxable whether or not it went through a card reader.
Can Gus tell us if tours or hourly rentals make more money?
Yes. He keeps the two in separate lines, so you can see which side of the business is really carrying the season instead of guessing from one lump deposit.
We just bought a dozen kayaks for the season. Does that write off right away?
Often it can. Fleet purchases like that can usually be deducted in the year they are bought, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags it and the accountant decides.
Our guides get a day rate plus tips. How does Gus handle that?
Wages and tips stay in separate lines so you can see the real cost of running a tour, but both count as taxable pay for the guide.
We're a new business and our books are a mess from last summer. Can we start now?
Yes. Send the bank and booking site statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they stand inside a week.
Do you handle the beach launch permit or site paperwork?
No. Permits and site agreements are between you and the local authority. Gus tracks the cost once it is paid, but does not manage the paperwork itself.
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