Indoor entertainment

Books and taxes for laser tag arenas.

Timed game sessions, birthday parties, corporate team-building buyouts, and a fleet of vests that need constant charging and repair. 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
MarchExample month
$9,500
what you made

March came in at $9,500. A big corporate team-building buyout landed this month, which I kept separate from regular walk-in game sessions.

  • Xola payoutGame sessions
  • Corporate buyout depositPrivate events
  • Vest parts supplierVest and equipment upkeep
  • Arena lighting orderArena maintenance
  • Party host payrollWages
Money in$33,400
Money out$23,900
Set aside for taxes$2,000
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Laser tag books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees timed sessions and a lobby full of vests. Your business runs on game credits sold by the round, a maze that needs upkeep, and a fleet of electronic gear that takes a beating every day. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell what a session really costs to run.

  1. 1

    Vest and equipment repair gets buried in general supplies

    Vests, sensors, and phasers take real wear from constant handling and get repaired or replaced on a schedule most owners do not track closely, and buried in general supplies, the real cost per game is invisible.

    What we doKeeps vest and equipment upkeep in its own category so the true cost of keeping gear game-ready is visible.
  2. 2

    Private buyouts and public sessions blur together

    A corporate team-building buyout of the whole arena pays very differently than walk-in public sessions sold by the round, and lumped together neither number tells you which one to chase harder.

    What we doKeeps private buyouts and public session sales in their own categories so you can see what actually fills the calendar.
  3. 3

    A maze or lighting rebuild reads like a repair bill

    Rebuilding the arena maze, fog system, or lighting rig can cost thousands, and filed as a repair, it wrecks the month's numbers and hides that it is a long-term investment that should be depreciated.

    What we doFlags a major arena rebuild the month it happens, books it as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on writing it off.
  4. 4

    Party hosts paid per session look like flat payroll

    A party host who runs four sessions on a Saturday and one on a Tuesday earns differently, but lumped into one payroll number you cannot see labor cost against how many sessions actually ran.

    What we doKeeps wages tied to the month earned so labor cost against session revenue is a real number.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a laser tag arena.

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

  • Game sessionsWalk-in and reserved rounds sold through Xola or a similar app.
  • Private eventsCorporate team-building and full-arena buyouts.
  • Party packagesBirthday party bundles with game time and a private room.
  • Group and school bookingsCamps and school groups booked by headcount.

Money out

  • Vest and equipment upkeepVest, sensor, and phaser repair and replacement.
  • Arena maintenanceMaze walls, lighting, fog systems, and black light bulbs.
  • WagesReferees, party hosts, and front desk staff.
  • Liability insuranceCoverage for a physical, low-light activity space.
  • Booking softwareXola or a similar reservation and waiver system.
  • MarketingGroupon fees, local ads, and corporate outreach.

What we watch for you

  • Vest upkeep cost

    What gear repair costs against session revenue, so pricing keeps up with wear.

  • Private event share

    Corporate buyouts against public sessions, since buyouts usually pay more per hour.

  • Labor share

    Wages against session revenue, since staffing runs heavier on weekend party days.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things laser tag 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 keep replacing vest sensors, is that worth tracking on its own?

Yes. It is a real, recurring cost that is easy to lose in general supplies. I keep it separate so you can see it against what sessions bring in.

A corporate group booked the whole arena for a team event, how does that get counted?

As a private event, kept apart from public sessions. It usually pays a lot more per hour, and I want you to be able to see that clearly.

Do I owe anything on the referee we bring in just for weekend rushes?

If you pay him $2,000 or more this year and he is not on payroll, he gets a 1099 by January 31. I keep that list running so it is ready.

The tax side

The tax side of a laser tag arena.

Most of what goes wrong here is treating gear and arena upkeep like ordinary supplies, and missing that a big rebuild should be depreciated, not expensed all at once.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Vest fleet and arena equipmentVest systems, maze walls, and lighting rigs can usually be written off up to $2,560,000 under Section 179 in the year bought, and bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Contractor 1099sA part-time referee, party host, or repair technician who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Employee or contractorReferees and party hosts who work your posted schedule and follow your safety rules are usually employees, even if paid per session.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when the books are right all year.

Deductions laser tag arenas miss

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

  • Vest and sensor repair parts
  • Phaser battery replacement
  • Maze wall and lighting upkeep
  • Fog machine fluid and parts
  • Liability insurance
  • Booking and waiver software
  • Groupon and daily deal fees
  • Referee and host uniforms
  • Card processing fees
  • First aid supplies
  • Black light bulbs

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 laser tag year, kept every month.

School breaks and birthday party weekends carry most of the calendar, and corporate bookings pick up when budgets reset. Your team keeps you ahead of both, and of taxes on their own schedule. 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 1099 list for referees and contract staff is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.

  2. April

    Filed. Done.

    Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.

  3. July

    Halfway check

    A look at how vest fleet upkeep is trending and what you will owe, right as summer birthday party bookings peak.

  4. October

    Before the holiday push

    Corporate team-building season ramps up before year end. Gus looks at vest fleet and arena equipment worth buying 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 laser tag arenas. 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 laser tag owners ask first.

Can Gus keep corporate buyouts separate from public sessions?

Yes. Private events get their own category apart from public game sessions, so you can see which one is actually driving a strong month.

We book through Xola, will switching to Goatkeeper mean changing our booking system?

No. Xola stays exactly as it is. Gus reads what actually lands in your bank account, and if a deposit does not match a booking he recognizes, he asks you directly instead of guessing.

Do I write off a full arena rebuild at once?

Often you can. Equipment bought for the business can usually be deducted in the year you buy it, and sometimes spreading it out is the better call. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant decides.

How does Gus track vest and gear repair costs?

He keeps them in their own category apart from general supplies, so you can see the real, recurring cost of keeping equipment game-ready.

Our books have never separated party packages from regular admission. Is that fixable?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people know where they stand inside 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.

More in indoor entertainment

We keep books for the business next door too.

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