Pet services
Books and taxes for luxury pet resorts.
Private suite stays, webcam and concierge add-ons, VIP membership packages, and a larger staff running spa and enrichment services. 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
December came in at $29,300. Three families paid for the full VIP concierge package this month, so I kept that revenue apart from standard suite stays to see how much the upgrade is really worth.
- Suite stay, private roomSuite stays
- VIP concierge packageConcierge and VIP packages
- Spa staff payrollStaff wages
- Premium food distributor orderFood and amenity supplies
- Webcam service subscriptionTechnology and add-ons
Why your books are different
Luxury pet resort books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees a nightly rate and a payroll run. Your business is premium suites priced well above standard boarding, concierge add-ons that carry their own cost, and a larger staff running spa and enrichment services. The books need to track all of it.
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1
Concierge and VIP fees blur into the base suite rate
A family pays extra for webcam access, private walks, and a bedtime story read to their dog, but if all of that gets folded into the nightly suite rate, you cannot see whether the premium add-ons are actually worth offering.
What we doKeeps concierge and VIP package revenue on its own line, separate from the base suite rate, so you can see what each upgrade is really worth. -
2
A larger staff hides what a full resort actually earns
Spa technicians, enrichment staff, and overnight attendants all draw wages, and if that payroll sits in one lump sum against total revenue, you cannot tell whether your premium pricing actually covers the larger team it takes to deliver it.
What we doKeeps staff wages visible against suite and concierge revenue, so you can see what the experience actually costs to run. -
3
Premium food and amenity costs get lumped with basic supplies
Higher-end food, bedding, and in-suite amenities cost more than standard kennel supplies, and if they get mixed into one general supply line, you lose the ability to see whether your premium positioning is paying for itself.
What we doKeeps premium food and amenity costs on their own line, separate from general facility supplies. -
4
Membership fees get counted before the year they cover
A client pays for an annual VIP membership up front, and if the whole amount counts as income the month it sells, the months the membership actually covers look understated.
What we doSpreads membership income across the months it covers, so income reflects the service actually delivered.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a luxury pet resort.
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
- Suite staysPrivate room boarding, priced above standard kennel runs.
- Concierge and VIP packagesWebcam access, private walks, and other premium add-ons.
- Annual membershipsPrepaid VIP plans, spread across the months they cover.
- Spa and grooming servicesOn-site grooming and spa treatments booked with a stay.
Money out
- Staff wagesSpa technicians, enrichment staff, and overnight attendants.
- Food and amenity suppliesPremium food, bedding, and in-suite amenities.
- Technology and add-onsWebcam services and other guest-facing technology.
- Facility maintenanceSuite upkeep, HVAC, and general repairs.
- Liability insuranceCoverage for dogs boarding in a premium facility.
- MarketingPhotography, social content, and referral partnerships.
What we watch for you
- Concierge revenue share
How much VIP and concierge add-ons contribute against base suite income.
- Labor share
Staff wages against total revenue, to see if premium pricing covers the larger team.
- Membership balance
How much prepaid membership revenue is still owed across the months it covers.
- Occupancy rate
How many suites are filled against total capacity, tracked from bookings.
Ask Gus
Things luxury pet resort 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.
Yes, I keep concierge revenue separate from the base suite rate, so you can see how much those upgrades are actually worth beyond the standard stay.
No, I spread it across the year it covers, so the months ahead show real membership value instead of one big number now and nothing later.
That's a bigger call than I can make alone. New space and equipment at that scale changes your financing and depreciation picture, so bring the accountant in before you commit.
The tax side
The tax side of a luxury pet resort.
Premium pricing and a larger staff make timing and labor classification the two things that matter most here.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Membership income spread over timeAn annual membership fee is earned across the months it covers, not the day it is purchased. Gus tracks the balance so income matches the service actually delivered.
- Employee spa and enrichment staffStaff running spa services and enrichment programs on your schedule in your facility are almost always employees, not contractors.
- Equipment for suites and spa servicesSuite build-outs, spa equipment, and facility upgrades can often be written off in the year you buy them, with Section 179 expensing available up to $2,560,000.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when concierge revenue and staff costs are tracked accurately all year.
Deductions luxury pet resorts miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Premium food and treats
- Bedding and in-suite amenities
- Spa and grooming supplies
- Webcam and guest technology fees
- Suite and facility maintenance
- Liability insurance
- Booking software subscription
- Staff uniforms
- Professional photography for marketing
- Continuing education for staff
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 luxury pet resort year, kept every month.
Holiday and summer travel drive your busiest suite bookings. Your taxes come on a schedule of their own. 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 a monthly set-aside is planned around your typical suite occupancy.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Midyear check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer travel filled suites more than usual.
- October
Ahead of the holiday rush
VIP holiday bookings start rolling in. Gus looks at equipment worth buying before December and keeps membership balances clear.
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 luxury pet resorts. 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 luxury pet resort owners ask first.
How does Gus handle a big annual membership payment?
He spreads it across the months the membership covers instead of counting it all at once, so your income reflects the service you actually deliver over the year, not just the day the client paid.
Are concierge add-ons like webcam access taxed differently than the suite rate?
No, they are ordinary service revenue, but Gus keeps them in their own category so you can see how much those premium add-ons actually contribute beyond the base stay.
My spa staff and enrichment techs are paid hourly. Are they employees?
Almost always yes. Staff running services on your schedule in your facility are structured too closely to your business to count as independent contractors.
Can I deduct the cost of upgrading suites with new amenities?
Usually yes, often in the year you buy them. Gus logs facility upgrades separately from routine supplies so the accountant can decide how it gets written off.
My pricing is much higher than a standard kennel. Does that change how the books work?
The categories stay the same, but Gus keeps premium revenue and the larger staff and supply costs that come with it clearly separated, so your real margin on the premium experience is visible.
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