Tutoring, test prep & alternative schools
Books and taxes for math learning centers.
Monthly memberships, a diagnostic placement test for every new student, instructors paid by the hour, and a franchise royalty check every month. 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
September made $11,300. The new-student wave brought in more diagnostic fees than usual, so I kept those apart from the regular monthly dues.
- Monthly membership draftsMembership dues
- New student assessment feesDiagnostic testing
- Center royalty paymentFranchise royalty
- Instructor payrollInstructor wages
- Worksheet packet reorderCurriculum materials
Why your books are different
Math learning center books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees monthly deposits and a rent check. Your business is a membership model with a franchisor taking a cut, instructors paid by the hour, and worksheet reorders that land in lumps. When the books do not know that, the monthly number cannot be trusted.
-
1
Franchise royalty gets buried in rent
A percentage of revenue paid back to the franchisor plus a marketing fund contribution often lands in the books as one general expense line, so you cannot see what the brand costs versus what your center actually spends.
What we doKeeps franchise royalty and marketing fund payments in their own line, separate from rent and supplies. -
2
Membership dues get counted before the month is taught
Some centers bill on the first of the month for sessions that run all month, and if that whole draft is booked as income on day one, the number stops matching what was actually delivered.
What we doRecognizes membership revenue as the month is taught, so the books reflect what happened, not just what was billed. -
3
A worksheet reorder wrecks the monthly number
Worksheets and workbook packets get ordered in bulk a few times a year, and one big reorder makes a strong month look thin while the next one looks great for no real reason.
What we doKeeps curriculum materials in a steady line and tells you when a reorder is the reason a month looks off. -
4
Instructors paid by the hour blend with center management pay
Front-desk staff, instructors, and an owner who also teaches sessions all get paid out of the same account, and if it is not split, you cannot see what instruction actually costs against enrollment revenue.
What we doSplits instructor pay from front-desk and management wages so labor cost against enrollment is always visible.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a math learning center.
Set up once for how the center bills and what it owes the franchisor. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.
Money in
- Membership duesMonthly enrollment fees for ongoing instruction hours.
- Diagnostic testingThe placement assessment every new student takes before enrolling.
- Registration feesOne-time signup charged when a family first enrolls.
- Summer and camp sessionsIntensive blocks sold outside the regular school-year schedule.
Money out
- Franchise royaltyThe percentage of revenue paid back to the franchisor each month.
- Marketing fund feesThe brand's required contribution to national or regional advertising.
- Instructor wagesHourly pay for staff running sessions on the floor.
- Curriculum materialsWorksheet packets, workbooks, and assessment kits.
- Center rent and utilitiesThe lease and the lights for the storefront location.
- Scheduling softwareThe system that tracks student progress and session attendance.
- Marketing and local adsSignage, local search ads, and community event sponsorships.
What we watch for you
- Active enrollment
The base the monthly dues number rests on. A steady count beats one strong month.
- Royalty as a share of revenue
What the franchisor takes against what the center brings in. Worth knowing cold.
- Instructor pay share
Hourly wages against total revenue. Shows what instruction costs against what enrollment brings in.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things math learning center 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.
It tracks with revenue, so a strong enrollment month means a bigger royalty. I keep it as its own line so the pattern is easy to see.
That reorder is most of it. I keep curriculum costs steady across the year so a bulk order doesn't fool you into thinking business slowed.
If they're on your payroll as staff, no. If you're paying anyone outside payroll $2,000 or more this year, they get a 1099-NEC by January 31. I keep track either way.
The tax side
The tax side of a math learning center.
Most of what goes wrong here is a royalty check mixed with rent, and instruction cost mixed with front-desk pay. Fix the labels and the return follows.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Franchise royalty deductionRoyalty and marketing fund payments to the franchisor are ordinary deductible costs of running the center, tracked separately from rent so the real cost of the brand is clear.
- Contractor 1099sAny instructor or aide not on payroll, paid $2,000 or more in 2026, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list running.
- Worker classificationInstructors who follow the center's set curriculum, work assigned hours, and use its materials are usually employees, even if paid by the session rather than a salary.
- The pass-through deductionMost owner-operators can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when royalty and labor are tracked cleanly all year.
Deductions math learning centers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Franchise royalty payments
- Marketing fund contributions
- Worksheet and workbook packets
- Diagnostic testing materials
- Center signage and storefront
- Scheduling and progress software
- Liability insurance
- Background check fees for staff
- Local search and directory ads
- Front-desk supplies
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 math learning center year, kept every month.
Report cards drive the phone to ring. Gus keeps the year's swings organized alongside it. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.
- January
New year, new report cards
Winter report cards bring a wave of new enrollment. Last year's return gets started and the monthly set-aside gets planned.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Summer session check
Where you stand as summer sessions run leaner, and whether the royalty and labor mix changed what you will owe.
- October
Before the fall push
Fall report cards bring the year's biggest enrollment wave. Gus looks at equipment or software 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 math learning centers. 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 math learning center owners ask first.
Can Gus track what I owe the franchisor separately from everything else?
Yes. Royalty and marketing fund payments get their own line, so you can always see the brand's cut against what the center itself is spending.
We enroll students on annual contracts paid monthly. Does that change the books?
It changes when revenue gets counted. Gus recognizes it as the month is taught rather than the day the draft clears, so the number matches the work.
I also teach sessions myself. Does my pay get mixed with instructor wages?
No. Owner draws stay separate from instructor payroll, so labor cost against enrollment revenue stays honest.
Diagnostic testing fees feel like a hassle to track separately. Why bother?
It lets you see what assessment work brings in against ongoing membership dues, which matters most around back-to-school when new-student testing spikes.
My books have never been separated from personal spending. Can Gus fix that?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have and he sorts them out. Most owners 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.
More in tutoring, test prep & alternative schools
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Chess instructors & chess clubs
- Educational therapists
- ESL schools for adults
- Executive function coaches
- Homeschool co-ops & hybrid schools
- Kids coding schools
- Microschools
- Reading & dyslexia specialists
- Special education advocates
- STEM & robotics centers
- College admissions consultants
- Language schools
- Montessori schools
- Online tutoring businesses
- Private K-12 schools
- SAT / ACT test prep
- Private tutoring companies
- Bartending schools
- CPR & first aid training companies
- Dog grooming academies
- Drone pilot training schools
- Firearms instructors & concealed carry classes
- Insurance licensing schools
- Massage therapy schools
- Medical coding & billing schools
- Notary & loan signing training
- Acting classes & studios
- Art academies & portfolio prep
- DJ & music production schools
- Film & theater camps
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