Indoor entertainment

Books and taxes for ninja warrior and obstacle gyms.

Weekly class memberships, open gym time, birthday parties, and an obstacle rig that needs real inspection and upkeep. 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
SeptemberExample month
$10,500
what you made

September came in at $10,500. Fall class sign-ups ran strong, so I kept that steady membership income apart from open gym and party bookings.

  • Class membership duesMemberships
  • Open gym admissionOpen gym
  • Rig hardware supplierObstacle rig upkeep
  • Coach payrollWages
  • Mat and padding orderSafety equipment
Money in$34,600
Money out$24,100
Set aside for taxes$2,050
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Ninja warrior gym books go wrong in the same few places.

A generalist sees admission and an obstacle course. Your business runs on weekly class memberships, coaches who teach real skills, and rig equipment that needs safety inspection on a real schedule. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell whether classes or open gym time is actually building your business.

  1. 1

    Class memberships and open gym drop-ins blur together

    A family enrolled in weekly ninja classes pays steadier, recurring money than someone dropping in for open gym time, and lumped together neither number tells you which one is actually building a loyal customer base.

    What we doKeeps class memberships apart from open gym admission so you can see which one is growing your regulars.
  2. 2

    Rig inspection and upkeep gets buried in general repairs

    Obstacle rigs need real, recurring inspection and hardware replacement to stay safe, and lumped into general repairs, an owner cannot see whether upkeep costs are climbing on an aging rig.

    What we doKeeps rig upkeep in its own category so a maintenance trend is visible before it becomes a safety concern.
  3. 3

    Coaches paid per class look like flat payroll

    A coach teaching four classes on a Saturday and one on a slow Tuesday earns differently, but lumped into one payroll number you cannot see labor cost against how many classes actually ran.

    What we doKeeps coaching wages tied to the month earned so labor cost against class revenue is a real number.
  4. 4

    A rig expansion reads like a supply purchase

    Adding new obstacles or expanding the course can cost tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as supplies, it wrecks the month's numbers and hides that it is a long-term investment that should be depreciated.

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

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a ninja warrior 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

  • MembershipsWeekly class enrollment and recurring dues.
  • Open gymDrop-in admission for unstructured rig time.
  • Party packagesBirthday party bookings on the obstacle floor.
  • Competition feesEntry fees for hosted competitions and events.

Money out

  • Obstacle rig upkeepHardware inspection, cable replacement, and rig repair.
  • Safety equipmentMats, padding, and fall zone materials.
  • WagesCoaches, class instructors, and front desk staff.
  • Liability insuranceCoverage for a high-activity, high-fall-risk facility.
  • Rent and utilitiesThe gym space and its climate control.
  • MarketingLocal ads, school outreach, and social media promotion.

What we watch for you

  • Membership versus drop-in mix

    How much revenue comes from steady class memberships versus open gym admission.

  • Rig upkeep cost

    Maintenance spend over time, so an aging rig gets budgeted for before a safety issue arises.

  • Labor share

    Coaching wages against class revenue, since staffing runs heavier on weekend class blocks.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things ninja warrior 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.

We just replaced a bunch of rig cables, that was a real cost this month.

I kept it in the rig upkeep line, so you can see it was a planned safety cost, not a slow month. Worth watching if it becomes a pattern on the older sections.

Are class memberships actually growing or is it mostly drop-ins?

Memberships are up this quarter and outpacing open gym admission. I keep them apart so you can see that shift clearly.

Do I owe anything on the coach who runs our weekend competition clinics?

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 ninja warrior gym.

Most of what goes wrong here is treating rig upkeep like ordinary repairs, and coaches paid per class like contractors when they work like staff.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Obstacle rig and safety equipmentRig hardware, mats, and padding 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 guest clinic instructor or freelance rig inspector who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
  • Employee or contractorCoaches who teach on your posted class schedule and follow your curriculum are usually employees, even if paid per class.
  • 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 ninja warrior and obstacle gyms miss

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

  • Rig hardware and cables
  • Mats and fall zone padding
  • Safety inspection fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Coach certifications
  • Class scheduling software
  • Party supplies and decorations
  • Card processing fees
  • First aid supplies
  • Competition scoring equipment

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 ninja warrior gym year, kept every month.

Fall and winter bring the biggest class sign-up seasons, and summer often means camps and open gym drop-ins. 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 guest coaches 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

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and how summer camps and open gym numbers compared.

  4. October

    Before winter sign-up season

    Fall and winter class enrollment ramps up. Gus looks at rig upkeep and safety equipment worth doing before the busy season.

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 ninja warrior and obstacle 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 ninja warrior gym owners ask first.

Can Gus separate class memberships from open gym admission?

Yes. Memberships get their own category apart from drop-in open gym fees, so you can see which one is actually building your regular customer base.

How does Gus handle rig maintenance and safety inspections?

He keeps rig upkeep in its own category, separate from general repairs, so a maintenance trend on an aging rig is visible before it becomes a safety concern.

Do I write off a rig expansion all 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.

Are our coaches employees or contractors?

A coach teaching your posted class schedule and curriculum is usually an employee, even if paid per class rather than hourly. Gus flags the pattern and the accountant makes the final call.

Our books have never separated memberships from party bookings. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts each revenue stream into its own category, the accountant checks it, and most owners 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.

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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