Gyms & fitness studios

Books and taxes for online personal trainers.

Monthly coaching subscriptions, a check-in call here and there, and app fees that quietly take a cut before you see it. 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
$7,700
what you made

March came in at $7,700. Trainerize took its cut before the deposit hit your account, so I booked the full client charge as income and their fee as a cost, not a smaller sale.

  • Trainerize payoutCoaching subscriptions
  • Stripe payoutCoaching subscriptions
  • Trainerize app feeApp fees
  • Canva subscriptionSoftware
  • Instagram ad spendMarketing
Money in$9,800
Money out$2,100
Set aside for taxes$2,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

An online trainer's books go wrong in their own way.

A generalist sees deposits and a few small bills. Your business runs on one person, a coaching app that takes its cut before you're paid, and no employer withholding a dime for taxes. When the books miss that, April becomes the most expensive month of your year.

  1. 1

    App fees hide inside a smaller deposit

    A client pays $150 a month through Trainerize or My PT Hub, but the app keeps a percentage before the payout lands. Booked as the deposit amount, your real sales look smaller than what clients actually paid.

    What we doBooks what the client actually paid as income and the app's cut as a separate cost, so your real prices stay visible.
  2. 2

    No employer means no tax withheld anywhere

    There's no paycheck taking a bite for taxes before you see the money, which means the whole bill lands at once if nothing's been set aside along the way.

    What we doTracks a set-aside every month based on what you're actually earning, so the number in April is one you already knew.
  3. 3

    A free coaching call turns into an unpaid client

    A discovery call or a free week of programming to land a new client is a normal cost of doing business, but it rarely gets tracked as anything, which hides what it actually costs to bring someone on.

    What we doKeeps a line for client acquisition costs like free trials, so you can see what it takes to land a paying client.
  4. 4

    Home office and equipment costs get skipped

    A ring light, a laptop for programming, or the corner of a room used to film form checks are real business costs that solo trainers often just absorb personally instead of claiming.

    What we doFlags home office and equipment purchases used for coaching, and gets the accountant's read on what can be claimed.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for an online personal trainer.

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

  • Coaching subscriptionsMonthly client payments through Trainerize, My PT Hub, or True Coach.
  • One-off consultationsSingle assessment or programming calls billed outside the subscription.
  • Program salesA standalone training program sold as a one-time purchase.
  • Affiliate or brand incomeCommissions from gear or supplement links, if you run any.

Money out

  • Coaching app feesThe cut Trainerize, My PT Hub, or Stripe keeps before you're paid.
  • Coaching softwareProgramming, video, and check-in tools you pay for monthly.
  • MarketingInstagram or Google ad spend and any content tools.
  • Home office and equipmentA ring light, laptop, or filming setup used for coaching.
  • Continuing educationCertifications and courses that keep your coaching current.

What we watch for you

  • Real take-home

    What clients paid minus app fees, since the deposit alone understates it.

  • Client acquisition cost

    What free trials and discovery calls cost you to land a paying client.

  • The set-aside

    What you'll owe in taxes, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.

Ask Gus

Things online trainers 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.

Why does my payout look smaller than what clients actually pay?

The app takes its cut before the deposit lands. I book the full amount clients paid as income and the app's fee as a cost, so your real prices don't disappear.

Nobody's withholding tax for me. How much should I be setting aside?

I track that every month based on what you're actually earning, so it's not a guess. You'll see the number update as the year goes.

Can I write off my laptop? I only use it for coaching.

Usually, if it's genuinely for the business. I flagged the purchase, and the accountant makes the call on how much of it counts.

The tax side

The tax side of coaching online.

Most of what trips up a solo online trainer is that nobody's withholding anything for you. The set-aside has to be built on purpose, not left until April.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Self-employment taxAs a solo trainer taking profit directly, you owe self-employment tax of 15.3 percent on top of regular income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Quarterly estimated taxesWithout an employer withholding anything, taxes are generally due four times a year: April 15, June 15, September 15, and January 15.
  • Home office and equipmentA laptop, camera gear, or a dedicated filming space used for coaching can often be deducted, sometimes in the year you buy it. Gus flags the purchase and the accountant sorts out how much counts.
  • The pass-through deductionMost solo coaches can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when your real income and expenses are tracked all year.

Deductions online personal trainers miss

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

  • Coaching app fees
  • Coaching and programming software
  • Continuing education and certifications
  • Ring light and filming equipment
  • Laptop used for coaching
  • Business phone plan
  • Website hosting
  • Instagram or Google ad spend
  • Stock photos or design tools
  • Business insurance

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

An online trainer's year, kept every month.

Clients sign up whenever they're ready. Your taxes come on a set 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.

  1. January

    Plan the year

    Last year's return gets started, and you get a monthly set-aside so the New Year's coaching rush doesn't turn into an April surprise.

  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'll owe, and whether your client count has grown enough to change the estimate.

  4. October

    Before year-end

    Before the year closes, Gus looks at any equipment or software 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 online personal trainers. 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 online trainers ask first.

I don't have a studio or gym. Does that change what Gus does?

It simplifies it. There's no rent, equipment financing, or staff to sort, just your coaching income, app fees, and a handful of business costs, all tracked from your bank and app statements.

How does Gus handle the cut Trainerize or Stripe takes?

He books what the client actually paid as your income and the app's fee as a separate cost, so your real prices stay visible instead of looking smaller than they are.

I have no idea how much to save for taxes. Can Gus tell me?

Yes. He tracks a set-aside every month based on what you're actually earning as a solo coach, so you're not guessing and April isn't a surprise.

Can I deduct a free trial week I give new clients?

The cost of your time isn't deductible, but any real expense tied to landing that client, like ad spend or a paid tool, is tracked as a cost so you can see what growing your client list actually takes.

My income is inconsistent month to month. Is that a problem for Gus?

No. He works from whatever comes in, whenever it comes in, and the monthly number and set-aside adjust with it, so an uneven month doesn't throw anything off.

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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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