Gyms & fitness studios

Books and taxes for parkour gyms.

Class tuition, a foam pit that needs its blocks fluffed and replaced, camp weeks over school breaks, and coaches paid per class taught. 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
AprilExample month
$5,800
what you made

April came in at $5,800. The foam pit got a partial block refresh this month, and I kept it in its own upkeep category so it reads as the routine cost it is, not a surprise.

  • Mindbody class draftTuition
  • Open gym drop-inOpen gym fees
  • Foam pit block refreshEquipment upkeep
  • Coach staff pay runCoach pay
  • Gym space rentRent
Money in$22,600
Money out$16,800
Set aside for taxes$1,500
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A parkour gym's books go wrong around obstacles and camps.

A generalist sees tuition and a rent bill. Your gym keeps a foam pit and obstacle course that need real, ongoing upkeep, runs open gym sessions separate from structured classes, fills school break weeks with camps, and pays coaches per class they teach. When the books miss that, the real cost of the course stays hidden.

  1. 1

    Foam pit and obstacle upkeep looks like a random expense

    Foam blocks compress and need fluffing or replacement, and obstacles need regular repair from constant impact, which can look like an unplanned cost instead of the routine, expected upkeep it actually is.

    What we doKeeps equipment upkeep in its own steady category so a foam or obstacle repair bill reads as the expected cost it is.
  2. 2

    Open gym and structured classes get counted the same way

    Open gym is a drop-in fee for free practice time, while structured classes are scheduled tuition, and mixing the two together makes it hard to tell how much of the gym's income is recurring versus one-time.

    What we doKeeps open gym fees and class tuition in separate lines so you can see how much of the month is steady versus drop-in.
  3. 3

    Camp week income looks like a random spike

    School break camp weeks bring in a burst of income that doesn't look like regular tuition, and without its own category, a strong week during spring or summer break can look like a mystery.

    What we doTracks camp income as its own category so a camp-week spike reads as the expected season it is.
  4. 4

    Coach per-class pay hides inside a flat wage

    A coach paid a flat rate per class taught looks like one lump payroll number on the bank feed, which buries what teaching actually costs against how full classes are running.

    What we doKeeps per-class pay in its own line, separate from any other wages, so teaching cost stays visible against class revenue.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a parkour 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

  • TuitionMonthly structured class fees drafted through Mindbody.
  • Open gym feesDrop-in fees for free practice time, kept apart from tuition.
  • Camp incomeSchool break camp weeks, tracked as their own seasonal category.
  • RetailGrip aids, shoes, and apparel sold at the gym.

Money out

  • Coach payPer-class pay for structured classes, kept apart from any base wages.
  • Equipment upkeepFoam pit blocks and obstacle repair, tracked as routine cost.
  • Rent and utilitiesThe building and the ceiling height the course needs.
  • SoftwareMindbody scheduling and payment fees.
  • InsuranceGeneral liability, higher here given the impact and fall risk.
  • MarketingLocal ads and referral incentives for new students.

What we watch for you

  • Open gym vs tuition

    How much of the month is drop-in open gym versus recurring class tuition.

  • Equipment upkeep cost

    What's going toward foam and obstacle repair each quarter, so it's expected, not a surprise.

  • Camp income

    Whether school break camps are pulling their expected weight each season.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things parkour 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 refreshed the foam pit blocks. Is that a normal cost?

Completely. I keep equipment upkeep in its own category, so a foam or obstacle repair reads as the routine cost it is, not a surprise expense.

Spring break camp week made this month look bigger than usual. Is that a problem?

Not at all. Camp income gets its own category, so a camp-week spike reads as the expected season it is, not a mystery jump.

Do I owe a 1099 to the coach who only teaches our Saturday class?

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

The tax side

The tax side of running a parkour gym.

Most of what trips up a parkour gym is timing and labels. Upkeep filed as a random expense, and open gym income mixed with regular tuition.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Foam pits and obstacle equipmentFoam pit systems and obstacle course structures can usually be written off in the year they're bought. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • Coach or employeeA coach who teaches your class schedule on your obstacles usually counts as an employee, not a contractor, no matter what the pay arrangement is called. Gus flags it before it becomes a habit.
  • Contractor 1099sA guest clinician not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when tuition, open gym fees, and camps are tracked correctly all year.

Deductions parkour gyms miss

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

  • Foam pit block replacement
  • Obstacle repair and padding
  • Mindbody scheduling fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Coach certifications
  • Crash mats and safety gear
  • Business phone and booking line
  • Cleaning service
  • Marketing and referral incentives
  • Website and booking widget

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 parkour gym's year, kept every month.

School breaks bring camp weeks. Your taxes come on a fixed 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 sign-up wave 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 summer camp weeks are covering the mid-year slowdown in classes.

  4. October

    Before year-end

    Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at foam or obstacle upgrades worth making 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 parkour 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 parkour gym owners ask first.

Is foam pit upkeep really worth its own category?

Yes. Foam blocks and obstacles need regular refresh and repair from constant impact, and keeping that cost in its own line means it reads as the expected upkeep it is, not a surprise expense.

Can Gus keep open gym fees separate from tuition?

Yes. Open gym is drop-in income and tuition is recurring, and keeping them apart shows you how much of the month is steady versus one-time visits.

Does camp week income need its own category?

Yes. School break camps bring in a real, predictable seasonal bump, and tracking it separately means a strong camp week reads as expected, not an unexplained jump.

My coaches are paid per class. Does that change the books?

It changes how the pay gets tracked, not how you run the gym. Per-class pay lands in its own line, separate from open gym staffing, so you can see what teaching structured classes actually costs.

I haven't kept the books up since we opened. Is that a problem?

No. Whatever statements you have since the gym opened are enough to start. Gus catches the books up, the accountant checks it, and you'll know where things 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.

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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