Gyms & fitness studios

Books and taxes for prenatal and postnatal fitness studios.

Class packs that follow a client from pregnancy through recovery, a childcare add-on fee, and referral partnerships with local doulas. 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
$5,100
what you made

March came in at $5,100. Three clients added the childcare option this month, and I kept that fee in its own line since it's a different service than the class itself.

  • Momence class package paymentClass packs
  • Childcare add-on feeChildcare fees
  • Postnatal recovery equipmentEquipment
  • Prenatal instructor payrollInstructor pay
  • Rent, studio spaceRent
Money in$17,200
Money out$12,100
Set aside for taxes$1,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A prenatal studio's books go wrong around add-ons and client transitions.

A generalist sees class payments and a rent bill. Your studio sells packs that follow a client from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, offers a childcare add-on most fitness studios never touch, and partners with doulas and lactation consultants for referrals. When the books miss that, the specialty parts of the business get lost in general class income.

  1. 1

    Childcare add-on fees blend into class income

    A client who pays extra to have her older child watched during class hands over a fee that's a different service entirely, and mixed into regular class income, you can't tell whether the childcare option is worth offering.

    What we doKeeps childcare fees in their own line, separate from class packs, so you can see whether that add-on covers its own cost.
  2. 2

    Prenatal and postnatal packs get counted the day they're bought

    A client who buys a twelve-week prenatal pack hands you money for classes she hasn't taken yet, and often transitions to a postnatal pack partway through her pregnancy. Counted all at once, a big pack sale looks like a strong week instead of months of upcoming classes.

    What we doCounts pack income as classes are actually taken, not the day the pack is bought, tracking clients through their transition from prenatal to postnatal programming.
  3. 3

    Referral partnership income looks like an unexplained deposit

    A flat fee from a doula practice or birthing center that refers clients to your studio doesn't look like a class payment, and without its own category, it can get missed or mislabeled entirely.

    What we doTracks referral partnership income as its own category so that revenue is expected and visible.
  4. 4

    Specialized equipment gets treated like general studio gear

    Stability balls, resistance bands sized for postpartum recovery, and diastasis recti assessment tools are specific to this kind of studio, and lumped in with general equipment, it's hard to see what this specialty actually costs to run.

    What we doFlags specialized prenatal and postnatal equipment so its cost stays visible against the classes it supports.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a prenatal and postnatal studio.

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

  • Class packsPrenatal and postnatal blocks sold through Momence or Mindbody.
  • Childcare add-on feesThe extra charge for watching an older child during class.
  • Drop-insSingle classes for clients trying the studio.
  • Referral partnership incomeFees from doulas, birthing centers, or lactation consultants.

Money out

  • Instructor payPer-class pay for certified prenatal and postnatal instructors.
  • EquipmentStability balls, bands, and recovery assessment tools.
  • Childcare staffingPay for whoever watches children during the add-on service.
  • Rent and utilitiesThe studio space and the power it runs on.
  • SoftwareMomence or Mindbody scheduling and payment fees.
  • InsuranceGeneral liability and professional liability, given the population served.

What we watch for you

  • Childcare margin

    Whether childcare fees cover what it costs to staff that service.

  • Classes used vs sold

    How much of what clients paid for has actually been taken, so income tracks real classes.

  • Referral partnership income

    Whether local partnerships are bringing in the revenue they're meant to.

  • The set-aside

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

Ask Gus

Things prenatal studio 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.

Does the childcare add-on actually make money once I pay someone to watch the kids?

I keep childcare fees and childcare staffing in their own lines, so you can see that margin clearly instead of it blending into regular class income.

A local doula practice sends us referrals and pays a flat fee. Where does that go?

Its own category, separate from class income. That way the partnership's value stays visible instead of looking like an unexplained deposit.

Do I owe a 1099 to the instructor who only covers postnatal classes?

If she's not on payroll and you pay her $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 prenatal and postnatal studio.

Most of what trips up this business is timing and labels. Add-on services blended with class income, and packs counted before they're earned.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Instructor or employeeAn instructor who teaches your class schedule with your equipment 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 childcare provider or substitute instructor not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31 if paid $2,000 or more in 2026. Gus keeps that list all year.
  • Specialized equipmentRecovery assessment tools and specialty studio equipment can usually be written off the year they're bought. Bonus depreciation is back to 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
  • The pass-through deductionMost owners can take up to 20 percent of business profit off their taxable income. It comes out right when class packs, childcare, and referral income are tracked correctly all year.

Deductions prenatal and postnatal fitness studios miss

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

  • Stability balls and resistance bands
  • Diastasis recti assessment tools
  • Momence or Mindbody fees
  • Liability insurance
  • Prenatal and postnatal certifications
  • Childcare supplies and toys
  • Business phone and booking line
  • Cleaning service
  • Marketing and referral partnerships
  • 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 prenatal studio's year, kept every month.

Clients move through pregnancy and recovery on their own timeline. Your taxes come on theirs. 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 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 childcare and referral income are pulling their weight.

  4. October

    Before year-end

    Before the calendar closes, Gus looks at equipment 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 prenatal and postnatal fitness studios. 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 prenatal studio owners ask first.

Can Gus track class packs as clients move from prenatal to postnatal?

Yes. Pack income is counted as classes are actually taken, and Gus tracks the transition so a client's postnatal classes show up correctly even if she bought the pack while still pregnant.

Is the childcare add-on worth tracking separately?

Yes. Gus keeps childcare fees and childcare staffing costs in their own lines, so you can see whether that add-on service actually covers what it costs to offer.

How does Gus handle referral fees from a local doula practice?

They get their own category, separate from class income, so the value of that partnership stays visible instead of looking like an unexplained deposit on the bank statement.

My instructors need specific certifications. Does that matter for the books?

Certification costs are tracked as a normal deductible business expense, and Gus flags whether an instructor's schedule and role looks like an employee's rather than a contractor's.

My books haven't been kept up since I opened. Is that a problem?

No. Whatever you have on hand since opening is enough to start with. Gus sorts through the gap, the accountant checks his work, and the studio's real numbers show up 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