Indoor entertainment
Books and taxes for rage room operators.
Timed smash sessions, a steady supply of dishes and electronics to break, protective suits, and a liability policy that has to hold up. Gus sorts all of it, an accountant checks every transaction, and you get one number a month.
- From $197 a month
- An accountant on every transaction
- Cancel whenever
February came in at $4,600. The bulk order of dishware from the restaurant liquidator got logged as breakable stock, kept apart from your regular supplies.
- Xola payoutSession bookings
- Group event depositPrivate events
- Restaurant liquidator orderBreakable stock
- Safety supply orderProtective gear
- Liability insuranceInsurance
Why your books are different
Rage room books go wrong in the same few places.
A generalist sees session sales and cleanup bills. Your business runs on a steady pipeline of stuff to break, gear that keeps people safe, and sessions priced by time and item count. When the books do not know that, you cannot tell what a session really costs to run.
-
1
Breakable stock hides in general supplies
Bulk dishware, old electronics, and glass bottles bought from liquidators or donation runs get used up constantly, and buried in a general supplies line, an owner cannot see the real cost per session of what actually gets smashed.
What we doKeeps breakable stock in its own category so the true cost of restocking each room is visible, not lost in a catchall line. -
2
Protective gear replacement gets skipped or lumped in
Suits, gloves, and face shields wear out and need replacing on a schedule most owners do not track closely, and a slow month can hide that safety gear is overdue.
What we doKeeps protective gear in its own line so a restock shows up as what it is, not a random expense spike. -
3
Group events and single sessions blur together
A bachelorette party booking a whole room for an hour pays very differently than a single walk-in session, and lumped together neither number tells you which one to market harder.
What we doKeeps private group events and single-session bookings in their own categories so you can see what actually fills the calendar. -
4
Cleanup and disposal costs disappear into the mix
Hauling broken glass, ceramics, and electronics away is a real recurring cost that gets easy to ignore when it is folded into general supplies or utilities.
What we doTracks cleanup and disposal as its own line so it shows up clearly against what sessions bring in.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a rage room business.
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
- Session bookingsIndividual and small group smash sessions sold through Xola or a similar app.
- Private eventsBachelorette parties, birthdays, and full-room buyouts.
- Corporate team buildingBooked stress-relief sessions for office groups.
- Add-on packagesExtra items, extended time, or specialty smash kits sold on top of a base session.
Money out
- Breakable stockDishware, glass, and electronics from liquidators, thrift runs, and donation pickups.
- Protective gearSuits, gloves, face shields, and ear protection.
- Cleanup and disposalHauling and disposal of broken material after sessions.
- Liability insuranceCoverage built for a business where people swing bats and hammers on purpose.
- Booking softwareXola or a similar reservation and waiver system.
- Rent and utilitiesThe room space and its ventilation and lighting.
- MarketingGroupon fees, local ads, and social media promotion.
What we watch for you
- Stock cost per session
What breakable inventory costs against session revenue, so pricing keeps up with restocking.
- Private event share
Group bookings against single sessions, since private events usually pay more per hour.
- Gear replacement pace
How often protective gear gets replaced, so it never falls behind on a busy month.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things rage room 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.
As breakable stock, kept apart from your regular supplies. It is one of your biggest real costs and worth seeing clearly.
Looks that way this month. Private events brought in more per session than walk-ins, and I keep those separate so you can see it too.
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 rage room business.
Most of what goes wrong here is what counts as inventory, what counts as equipment, and keeping a hauling contractor's paperwork ready.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Room buildout and safety equipmentPadded walls, safety cages, and protective gear systems can usually be written off the year you buy them. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Contractor 1099sA hauling service, cleanup contractor, or freelance help who is not on payroll and is paid $2,000 or more in 2026 gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.
- Employee or contractorStaff who monitor sessions on your posted schedule and follow your safety rules are usually employees, even if part time.
- 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 rage room operators miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Bulk dishware and glassware
- Liquidator and thrift purchases
- Protective suits and gloves
- Face shields and ear protection
- Liability insurance
- Cleanup and hauling fees
- Booking and waiver software
- Groupon and daily deal fees
- Padded wall repair
- Card processing fees
- Signage and room decor
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 rage room year, kept every month.
Bachelorette and birthday bookings run steady, and stress-relief sessions spike around exam season and the holidays. 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.
- January
Plan the year
Last year's return gets started, the 1099 list for hauling and cleanup help is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so April is already handled.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed. No surprise bill, because the set-aside has been running since January.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether summer private events changed the number.
- October
Before the holiday rush
Corporate stress-relief bookings and holiday party season pick up. Gus looks at breakable stock and gear 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 rage room operators. 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 rage room owners ask first.
Can Gus track breakable inventory separately from regular supplies?
Yes. Dishware, glass, and electronics bought to be smashed get their own category, so the real cost of restocking each room is visible instead of buried in general supplies.
How does Gus handle a big liquidator or thrift purchase?
It gets booked as breakable stock the month it is bought, so a big restock does not make that month look worse than it really was.
Do private events pay differently than walk-in sessions?
Usually. Gus keeps private group bookings and single sessions in separate categories, since group events like bachelorette parties often pay more per hour, so you can see which one is filling your calendar.
Does Gus handle our liability insurance or safety certifications?
No. Insurance and any safety certifications are handled by you and your provider. Gus tracks the cost and flags renewal dates he notices.
My books are all over the place from the first year. Is that fixable?
Yes. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most people 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.
More in indoor entertainment
We keep books for the business next door too.
- Arcades
- Axe throwing venues
- Billiards halls
- Board game cafes
- Cat cafes
- Comedy & magic clubs
- Dinner theaters
- Duckpin bowling & social gaming venues
- Esports & LAN gaming centers
- Haunted houses & haunted attractions
- Ice skating rinks
- Indoor go-kart tracks
- Kids play cafes
- Laser tag arenas
- Murder mystery companies
- Roller skating rinks
- Sensory-friendly play spaces
- VR arcades
- Bowling alleys
- Escape rooms
- Family entertainment centers
- Indoor playgrounds
- Ninja warrior & obstacle gyms
- Pickleball entertainment venues
- Trampoline parks
- Cave & cavern tours
- Drive-in theaters
- Gemstone mining & panning attractions
- Ghost tours
- Helicopter tours
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