Campgrounds, RV parks & glamping

Books and taxes for luxury RV resorts.

Resort fees on top of site rent, a pickleball clinic, a poolside bar tab, and a concierge who books it all. Gus sorts every stream, 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
FebruaryExample month
$46,500
what you made

February came in at $46,500. The pickleball clinic and the poolside bar both cleared a real profit, so I kept them apart from site rent to show you.

  • Newbook payoutSite rentals and resort fees
  • Clubhouse bar tabsFood and beverage sales
  • Desert Greens LandscapingGrounds and amenities
  • Poolside staff payrollAmenity staff wages
  • Sunbelt Pool SupplyPool and spa upkeep
Money in$148,000
Money out$101,500
Set aside for taxes$11,200
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

Luxury RV resort books go wrong where the amenities are.

A generalist sees site rent and a bar tab. Your resort sells a lifestyle: a heated pool, a pickleball clinic, a concierge who plans the week, and a resort fee tacked onto every stay. When the books do not separate those from the site rent itself, you cannot tell which amenities pay for themselves.

  1. 1

    The resort fee hides inside site rent

    Charged alongside the nightly rate to fund the clubhouse, pool, and activities, a resort fee gets lumped into the same line as site rent, so nobody can see what the amenities actually cost to run against what they bring in.

    What we doKeeps the resort fee in its own line so you can compare it directly to what the clubhouse and pool cost that month.
  2. 2

    Concierge and activities payroll blends into general wages

    An activities director running the pickleball clinic and a concierge booking dinner reservations get paid through the same payroll run as grounds crew, making it hard to see whether guest programming pays for itself.

    What we doKeeps amenity and concierge wages in their own line, separate from grounds and maintenance labor.
  3. 3

    Food and beverage sales get mixed with site income

    A poolside bar or a clubhouse cafe rings sales through the same system as site fees, so a strong beverage month can mask a slow week of bookings, or the other way around.

    What we doKeeps food and beverage sales separate so each revenue stream tells its own story.
  4. 4

    A clubhouse remodel looks like maintenance

    A new pool deck, a remodeled clubhouse, or a pickleball court build shows up on the statement like a repair bill, but it is a capital project that should be written off over years.

    What we doFlags large amenity projects the month they happen and gets the accountant's read on how to capitalize them.
  5. 5

    High-end grounds work outpaces a normal landscaping budget

    Manicured grounds, seasonal flower rotations, and a resort-grade pool crew cost far more than a standard campground's mowing bill, and owners often underestimate it when pricing sites.

    What we doKeeps grounds and amenity upkeep in one visible line so you know the real cost of the resort look.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a luxury RV resort.

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

  • Site rentals and resort feesNightly and monthly rent plus the amenity fee, kept apart.
  • Food and beverage salesThe clubhouse cafe and poolside bar.
  • Activities and clinic feesPickleball clinics, yoga classes, and planned events.
  • Spa and fitness feesMassage, sauna, or fitness class add-ons where offered.
  • Boutique and pro shop salesApparel and gear sold from the clubhouse shop.

Money out

  • Grounds and amenitiesHigh-end landscaping, seasonal plantings, and pool decking.
  • Pool and spa upkeepChemicals, filtration, and service contracts.
  • Amenity staff wagesConcierge, activities director, and poolside attendants.
  • Food and beverage inventoryWhat stocks the clubhouse bar and cafe.
  • UtilitiesElectric, water, and climate control across the property.
  • Booking and reservation feesWhat Newbook or a similar system keeps before you get paid.
  • InsuranceProperty, liability, and amenity-specific coverage.

What we watch for you

  • Resort fee margin

    What the resort fee brings in against what the amenities cost.

  • Food and beverage margin

    Whether the clubhouse cafe or bar is pulling its weight.

  • Occupancy rate

    Nights booked against nights available, month by month.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so tax season is not a surprise.

Ask Gus

Things luxury RV resort 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.

Is the pickleball clinic actually making money or just filling the schedule?

This month it cleared about $2,100 after the instructor and court upkeep. Filling the schedule and turning a profit, so far.

We just redid the whole pool deck. Does that write off this year?

Probably spread over a few years rather than all at once, given the size of the project. I flagged it and the accountant will decide with your whole year in view.

Do I owe our seasonal activities director a 1099 or is she payroll?

If she runs your schedule and uses your equipment, she is likely payroll, not a contractor. That one is worth a real accountant's read before the season starts.

The tax side

The tax side of a luxury RV resort.

Most of what goes wrong here is scale: bigger capital projects, more staff roles, and more revenue lines than a standard park, all needing the right label.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Lodging or occupancy taxMost states and many counties tax overnight stays, and a resort fee is often taxed the same way as the site rent itself. It is collected from guests and filed separately from your income return.
  • Amenity capital projectsA pool remodel, a new clubhouse, or a pickleball court build usually gets depreciated over several years rather than deducted all at once, though bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property bought after January 19, 2025.
  • Worker classification for concierge staffAn activities director or concierge who works your schedule and uses resort equipment is usually an employee, not a contractor, even in a seasonal role.
  • Contractor 1099sA landscaping crew, pool service, or event vendor paid $2,000 or more in 2026 who is not on payroll gets a 1099-NEC by January 31.

Deductions luxury RV resorts miss

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

  • Pool and spa chemicals
  • Seasonal landscaping and plantings
  • Pickleball court resurfacing
  • Poolside furniture replacement
  • Clubhouse cafe inventory
  • Concierge uniforms
  • Booking and reservation fees
  • Event and activities supplies
  • Fitness equipment maintenance
  • Golf cart fleet upkeep
  • Boutique shop inventory
  • Business liability 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

A luxury RV resort year, kept every month.

Peak season and amenity spending do not always line up. Gus keeps the tax side steady through both. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Plan the season

    Last year's return gets started, the vendor 1099 list is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside before peak occupancy hits.

  2. April

    Filed and done

    Your return is filed and signed while the resort is still busy, without pulling you away from guests.

  3. July

    Midyear check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether the season's amenity revenue is running ahead of last year.

  4. October

    Before the slow stretch

    A look at this year's capital projects and what is worth doing before the next peak season starts.

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 luxury RV resorts. 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 luxury RV resort owners ask first.

Can Gus separate the resort fee from site rent?

Yes. He keeps the resort fee in its own line so you can see exactly what it brings in against what the pool, clubhouse, and activities cost that month.

Our activities director also helps at the front desk. Does that complicate payroll?

It does not complicate the books, Gus tracks wages as wages either way. The accountant can help you think through role and classification if that ever changes.

We book through Newbook. Does Gus need access to it?

No. Gus works from your bank statement. When a payout batch is unclear he asks you once and remembers the answer after that.

How does Gus handle the clubhouse bar's alcohol sales?

He keeps food and beverage sales in their own category, separate from site income, so you can see what the bar and cafe actually contribute.

We're planning a major clubhouse renovation next year. What should we track now?

Send Gus every invoice as it comes in. He flags the total as a capital project so the accountant has clean numbers when it is time to decide how it gets written 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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We keep books for the business next door too.

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