Wellness & recovery services
Books and taxes for salt cave and halotherapy studios.
Family and group sessions booked by the seat, a halogenerator that grinds through pharmaceutical salt every week, and a room built from tons of salt brick. 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 $5,800. A birthday party group booking filled the whole room twice in one week, so I kept group bookings apart from single seats like usual.
- Square payout, group roomGroup sessions
- Square payout, private roomPrivate sessions
- Halogenerator salt refillSalt therapy supplies
- Front desk wagesStaff pay
- Retail order, bath salts and lampsRetail inventory
Why your books are different
A salt cave sells seats, not just sessions.
A group room booked for a birthday party or a family session earns differently than one adult booking a private seat, and the salt that keeps the whole thing running is a recurring cost most bookkeepers have never priced. Get either wrong and the month stops reflecting what actually happened.
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1
A group booking is not one seat's worth of income
A family of five books the group room for one session, paying a flat rate that covers all of them, and if it is logged the same way as a single adult's private seat, there is no way to tell which room type is actually driving revenue.
What we doKeeps group and private room bookings in separate lines so each room's contribution is clear. -
2
Halogenerator salt is a running cost, not an occasional buy
The machine that grinds pharmaceutical-grade salt into the fine particles the room needs runs through supply on a steady schedule, and if it is bundled with general supplies, there is no way to see whether the room's upkeep cost is climbing.
What we doKeeps halogenerator salt in its own line so its cost stays visible against sessions run. -
3
The salt brick build-out is not a decorating expense
A room lined floor to ceiling in salt brick can be one of the largest costs in opening a studio, often tens of thousands of dollars, and filed as decor or supplies, it disappears into the wrong part of the books entirely.
What we doFlags the build-out as a real asset and logs it as equipment or leasehold improvement for the accountant to depreciate correctly. -
4
Kids' pricing and package deals blur the real average
A studio that charges less for children or bundles a family package can end up with an average price per seat that looks lower than it is, making a busy month with lots of kids look weaker than a quiet month of full-price adults.
What we doTracks sessions by type so you can see real volume alongside revenue, not just one blended number.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a salt cave 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
- Group sessionsFamily and group room bookings, paid as a flat rate per session.
- Private sessionsSingle-seat bookings in a smaller room.
- Session packagesPrepaid multi-visit passes, tracked as owed sessions until used.
- RetailBath salts, salt lamps, and essential oils sold at the front desk.
Money out
- Salt therapy suppliesHalogenerator salt and filter replacement.
- Room upkeepSalt brick replacement and room cleaning.
- Front desk staff payWages for greeting and running sessions.
- Booking softwareScheduling for group and private rooms.
- Retail inventorySalt lamps, bath salts, and oils bought for resale.
What we watch for you
- Group versus private mix
How much revenue comes from each room type, so pricing and hours match demand.
- Salt cost per session
Halogenerator salt spend divided by sessions run, so the real cost of a room hour is clear.
- Retail margin
What retail products cost against what they sell for, kept apart from session revenue.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things salt cave 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.
I kept group room bookings in their own line, apart from private seats, so you can see exactly how much parties are worth to you.
I logged it under salt therapy supplies and checked it against sessions run. Cost per session is steady, so it was just a bigger restock.
Flag it when the build starts. I will log the materials and labor as a real asset, not a supply cost, so the accountant can set up the right depreciation.
The tax side
The tax side of a salt cave studio.
Most of what trips up a salt cave is where the room build-out gets filed and whether front desk staff are handled right. Neither is complicated once the books are set up correctly.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Leasehold improvements and equipmentA salt brick build-out and halogenerator equipment can often be written off over time or, for the equipment portion, in the year it is bought. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025.
- Worker classificationFront desk staff who work your schedule and follow your hours are usually employees, not contractors, even if paid hourly and 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.
- Sales tax on retailBath salts, lamps, and oils sold at the desk are usually subject to sales tax, which varies by state. Sessions themselves are often treated differently.
Deductions salt caves and halotherapy studios miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Halogenerator salt refills
- Salt brick replacement
- Front desk wages
- Booking software
- Liability insurance
- Marketing and lead fees
- Retail inventory
- License and permit fees
- Cleaning supplies
- Utilities
- Room build-out costs
- Signage and 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 salt cave studio's year, kept every month.
Birthday parties, cold season visits, and gift certificates all move differently through the year. Your team keeps you ahead of the tax calendar through the swings. 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, cold season session demand gets counted right, and a monthly set-aside gets planned 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 party bookings changed the number.
- October
Before the gift season
Gift certificates and family packages sell well before the holidays. Gus looks at whether a second room is worth building 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 salt caves and halotherapy 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 salt cave owners ask first.
How does Gus handle birthday party and group bookings?
He keeps group room sessions in their own line, apart from single-seat bookings, so you can see exactly how much parties and families contribute to your revenue.
Our halogenerator salt cost jumped this month. Is that a problem?
No. Gus checks it against sessions run, and if cost per session is steady, a bigger bill just means a bigger restock, not a bad month.
We're building out a second salt room. How does that get handled?
Flag the project when it starts. Gus logs the materials and labor as a real asset instead of supplies, so the accountant can set up proper depreciation.
Do I charge sales tax on the salt lamps and bath products I sell?
Usually, though the rate and rules depend on your state. Gus tracks retail sales separately so the accountant can make sure it is handled correctly.
My studio ran at a loss the first year with the room build-out. Is that normal?
It happens often given how much a salt room costs upfront. Gus tracks the loss correctly against future years, and the accountant makes sure it is used right on your return.
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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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