Outdoor attractions & tours
Books and taxes for skydiving centers.
Tandem jump ticket sales, video and photo packages, aircraft fuel, and parachute rigging that has to be repacked on a strict schedule. 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
August came in at $38,500. The jump plane's annual inspection and engine work is logged as maintenance, kept apart from fuel.
- Tandem jump ticket batchTandem jump sales
- Video and photo package salesVideo and photo packages
- Aviation fuel deliveryAircraft fuel
- Parachute repack serviceRigging and parachute maintenance
- Instructor and jumpmaster payrollInstructor wages
Why your books are different
Skydiving center books go wrong in the same four places.
A generalist sees ticket sales and a small airport operation. Your business runs an aircraft that flies dozens of short flights a day, keeps parachute equipment on a mandatory repack schedule, and sells video and photo add-ons that make up a real share of revenue. When the books do not know that, safety costs and margin both stay hidden.
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1
Video and photo add-ons get folded into the jump ticket
Many customers pay extra for a photographer or videographer to jump alongside them, and if that money gets mixed with the base tandem fare, you cannot see how much add-on sales are actually worth.
What we doKeeps video and photo package sales in their own line, separate from the tandem jump fee, so you can see what add-ons actually bring in. -
2
Rigging and repack costs get treated as a one-off expense
Parachute systems require repacking on a set schedule regardless of how many jumps happen, which is a recurring safety cost, not an occasional repair.
What we doKeeps rigging and repack costs in their own steady line, so you can see this as the ongoing safety cost it is, not a surprise expense. -
3
Aircraft maintenance and fuel get lumped together
A required annual inspection or an engine overhaul is a different kind of cost than routine fuel, and mixing them hides how much the plane itself is costing to keep airworthy.
What we doKeeps aircraft maintenance separate from fuel, and flags major work as equipment so the accountant can weigh in on how it is written off. -
4
Instructor and jumpmaster pay does not track against jump volume
Instructors paid per tandem jump make labor cost hard to see unless it is tracked against how many jumps actually happened that month.
What we doKeeps instructor wages against tandem jump income for the same stretch, so you can see whether pricing covers what staffing costs.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a skydiving center.
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
- Tandem jump salesStandard tandem jump fares, walk-up and online.
- Video and photo packagesAdd-on media packages sold alongside the jump.
- Licensed jumper servicesGear rental and aircraft rides for certified jumpers.
- Training and certification coursesSolo certification course fees.
Money out
- Aircraft fuelAviation fuel for the jump plane.
- Aircraft maintenanceRequired inspections and engine work.
- Rigging and parachute maintenanceScheduled repacks and equipment replacement.
- Instructor wagesTandem instructor and jumpmaster pay.
- InsuranceAviation and liability coverage, usually a major fixed cost.
- Hangar and runway feesAirport fees for hangar space and runway access.
What we watch for you
- Cost per jump
Fuel, rigging, and instructor pay against how many jumps happened, so pricing keeps pace with real costs.
- Video package attach rate
How often customers pay for video and photo, since that add-on can meaningfully change monthly income.
- Aircraft maintenance trend
Repair and inspection costs tracked over time, so a required overhaul does not look like an emergency.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things skydiving center 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.
Yes. I keep video and photo sales in their own line, so you can see exactly how much add-ons bring in beyond the base jump fee.
I kept it separate from fuel, since it is a required, larger cost, and flagged it so the accountant can weigh in on how it should be treated.
Recurring. They happen on a required schedule no matter how many jumps you run, so I keep them in a steady line, not lumped with occasional repairs.
The tax side
The tax side of a skydiving center.
Most of what goes wrong here is keeping safety-driven costs, like rigging and required inspections, visible instead of buried in general expenses.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Aircraft depreciationThe jump plane and major mechanical work are business equipment. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 can often write off qualifying work in the year it is done.
- Worker classification for instructorsTandem instructors and jumpmasters who follow your schedule and safety procedures are usually employees, even if paid per jump.
- Contractor 1099sAnyone not on payroll paid $2,000 or more in 2026, like a freelance videographer, gets a 1099-NEC by January 31. Gus keeps that list all year.
- 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 skydiving centers miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Aviation fuel
- Parachute repack and rigging service
- Aircraft inspection and engine work
- Hangar and runway fees
- Aviation and liability insurance
- Video and camera equipment
- Instructor certification renewal
- Ground crew radios
- Booking app fees
- Uniforms and jumpsuits
- Weather monitoring service
- Waiver and manifest software
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 skydiving center year, kept every month.
Your busiest jump days follow clear skies and warm weather. Your taxes come on a schedule regardless. Your team keeps you ahead of both. 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 is ready, and you get a monthly set-aside so a slow winter does not catch you short.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed ahead of the busy spring and summer jump season.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at the height of jump season, and whether cost per jump is holding steady.
- October
Before the slowdown
A look at aircraft or rigging equipment worth buying before winter and anything worth doing 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 skydiving centers. 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 skydiving center owners ask first.
Can Gus separate video package sales from the base tandem fare?
Yes. Video and photo add-ons get their own line, so you can see exactly what they contribute beyond the jump fee itself.
Do required parachute repacks count as a repair or a routine cost?
A routine cost. They happen on a set schedule regardless of jump volume, so Gus keeps them in a steady line rather than mixed with occasional repairs.
We had a major aircraft engine overhaul this year. Is that fully deductible right away?
Often it can be. Major aircraft work gets logged as equipment, and the accountant decides how much comes off this year.
Our instructors are paid per tandem jump. Are they employees?
Usually, since you set the schedule and safety procedures. Gus keeps their pay tracked against jump volume and flags the classification question for the accountant.
Our books are behind after a busy summer. Is that a problem?
No. Send the bank statements you have. Gus sorts them, the accountant checks them, and most owners know where they 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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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