Outdoor attractions & tours
Books and taxes for small amusement parks.
Wristband sales, ride ticket books, midway game commissions, and ride inspection bills that come due whether the gate is packed or quiet. 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
June came in at $51,000. The new kiddie coaster from a ride manufacturer landed this month, so I filed it as equipment, not repairs.
- Wristband sales batchRide admission
- Midway games commissionGames income
- Ride manufacturer invoiceRide equipment
- State ride inspector feeInspections and permits
- Ride operator payroll runRide operator wages
Why your books are different
Small amusement park books go wrong in the same five places.
A generalist sees a gate and a food court. Your business is rides that need state inspection before they can open, wristbands sold ahead of the day, prize inventory for the midway, and a season that has to carry the whole year. When the books do not know that, the numbers stop telling you anything useful.
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1
A new ride looks like a repair bill
A kiddie coaster or a new spinner ride can run into six figures. Filed as repairs and maintenance, that one purchase wrecks the month and hides what the park actually invested in the midway.
What we doFlags ride purchases the day they land, books them as equipment, and gets the accountant's call on how much of it comes off this year. -
2
Wristbands sold in advance get counted too early
A discounted online wristband sold in April for a visit in July overstates spring income and understates the month the family actually rides.
What we doHolds prepaid wristband and ticket sales as deferred income until the visit happens, so each month reflects real attendance. -
3
State ride inspection fees get buried in general permits
Annual ride inspections are a real, recurring cost tied directly to keeping rides operating legally, not a miscellaneous permit line.
What we doKeeps ride inspection and permit costs in their own line, so you can see what it actually costs to keep every ride certified. -
4
Midway prize inventory gets mixed with concession food costs
Stuffed animals and prizes bought for game booths get lumped in with hot dog buns and soda syrup, hiding whether the games are actually worth the shelf space.
What we doSplits game prize inventory from food and concession costs so you can see which part of the midway earns its keep. -
5
A short season carries the whole year
Many small amusement parks make almost all their money in twelve to sixteen summer weeks. A single winter month looked at alone makes a healthy seasonal business look like it is failing.
What we doTracks the season as a whole and helps plan a set-aside so the closed months do not drain the account.
Your categories
The categories Gus keeps for a small amusement park.
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
- Ride admissionWristbands and ride ticket books, both walk-up and prepaid online.
- Games incomeMidway game plays and commissions.
- Group and school bookingsField trips and group outings booked ahead.
- Season passesSold ahead, recognized across the weeks the park is open.
- ConcessionsFood and drink sales.
Money out
- Ride equipmentNew rides, major parts, and ride manufacturer invoices, logged as equipment.
- Ride operator wagesHourly pay for operators, attendants, and safety staff.
- Inspections and permitsState ride inspector fees and operating permits.
- Game prizesStuffed animals and prizes bought for midway booths.
- Concession food costsFood and beverage inventory.
- InsuranceLiability coverage, usually the largest fixed cost of the year.
- Utilities and electricityPower to run rides, lighting, and refrigeration.
- Ticketing and payment feesWhat a ticketing app or card processor keeps.
What we watch for you
- Deferred wristband balance
How much prepaid ticket money is still owed in visits, so a big presale week does not get spent as if it were already earned.
- Games versus rides income
Whether the midway is carrying its own weight next to ride admission.
- Labor against attendance
Ride operator wages compared to admissions for the same stretch, so staffing tracks the crowd.
- The set-aside
What you will owe, tracked every month, so April is a number you already knew.
Ask Gus
Things amusement park 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.
Often it can. I logged it as equipment, not repairs, and flagged it for the accountant, who decides how much to write off now versus over time.
Because those wristbands pay for a visit that has not happened yet. I hold that money and count it when the family actually walks through the gate.
Yes, they are a legitimate cost of running the rides. I keep them in their own line so you can see exactly what certification costs each year.
The tax side
The tax side of a small amusement park.
Most of what goes wrong here is timing: rides filed as repairs, wristbands counted too early, and inspection costs buried in general expenses.
What your return has to get right
Your accountant signs it, so it gets done right the first time.
- Ride and equipment depreciationRides, ticket systems, and major midway equipment are business assets. Bonus depreciation is 100 percent for property acquired after January 19, 2025, and Section 179 can often write off a new ride in the year it is bought.
- Deferred revenue on prepaid wristbandsWristbands and season passes sold ahead of a visit are not fully earned the day they sell. They get recognized as income when the visit actually happens.
- Worker classification for ride operatorsRide operators and attendants who work your schedule and follow your safety procedures are employees, even for a short season.
- 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 small amusement parks miss
Your bookkeeper knows what to look for in your statements. You never have to.
- Ride parts and mechanical repair
- State ride inspection fees
- Midway game prizes
- Uniforms and staff shirts
- Ticketing app fees
- Concession equipment repair
- Signage and wayfinding
- Liability insurance
- Sunscreen and first aid supplies
- Landscaping and grounds upkeep
- Security staffing
- Electricity for rides and lighting
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
An amusement park year, kept every month.
Your whole year rides on a short summer season. 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 the closed months do not catch you short.
- April
Filed. Done.
Your return is filed and signed before opening day, with inspection season ahead of you, not a tax deadline.
- July
Halfway check
Where you stand at the peak of the season, and whether summer attendance is tracking ahead of last year.
- October
Before the off season
A look at ride equipment worth buying before next season 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 small amusement parks. 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 amusement park owners ask first.
Can Gus handle wristbands sold months before we open?
Yes. He holds that money as prepaid income and counts it when visitors actually use the park, so your books match real attendance instead of the day a wristband sold.
Do ride inspection fees count as a business expense?
Yes. State ride inspection and permit fees are a legitimate, recurring cost of keeping rides operating, and Gus keeps them in their own line so you can track them.
We bought a used ride from another park. How does that get filed?
As equipment. A ride has real useful life beyond one season, so it gets logged and depreciated, and the accountant decides how much can be written off this year.
Our midway games have their own attendants. Does that change payroll?
It changes what you can see, not what you do. Gus keeps game attendant pay separate from ride operator pay so you know what each part of the park costs to staff.
We are closed most of the year. Is that a problem for the books?
No. Gus tracks your season as a whole, so the closed months do not make a profitable summer look like a struggling business.
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 outdoor attractions & tours
We keep books for the business next door too.
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- Hot air balloon rides
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- Petting zoos
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- Segway, e-bike & scooter tours
- Skydiving centers
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- Arcades
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- Esports & LAN gaming centers
- Haunted houses & haunted attractions
- Ice skating rinks
- Indoor go-kart tracks
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