Creators, coaches & info products

Books and taxes for spiritual and mindset coaches.

Sliding scale sessions that pay a different amount every time, a retreat deposit collected months before the venue is paid, and a cash payment through Venmo with no memo attached. Your own bookkeeper sorts all of it, 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
AprilExample month
$5,100
what you made

April came in at $5,100. Session payments ranged from $60 to $250 on a sliding scale, so I kept the total clear instead of expecting one flat rate.

  • Venmo, individual sessionsSession income
  • Retreat deposit, fall retreatRetreat income
  • Oracle deck and journal salesMerchandise sales
  • Venue hold, fall retreatRetreat costs
  • Sound bath equipmentSession equipment
Money in$8,200
Money out$3,100
Set aside for taxes$1,100
An example month. Yours will have your numbers.

Why your books are different

A spiritual coach's books go wrong in a few specific spots.

A generalist expects one flat session rate. Yours moves on a sliding scale that changes client to client, mixes cash payments through apps that arrive with vague or no memo, and includes retreat deposits collected long before the venue and food bills come due.

  1. 1

    Sliding scale sessions have no fixed rate to check against

    When session prices range from $60 to $250 depending on what a client can afford, it is hard to tell from the bank alone whether a slow month means fewer sessions or just more clients paying at the lower end.

    What we doTracks the total number of sessions against total income, so a lower average is visible as a pricing pattern, not confused with fewer bookings.
  2. 2

    Cash app payments arrive with no clear label

    A Venmo or Cash App payment for a session often comes in with a vague memo or none at all, which makes it easy to lose track of what a payment was actually for by the time the books get reviewed.

    What we doConfirms unclear payments with you once, and remembers the answer, so a vague memo does not turn into a missed or miscategorized session.
  3. 3

    Retreat deposits arrive months before the real costs do

    Attendees often pay their retreat deposit five or six months before the event, while venue and catering bills land much closer to the date, making an early deposit month look far more profitable than the retreat will actually turn out to be.

    What we doHolds retreat income against the venue and catering costs still to come, so the real profit or loss is not judged until the full picture is in.
  4. 4

    Merch sales blend into session income

    Selling oracle decks, journals, or other items alongside coaching sessions brings in money that looks the same as a session payment, hiding how much of the business is actually product sales versus your own time.

    What we doKeeps merchandise sales in their own line, separate from session income, so both sides of the business are visible.

Your categories

The categories Gus keeps for a spiritual coaching business.

Set up once for how you get paid and what you spend on. You never pick a category. He does, and an accountant checks it.

Money in

  • Session incomeIndividual sessions paid on a sliding scale or flat rate.
  • Group circle incomeRecurring group sessions or circles.
  • Retreat incomeDeposits and balances for in-person retreats.
  • Merchandise salesOracle decks, journals, and other products sold to clients.

Money out

  • Retreat costsVenue, catering, and lodging for in-person events.
  • Session equipmentSound bowls, cards, and materials used in sessions.
  • CertificationsTraining and certification costs for the coaching practice.
  • Scheduling softwareBooking and payment tools for sessions.
  • Business insuranceLiability coverage for coaching and retreat work.

What we watch for you

  • Sessions delivered

    Total sessions against total income, since sliding scale pricing makes the dollar total alone misleading.

  • Retreat margin

    What a retreat actually nets once venue and catering costs all land.

  • Cash payment share

    How much of income arrives through cash apps that need extra care to categorize correctly.

  • The set-aside

    What you will owe, tracked every month, so a strong retreat deposit month does not turn into a surprise bill.

Ask Gus

Things spiritual coaches 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.

My income was lower this month even though I did the same number of sessions. Is that a problem?

Not necessarily. I track sessions against income, and it looks like more clients paid toward the lower end of your sliding scale this month, which is a pricing pattern, not fewer bookings.

I got a Venmo payment with no note attached. How do you know what it was for?

I flagged it and will ask you once. After that, I remember the pattern for payments like it, so it does not need asking again.

My retreat deposits are coming in strong. Does that mean the retreat is already profitable?

Too early to say. I am holding that income against the venue and catering costs still coming, so we will know the real number once everything lands.

The tax side

The tax side of running a spiritual coaching business.

Most of what trips people up here is cash payments with no clear record, and retreat money collected well before the costs it is meant to cover.

What your return has to get right

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

  • Cash and cash app income is still taxableA Venmo payment for a session counts as income the same as a card payment, whether or not it has a clear memo. Gus tracks it from your statement either way.
  • Self-employment taxA coach not on payroll owes 15.3 percent in self-employment tax on top of income tax, up to the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
  • Form 1099-K from payment appsVenmo, Cash App, and similar apps send a 1099-K once you cross $20,000 and 200 transactions in a year. Session income is taxable whether or not a form arrives.
  • The pass-through deductionMost coaching businesses can take up to 20 percent of profit off their taxable income. Above $201,750 single or $403,500 joint, the accountant checks how the mix of sessions, circles, and retreats affects how much applies.

Deductions spiritual and mindset coaches miss

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

  • Sound bowls and session equipment
  • Oracle decks and journals for resale
  • Certification and training costs
  • Retreat venue and catering
  • Scheduling and payment software
  • Business liability insurance
  • Business phone and internet
  • Home office or studio share
  • Accounting and legal fees

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 spiritual coaching business's year, kept every month.

Sessions and retreats land on their own rhythm all year, not around tax season. Your team keeps the books closed every month. Every month in between, your bookkeeper closes the books and speaks up the moment something looks off.

  1. January

    Set intentions and numbers

    Last year's return gets started, and a monthly set-aside is planned so sessions and retreat planning never have to pause for taxes.

  2. April

    Filed, retreat planning next

    Filed and signed, with no scramble for cash, since a share of every session and retreat deposit has been set aside since January.

  3. July

    Session and retreat check

    Where you stand, what you will owe, and whether a spring retreat changed the number.

  4. October

    Before a fall retreat

    Many coaches run a fall or winter retreat. Gus looks at venue costs coming due and anything worth doing before December.

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 spiritual and mindset coaches. 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 spiritual coaches ask first.

Do I owe tax on sliding scale sessions the same as a flat-rate session?

Yes, all session income is taxable the same way regardless of what a client paid. Gus tracks the total either way.

I get paid in cash sometimes for a session, with no digital record. What should I do?

Let Gus know the amount when it happens so he can log it as income. All income is taxable whether or not there is a digital record of it.

My retreat is priced on a sliding scale too. Does that complicate the books?

No. Gus tracks total retreat income against total retreat costs regardless of what each attendee paid, so the real margin is still clear.

I sell oracle decks and journals at my sessions. Does that change my business type?

Not usually. Gus just keeps merchandise sales in their own line so you can see that income apart from your coaching sessions.

My session and retreat income have never been tracked separately. Can Gus fix that?

Yes. Send the bank and payment app statements you have. Gus sorts sessions from retreats, the accountant checks it, and most coaches 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.

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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